Food Tour - Episode #4 - Osteria Romana
In the culinary world, it is a common belief that simplicity can be surprisingly difficult to achieve. It reminds us not to overcomplicate things and instead focus on doing them in the right way. That's exactly what I thought while dining at Osteria Romana ; it's this regressive simplicity that makes our mouths water!
When we enter this Osteria, we feel like we're going back in time. It's, as they say, an arranged mess, where each object has been carefully chosen to be placed there: hundreds of books, trinkets, frames of all kinds, and more. There's a small speakeasy at the entrance, a magnificent bar where you can also dine in a dimly lit ambiance, and then a few tables at the back overlooking the garden, allowing the last rays of sunshine to filter through.
There's also a large library with a secret door that leads to a private room which can be reserved for a business meal or simply for an exceptional moment with friends or family!
In short, the decoration of this place is in perfect harmony with what you eat there: simple yet refined dishes, beautifully selected ingredients, top-notch Italian cuisine with a menu that makes you want to taste everything!
I started my evening with a delicious Bellini, a cocktail made with champagne and white peach puree, an iconic drink from the city of Venice where it was invented.
Then, we let one of the owners guide us through several classics of the house.
We begin with artichokes alla giudia, delightfully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, which whets the appetite.
Next, we indulge in stracciatella di bufala, red tuna, and black truffle, a hyper-tasty and creamy appetizer that we savor with a mini-ciabatta to mop up the plate. It's easy for the diver, as there's nothing left on the plate.
The next appetizer is a small bruschetta with burrata, cherry tomatoes, and basil, simply an explosion of flavors!
Before diving into the main course, I still wanted to taste their culatello, a cured meat produced in the Parme region, originating from Zibello in the Modena region. It's a raw, salted, and air-dried ham with vibrant red flesh, very tender, delicate in taste, and intensely aromatic.
After enjoying that beautiful platter, I couldn't resist trying a pasta dish. The house specialty is the sublime kilogram carbonara pasta, which I had already tasted during my previous visit. So, I opted for Tagliolini with organic Amalfi lemon and caviar, one of my favorite dishes. It features a lemon cream, a mountain of caviar, and, of course, a touch of gold leaf to top it off!
As I couldn't conclude this delightful meal without a touch of sweetness, I ended the meal with an incredibly delicious tiramisu, which gets its name from an Italian phrase, "tirami sù," literally meaning "lift me up."
This exceptional dining experience is worth a visit and makes me want to return very soon!
Osteria Romana - Av. Legrand 11, 1000 Bruxelles - https://www.osteriaromana.be/