I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of the new "clean eating" menu at Caffe Paparazzi earlier this month. The menu developed in partnership with Andrea Robertson is described as 'An extension to our existing menus, all options are 100% clean: No preservatives, No gluten, No processed sugar and no cow’s dairy. Some options will have natural sugars (honey, maple syrup,dried fruit) and goats dairy, however these will be itemised on our menu. Many options can be 100% free of fructose and goats dairy upon request'
So dear readers, most of you will be smirking somewhat... especially those that follow my Instagram, as I have become somewhat of an advocate for abolishing concepts of 'clean/dirty' foods, and have moved completely away from the paleo diet concept. I will admit that because of this I was hesitant about attending the event, and did email them in advance to make sure they wanted me there. At the end of the day this blog is about showcasing the best of Adelaide and I didn't want my own personal choices impacting negatively on a local family run business. I was warmly still welcomed, and the following is my honest review based on the food, but as always I will add in a disclaimer here.... I was generously fed and watered by the Caffe for this launch :)
When I arrived I was blown away by the beautiful the table set up (done by The Stylist Loves), not to mention the whole restaurant felt warm and welcoming but still modern and sleek. I could really see this venue being perfect for a whole array of occasions, the quick brunch with friends, the intimate date night and the rowdy family birthday! All would work in the space and the attentive, friendly service throughout the evening highlighted that customers eating here are seen kind of like an extended family :)
We were given a preview of all the dishes before we ordered, and although I didn't try them all I think the photos show just how generous the serving sizes are, and how well presented each dish is.
Zucchini Slice and Fabulous Salad: zucchini slice (zucchini, carrot, onion, goats cheese, buckwheat flour, olive oil,
eggs, spices) and salad (carrot, zucchini, almonds, coriander)
Grilled Barramundi with Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and Broccolini: barramundi, quinoa, coriander, parsley, red onion, seeds and nuts, capers,
currants, lemon juice, olive oil
Spaghetti Bolognese with Zucchini Pasta: whole zucchinis handmade into spaghetti spirals with bolognese sauce served
with goats cheese
Paparazzi Clean Eating Salad: grilled chicken, bacon, oven-dried tomatoes, sweet potato, continental
cucumber, lettuce
Roast Pumpkin Salad: roasted pumpkin, baby spinach, asparagus, toasted walnuts, goats feta
'
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken: chicken, tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, almonds, goats yoghurt, spices,
coriander and served with steamed greens and brown rice
There was also a 'naughty corner' with dishes from the traditional Italian menu for us to sample.
For my main I chose the 'No Bun Burger and Fabulous Salads with Sunflower Seed Dressing'
(grass fed beef burger, onion, parsley, lettuce, tomato, goats cheese, sunflower
seeds, lemon juice, tamari, herbs, carrot, zucchini, almonds, coriander) straight up, wow. The meat was so juicy, flavoursome, tender and had that perfect, slightly charred marking and smokey undertone. I could have easily demolished a second one of these! The cheese was creamy and gooey (I do have a soft spot for goats cheese) and the sunflower seed sauce really complemented the meat and cheese combo. The salads were fresh, light and crisp a really great balance to the heavier burger patty.
On to my favourite part of any meal... dessert. I have always liked 'clean'/raw/vegan' desserts as they offer a slightly different take/taste to some of my traditional favourites (because let's be honest... a dessert is a dessert because whether it's 'clean' raw or made with butter and white sugar... at the end of the day they are all delicious, decadent calorie dense food items), and Cafe Paparazzi certainly provided me with a mouth watering selection to finish off my meal
To start we were given the Banoffee Parfait, made with cashews, dates, arrowroot, vanilla, bananas and walnuts. This was my favourite dessert of the night, it was so creamy, smooth and light with a great textural contrast in the crunchy walnuts and perfectly ripe bananas. I would most certainly order this item again without hesitation.
This was followed up by a stunning tasting platter of some of the desserts available on a rotational basis. It included:
Triple Choc Swirl Cashew Cheesecake (macadamias, dates, raw cacao, cashews, raw honey, coconut cream,
coconut oil)
Lime and Kiwi Cashew Cheesecake (almonds, macadamias, coconut, sulphate free dried fruit, coconut oil, cashews,
kiwi, spinach, lime, coconut cream, arrowroot)
Berry Delicious Cashew Cheesecake (almonds, macadamias, coconut, sulphate free dried fruit, coconut oil, cashews,
organic blueberries, lemon, coconut cream, arrowroot)
Andrea’s Best Bliss Balls (nuts, sulphate free dried fruit, raw cacao, rice malt syrup, tahini, cacao nibs)
Paleo Florentine Spiders (nuts, seeds, sulphate free dried fruit, coconut oil, raw cacao, maple syrup)
The cheesecakes were fantastic, with a great mousse like creamy texture and bold fruit/ chocolate flavours. The base was firm but still had that just right crumble when bitten into. The bliss ball was outstanding, I rarely eat these because I think they often lack flavour for how calorie dense they are, but on this occasion it was worth every single bite! Moist, firm and sweet I would easily eat several of these in a sitting! My unquestionable favourite though was the 'spider' rich, smooth crunchy and sweet it was like eating a chocolate fruit and nut crackle!
And because I have to ensure I maintain my membership to 'teamneverfull' here is my photo evidence that I completely cleared the platter!
So my thoughts? I can in all honesty say I loved the food I ate, forget the 'clean' label, this was delicious, high quality, made with passion food. At the end of the day for me, three things matter... amazing food, amazing service, amazing atmosphere and Caffe Paparazzi delivers on all three. The menu has a fantastic range of options for people with alternative diet choices at prices that are reasonable and not inflated due to the 'clean eating trend'. What Caffe Paparazzi have done is given people the option to dine as a family, with friends, with a partner and not have to stress about what they can/can't eat. You don't feel like you are eating 'differently' or are the odd one out, the meals taste just as good, look just as good and are completely comparable to their traditional menu counterparts. They have opened up their restaurant to everyone, and this is what makes this place awesome... They don't want to push one way of eating, they don't claim the clean menu is better for you than the traditional menu... the philosophy here is to provide a restaurant where everyone can experience the joy that is sharing amazing food with those you care about, no matter lifestyle choice. That is why I fell in love with this place. If you need somewhere that can cater to variety of diets, or if you 'eat clean', or paleo, or if you just love authentic, quality Italian (and come on... who doesn't love a stunning pasta!) then head out to Caffe Paparazzi and support this local, family owned and operated business as they try out this fantastic new, holistic approach to eating concept.
