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SUPER HERO

The Lincoln’s Iain Ling has openedSuper

Ling(above), a 30-seat diner where chef

Michael Li (Lee Ho Fook, Restaurant Shik)

has assembled a menu with a distinct

Chinese accent. Crowd-pleasers include

a ma po tofu jaffle, char siu pork ribs,

and pork and cuttlefish wonton soup. Li’s

Mauritian heritage is referenced in the

spring roll-like hakien and his Hakka-

Chinese side in mui choy, soy-braised pork

belly with mustard greens. The drinks list

features minimal-intervention wine with

The Lincoln’s list also on hand.Super Ling,

138 Queensberry St, Carlton

LUNE EXPRESS

Cult croissanterieLunehas opened an

outpost in the city offering five of its

greatest hits. Plain, almond, and ham-and-

Gruyère croissants, pains au chocolat and

lemon-curd cruffins are made and rolled

in the Fitzroy kitchen, then transported

by refrigerated van, washed with egg and

baked on Collins Street. With three bars

for leaning on and no seats, the city space

has an Italian espresso-bar vibe.Lune

Croissanterie, Shop 16, 161 Collins St (enter

via Russell St), Melbourne, (03) 9419 2320

PASTA PEDIGREE

Matt Picone was Pellegrini’s barista for

19 years before openingPentolinaand

the influence is evident in the design. It’s

all about the pasta, here, made in-house

with semolina flour. Sauces are mostly

familiar – carbonara, Bolognese, pesto –

while casarecce with radicchio, anchovies

and cream mixes it up. There’s Italian

wine and beer on tap and solid Negroni

and Spritz lists.Pentolina, 2/377 Little

Collins St, Melbourne, (03) 9606 0642

There’s balance to the
room, too. Kind lighting,
bentwood chairs, and
arched mirrors on the walls
and behind the timber bar
make the place feel settled,
like it’s been around longer
than it has. The noise levels
aren’t great, though. The

room is deafening when
it’s full, so if you’re not
into lip-reading, make
an off-peak booking.
Charging $65 for a
parmigiana might come
across as a little off-brief, but the
Capitano version is nonetheless
admirable. Veal, bone-in and sourced
from Meatsmith, is crumbed and
flash-fried before being finished in the

pizza oven. The intense heat gives it
a beautifully crisp crust, and it comes
topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella,
scamorza and basil leaves. It’s pretty hefty,
so it’s easy to share. If you’re feeling flush,
there’ll be no regrets ordering it.
Given the Bar Liberty connection,
it comes as no surprise that the wine list
leans natural and artisan. Everything is
either Italian or an Italian variety made

in Australia. It’s a pizza-conscious
collection with a lot of medium-bodied
reds with fresh acidity, such as the juicy
Tuscan sangiovese from Bibi Graetz, and
textural savoury whites, such as the
Friulano made by Moondarra.

Dessert is limited to

two choices: blood-orange

granita with or without a

slug of Campari, or tiramisù.

Both are good, but order the

tiramisù. Capitano’s take

has sponge cake soaked in

coffee cream and orange

curaçao from local makers

Marionette, and there’s

Rutherglen muscat in the

mascarpone cream. It’s a

lighter tiramisù than some,

but completely satisfying and

handsome enough to give

pause before it’s demolished.

Capitano serves a gin, tonic and

chamomile amontillado cocktail, called a

Fantastico, and it’s a drink that’s very

much like Capitano itself: an enthusiastic

and fresh take on a staple.●

Left: veal parmigiana;

Bottom: tiramisù with a

Clarified Tiramisù cocktail.

Melbourne review

AND ALSO...

Details

Capitano

421 Rathdowne St,

Carlton, (03) 9134 8555,

capitano.com.au

Licensed

CardsAE MC V EFT

OpenMon-Fri

5.30pm-midnight,

Sat-Sun noon-midnight

PricesEntrées $11-$20,

main courses $18-$65,

desserts $6-$15

VegetarianOne entrée,

one main, four pizze

NoiseDeafening when full

Wheelchair accessNo

MinusThe noise

PlusOld-school Italian

with new-school attitude

GOURMET TRAVELLER 47