PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAAuge (pronounced ow-je) is a northern Italian word denoting popularity, or the desire to strive to be at one’s peak; this restaurant certainly does that, with an award crowning it Australia’s best Italian restaurant, no mean feat in a nation with as many "little Italy’s" as China Towns. The interior oozes elegance with its copper plated doors, narrow pool of water, plush leather seating and glass feature wall. A mature colour scheme of white, burnt orange and wood confirms that this is a grown-up’s restaurant, the place to forget about the kids and revel in the sophisticated calm.
A beautiful Italian menu complements the interior. Start with the fichi arrostiti: a roasted South Australian fig wrapped in prosciutto with gorgonzola panna cotta. All the pasta is hand made on the premises daily; try the cannelloni of blue swimmer crab, saffron and vanilla emulsion with citrus roe. Main courses feature anatra e ciliege: confit duck leg on potato, pancetta and provolone gratin served with a seared duck breast and pickled cherries, or opt for the crostata di guanciale: pork belly pie with savoy cabbage and tomato confit. The dessert menu is full of Italian treats such as sorbet and affogato, and the cheese menu is a connoisseurs dream, with some real Italian gems.
Jennifer Miller, May 2007
FOOD & BEVERAGEThe menu keeps it simple with three options; two courses for $59, three for $79 or four for $95. Once you narrow down your hunger to one of the three categories you can fill your quota with such dishes as lobster and dill terrine with cockles in cognac vinaigrette or potato dumplings with chantrelle mushrooms, walnuts and mascarpone.
The cheese plate was put together by someone with a nose for fromage and a head for evocative descriptions, truffled pecorino is described as an “aged raw sheep’s milk injected with black truffle paste, straw in colour, [with a texture that is] slightly gritty and breaks up in the mouth”. The exterior and interior of the restaurant are so handsome as to induce a swoon, with shiny copper doors and a dining room rich with rusts and oranges. Auge’s easy Italian style and swinging service keep it top of the pops in the Adelaide dining scene.
