We can’t think of many better ways to get rid of the Monday blues than with a good gastronomical treat, so Platters Bistro and Wine Bar it was for our lunchtime pick-me-up. In case you’re not in the know, Platters boasts a uniquely Heraclitean dining concept. Its menu and culinary style are informed by guest chefs, who change every four months.
This time the menus were courtesy of Oscar and Tracy Pasinato of Italian-Asian restaurant Buko Nero. Each platter (there are six in all) has a poetic name that coheres and lends personality to what’s otherwise basically a selection of tapas. We got our greens (and reds and oranges) from the vegetarian Dall’Orto platter, a spring-themed platter of eggplant caponata, lusciously grilled cherry tomatoes, pumpkin fritters and crowd favorite arancini. On the other end of the spectrum, there was the very substantial Della Fattoria, with maple syrup pork ribs and beef tagliata. Its portobellos stuffed with lamb sausage are an acquired taste for sure—its earthy flavor is almost redolent of lentils—but some of us loved it.
The seafood plate, Dal Mare, was impressive, with a similarly palate-challenging stack of fat Hokkaido scallops speared liberally with sprigs of rosemary. Lovers of the herb will go absolutely wild for this, while those who don’t care much for rosemary will find its clinging aroma a bit annoying. Fortunately there are garlicky tiger prawns and crab croquettes, which pretty much can’t go wrong.
We’ve never been more glad to have saved space for dessert, because the Dolce Finale came with mini banana pancakes, lemon curd and chocolate “salami”, which sounds weird and looks like black pudding but tastes, you’ll be relieved to know, just like a thick and mind-alteringly rich dark chocolate fudge. Almost too much decadence for a Monday. Almost.
