[Food Review] Domenica, a creative Italian at Joordan, possibly one of the best pasta places in the city. Great pasta, but slow service.
When I asked my Italian colleagues about the best Italian restaurants in Amsterdam, they mentioned Friscetteria and Bussia among others, but they unanimously praised Domenica for their pasta dishes.
On a sunny Sunday, I visited Domenica with a friend and his acquaintance to sample their cuisine.
The restaurant offers a four-course tasting menu, known as the Domenica Chef's menu, which is only available per table. We decided to opt for this menu.
The meal began with the restaurant's signature focaccia, which was served with a generous amount of olive oil. However, while it was enjoyable, it didn't quite live up to the standard of the focaccia at Focacceria.
A welcome dish of eel was also served, which was not listed on the menu. Although it was decent, it didn't leave a lasting impression.
The first course was a veal tartare, served with Granny Smith apples and bonito flakes - Katusobushi. The tartare was perfectly seasoned, and the Granny Smith apples added a refreshing tartness to the dish. However, the addition of bonito flakes seemed a bit out of place and didn't contribute much to the overall flavor.
As an Asian, I see Katsuobushi, Yuzu, Ponzu, and recently Kimchi as some kind of fashion in this side of the world, but to be honest, they are too much mundane ingredients for Asians and it sometimes just gives us sigh and confusion.
The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the second course, a plate of Pappardelle with Hare Ragù. The pasta was cooked to perfection and was coated with a delicious hare ragù sauce. To my surprise, the dish was topped with cacao powder, which added a subtle but intriguing flavor.
The third course, Catch of the day with cauliflower and mussels, took longer than expected to arrive, causing a bit of a delay in the meal. Despite this, the dish was well worth the wait, as the fresh monkfish was juicy and cooked to perfection, with a perfect balance between tenderness and firmness.
However, I found the burnt cauliflower and tiny mussels to be slightly underwhelming. This could perhaps be attributed to the Netherlands' cold and rainy weather, which may affect the quality and flavor of its vegetables. Nonetheless, it did not detract from the overall quality of the meal.
We were a bit rushed for the dessert course, so I can't recall any standout features of the ice cream.
Overall, the Domenica Chef's menu was priced at a reasonable 41.5 euros, but the pacing of the courses was somewhat slow.
Despite the slow pacing, the highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the Pappardelle with Hare Ragù, which was outstanding. I would recommend a visit to Domenica for this dish alone.
Domenica Amsterdam
Noordermarkt 7, 1015 MV Amsterdam
+31 020 774 6720
Thanks for reading.
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