Website: http://www.divido.com.au/
Entertainment Card 14/15: 25% off (up to a value of $40)
Divido is a casual yet chic Italian restaurant located on Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn. I have heard the name mentioned over the years but have yet to try it until recently when I was looking for a place to dine to catch up with my ex-colleagues. She had wanted Italian cuisine so I grabbed the opportunity to suggest Divido.
Divido is a medium sized restaurant with stylish decor and an intimate setting. The warm lighting created a nice ambiance and we settled in quickly after a long days work.
As I have not seen my ex-colleagues for awhile now, it took us ages before we placed our order. We were too busy yakking away. Thanks to the waitstaff who was ever so patient with us!
For starters, we had:
- Shallow Fried Baby Calamari ($21) – with lemon aioli and pickled vegetable giardiniers (Italian pickled vegetables).
The Baby Calamari was indeed as the name suggested, baby (in size!). I had to grab a few pieces at one go to feel like I’m chewing on something. That said, it was crisp and delicious. The lemon aioli was divine!
- Prosciutto Di Parma – aged 16 months ($22) – with Italian buffalo mozzarella and local asparagus
I was not too keen on this as I thought it would be too salty but it turned out not! The Prosciutto was tasty and as they were very thinly sliced, it was not overpowering. Love the mozzarella and asparagus combo.
- Handmade sourdough, olive oil & balsamic ($8)
I was surprised that the Sourdough turned out so flat but it still tasted good! I hungrily chomped down on it as I was famished by then.
We deliberated over the mains and decided to order the following to share:
- Wood Roasted Half Duck ($40) with buckwheat polenta, mustard fruits, spring onion and porcini sauce
Excellent dish, crispy skin duck swimming in an an abundant porcini sauce, the meat was tender and melted in the mouth. I like the less heavy polenta served as the base, a great alternative to mashed potatoes!
- Wood Roasted Lamb Shoulder for 2 ($85) with shaved fennel salad and potato parmigiana
This was amazing and the highlight of the evening! We were told that the Lamb Shoulder had been slow-cooked for 48 hours before roasted for another 40 minutes in the oven. The meat was so tender, it fell away just by applying the slightest pressure. The best thing about this was that the exterior was still crispy due to the roasting. Yum! The two sides shone on its own merit as well. Creamy and cheesy potato parmi balanced with a refreshing fennel salad. The perfect dish!
By the end of the meal, the three of us only managed to finish half of each dish. The waitstaff offered to put them in a doggy bag for us. How kind! I did not expect such a service in an Italian restaurant! Lunch sorted for tomorrow!
We should have left by then but after mulling for awhile, we decided to order desserts! As any true dessert foodie would know, there is always this extra space in the stomach allocated just for dessert no matter how full you are. This “space” was calling out to us to share some desserts!
We ordered the Fritule ($15) and Vanilla Pannacotta ($15) to share.
The Fritule are Croatian doughnuts served with blood orange, caramel sauce and milk crumb. It was delightful and luckily not too big a serving otherwise I think we would all really burst!
The Vanilla Pannacotta was delish too, we were delighted to find some fairy floss on the side. I haven’t had fairy floss in ages! Yum!
We were all very satisfied with the meal by the end of the night and loved the friendly and attentive service. I am so glad I get to taste the food here before it changes hands this month! (News update from Perth Munchkin yesterday!) I wish Chef Jason Jujnovich all the best in his future endeavors! Continue to cook great food for us!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
