Another unexpected dining adventure, this time a friend and I found ourselves inside The Star in search of food and we stumbled our way through the limited amount of choices and walked into Balla. The following is how Balla described itself, "Balla is a modern interpretation of the classic Osteria Milanese, with a menu built around the heart of traditional Italian cuisine" and it truly was. Being a beginner when it comes to classic Milanese cuisines we quizzed our waiters as we go through the menu, and she was kind enough to explain especially the list of Salumi choices available, all 9 of them. So, thank you.
Well, enough with the excessive ramblings, let's get on with the food! After some (really long) considerations we decided as starters a plate of Pancetta served with Sea Salt coated Grissini and a dish of Raw Tuna with Lemon and Crispy Toast (I forgot what the exact name was because it was a special for that night). And as mains I ordered the Gnocchi di Patate con Salsa d'Anatra (potato gnocchi with duck ragù), which is technically not a main but a small dish but I still wanted it anyway, and my friend ordered the Petta d'Anatra, Polenta Grusera e Broccolini (pan-fried duck breast, polenta and broccolini).
For a start, the pancetta was lovely, fatty and tasted so good wrapped around the grissini, the raw tuna meanwhile was quite normal and was a little bland and unexciting. On the other hand, this view was perhaps due to my own palette that has been accustomed to Japanese sashimi, which often involves clean taste of raw fish; Balla's dish was different because of the chopped up raw tuna with the lemony spices but it just felt like there was a missing surprising factor to it, which was disappointing given how great it sounded when the waiter described it to us.
But either way, moving on the main, THAT was a lot more exciting. The potato gnocchi was gorgeously soft and chewy; I normally encounter the chewy kind but this was of a completely different level where it melts in your mouth, truly a surprise. The duck ragù was a little salty for my taste but it was really REALLY lovely and rustic and I don't know how Italian countryside food is like but I'm imagining it's very close to this awesome tasting ragù.
Meanwhile, the pan-fried duck was fantastic. The skin crisp, the meat that has been cooked to medium was tender and the taste was really divine; teaming it up with the polenta was a great choice as the polenta doesn't give much of a taste but the duck... I can just eat that without touching anything else and be satisfied. Having said this, I might've given the dishes too high a praise but for someone who hasn't been exposed to much Italian food besides Spaghetti Bolognese and Carbonara I enjoyed the other side of Italian dishes immensely. Mind you, the prices are a little steep so just be mindful of that fact but for a small glimpse of rustic Italy I think it's well worth the price. (Unless I can find an alternative. ;)
Raw Tuna with Crispy Bread (top left);
Pancetta with Sea Salt Coated Grissini (middle right);
Olive Oil dip for bread
Gnocchi di Patate con Salsa d'Anatra (potato gnocchi with duck ragù)
Petta d'Anatra, Polenta Grusera e Broccolini (pan-fried duck breast, polenta and broccolini)
Post Script:
On another note, one thing that I found quite unsettling is how modern restaurants in, especially, The Star have very similar interior designs and atmosphere; moody, low lighting, intimate, modern and brown. It seems like the only ways they are able to compete with each other are through their food and reputation, which is a shame because I would love to see one or two take a stand and be different in terms of interior design charms. But again, that's just a personal grudge against cookie cutting, hardly negligible when you don't even take it into account, again, what matters is the food.
Oh, and one more thing, if you decide to go here do come at an earlier hour when the restaurant is not buzzing with patrons. The waiters tend to be a lot more attentive, chatty and less stressed out then. I'm pretty sure if we have arrived at a later hour our waiter wouldn't have gone through that long list of Salumi and still walked away with a smile. ;)
And also, they give you complimentary bread basket in the beginning as well (a selection of ciabatta, sourdough and focaccia) with a really fragrant olive oil to dip into. Ridiculously good olive oil. I want it. By the way, apologies for the really horrendous photos of the dishes. I should take photography lessons next time. *bows out*
