Abbiocco Italian Restaurant and Deli
Where: Burnedale Farm, Umhlali
Open: Wednesday to Sunday 9am to 4pm, Fridays 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Call: 082 309 8073
We arrive early to the heady aromas of onions caramelising. Chef Alexi Kyriacou is busy finishing off the chicken liver pate that we would enjoy so much as part of the mezze platter later.
Ingrid Shevlin and I are meeting the advocate at Abbiocco, the simple and homely deli that produces some authentic Italian treats in Umhlali on the North Coast. The name in Italian means that pleasing soporific feeling you get when you’ve eaten too well. Only the Italians can have a word for that. You want to take a nap.
It’s a simple but inviting space, spilling out onto the verandah with mix and match chairs and under a reed-roofed boma. There are plants and Persian carpets, and the smell of onions. What could be more welcoming?
Kyriacou took over the venue about three months ago and has kept its authentic Italian roots. He tells us his belief in the kitchen is to allow the best ingredients to do the talking. So it’s all natural flavours and traditional techniques.
We’re soon sipping on GnTs, perusing the simple menu that’s chalked up onto the board.
A selection of six starters are served as a mezze platter, either half or full. A full platter (R245) is enough for four comfortably. We go this route.
The silky chicken liver pate, slightly sweet which was those onions talking, certainly got the thumbs up all round. In fact we asked for more bread so we could wipe the bowl clean. There was also a very good hummus with polenta chips for dipping, and a tasty skordalia topped with good olive oil.
I enjoyed the Italian meatballs on a butter bean purèe and topped with a tomato salsa. The prawn arancini balls were nice and crisp, and tasted of prawn, and tomatoes stuffed with a good tasty Bolognaise were also an unusual treat. The home-baked bread itself is worth a mention. It’s a lovely way of eating. Lots of little tastes of interesting foods.
We had done well by the time we ordered mains and were told the duck carbonara had already been all consumed around us. That had sparked my interest.
Ingrid opted for the prawn, asparagus and mint risotto (R235), which she enjoyed although thought it might have had a little more asparagus. The risotto had a strong lemon make up although the mint flavours came through, an unusual herb for such a dish.
There was an oxtail, and a flatbread option and a couple of pastas, one with mushrooms. But the advocate and I both went for osso bucco (R210), a dish from the Lombardi region that you see so seldom on Durban menus. This is veal shanks braised in white wine and herbs with all the traditional Italian flavour ingredients ‒ onions, garlic, carrot and celery.
The veal was succulently tender, the mash silky and the sauce light but flavourful. Too many use too much tomato paste in the dish. This is used mainly to give it a bit of colour, not to taste like Napoli sauce. It was topped with a good hit of zesty gremolata which gave it freshness. I even sucked the marrow from the bones. Great cooking.
Desserts consisted of home-made cheese cake or dark chocolate tart, or a selection of home-made ice-creams. Ingrid and I shared the chocolate tart (R65) which was enjoyable. I particularly liked the cranberry ice-cream. I could have taken a bucket of this home. We finished a relaxing afternoon with a good double espresso.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambience: 4
The Bill: R1 339 for three
The Independent on Saturday