Porro
The clue’s in the name. ‘Porro’, Italian for the most Welsh of vegetables, leek. And this encapsulates the vision of the people behind Porro. Having cut their teeth at The Potted Pig, they’ve combined their love of British/Welsh cuisine with a passion for Italian food and created a menu that fuses both in a cool, sophisticated space. It’s now open in Roath, a smart addition to their Llandaff site.
We’re off to a great start with Nduya (a Calabrian spicy sausage) with a, very British, poached egg on sourdough toast - a deep, full flavoured, spicy hit mellowed by a dash of delightful olive oil and a perfectly cooked egg.
My main course was a revelation – Gurnard. For so long thrown back by trawlers, it was stunning. A slightly denser, meaty rather than fishy, white fish roasted and served in a garlic and stock sauce withcapers and crab. Accompanied by fresh seasonal purple sprouting broccoli and a cracking roasted potato cake it made for a balanced, multi-layered and simply lovely dish.
Same story with A’s Ricotta Gnudi. Such an elegantly simple idea – but so effective. Little balls of quality ricotta and parmesan left to set in semolina then deep fried. The crunchy outside but pillowy soft inside and slightly salty ricotta pairs perfectly with the taste and texture of the accompanying sage butter, Pangritata and purple broccoli.
We’ve also got to mention the deep fried Jerusalem artichokes with Truffle oil side – stunningly sweet, nutty and mellow, rather like the heady aroma of fresh pipe tobacco.
I rounded mine off with a rich, indulgent Dark Chocolate Torte accompanied by a delicately salted caramel and crunchy hazelnut ice-cream. A went for the Tiramisu Parfait, a compact and rewarding take on the flavours of the classic Italian desert.
57 Wellfield Road, Roath,
Cardiff. Tel: 029 2240 2200
www.porrocardiff.com