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