Sophia Loren once attributed her ever youthful looks to a bowl of pasta a day. As she is a celebrity, it probably also involves a Petrossian caviar masque and a diamond dust exfoliant but I suppose that’s giving away the real secret. If you are in the mood for some anti ageing Sophia Loren style, The Italian Bowl seems a suitable place to start. After a movie one Saturday night at the Dendy Newtown, we walk the three doors down to The Italian Bowl and it’s long line snaking onto the footpath. Luckily most people are getting takeaway and we nab a seat opposite the counter where we are to order and where they cook the pasta in front of you.
Order and paying at the counter, I choose the Beef Tortellini with chicken peppercorns and the Spaghetti Bolognaise, a dish that when done well is a lovely comfort food but is often done badly. I must be blind or the font is hard to read but I miss the best deal, the combo with any choice or pasta and any veal or chicken dish ($18, seafood pasta $2 extra). I also order a Chinotto drink ($3), the Italian version of Coke, made from the bitter citrus Chinotto tree.
We’re in a prime location to watch the pasta being cooked. It’s all cooked furiously fast and fresh to order. The waiters are vocal, it seems that there’s nothing that can be said unless it’s shouted across the restaurant and takeaway customers have their numbers bellowed out and one unfortunate takeaway customer gets an impatient chastising as the waiter calls her number out a few times to collect her order. In the kitchen area itself, there’s much clanging, yelling and high licking flames and within 5 minutes, we’re presented with our pasta dishes.
Beef Tortellini with chicken peppercorn sauce $12
The beef tortellini with chicken peppercorn sauce has a good amount of tender chicken breast scattered throughout it. Even as a garlic lover, I find the sauce a tad too heavy on the garlic and whilst it’s creamy there aren’t enough peppercorns in it to balance out the other flavours. When you do come across a green peppercorn and it explodes in your mouth, suddenly you think “Ahhh this is nice, if only there were more peppercorns.” Perhaps in the frenzy of cooking to order so many dishes, balance is haphazardly applied.
Spaghetti Bolognaise $10
The Spaghetti Bolognaise is next, we can see straight away that it is very watery and with a small amount of mince and only mince. I prefer a thicker tomato sauce and some bacon or carrot in the bolognaise sauce and I find this disappointing. Trying to thicken or flavour it up with parmesan improves it a little but not enough. The pasta itself is a little overcooked too which is something I cannot stand. It has to be al dente or nothing. I leave most of this behind and my husband reluctantly finishes this.
We spied a tiramisu at another table, a large sundae glass filled with creamy mascarpone and sponge ($8). Unfortunately there isn’t enough stomach space to fit this in. We might be back for the Combo deal at a later stage but will steer clear of the Spaghetti Bolognaise.
The Italian Bowl
255 King Street Newtown
Tel: +61 (02) 9516 0857
Open 7 days from 10:30am-10:30pm
Except weekends 10:30am- 11:30pm
19 Comments | Add your own
A real pity you didn’t enjoy your pasta, I love pasta!
it always looked to me like the italians way of doing fast food
oh, that “bolognese” sauce makes me so sad! on behalf of italians everywhere, i’m sorry you had to eat it.
i love heading out to King St for good food - Ive never tried this place though…will have to give it a try
Ye that place isn’t great. The garlic bread and the gnocchi napolotana are the only decent things I’ve tasted.
Living nearby I’ve often wondered if I should go there.
After your review I’m glad I trusted my instincts and steered clear.
Hi Popeye-Yes I don’t mind pasta -but when it’s done well!
Hi Tian-Well it’s definitely fast. I think it was probably healthier than McDonalds but I’d have to say Fast Food is usually gratuitously tasty and this wasn’t really!
Hi Michelle-I’m so glad you said that. I was wondering if someone Italian was going to tell me that that was what Spaghetti Bolognaise is supposed to look like and that my preference is an anglicised version
Hi Anastasia-Yes King Street has a lot of great eating options-one can practically go all around the world there! It makes it a little hard to choose sometimes.
Hi Sathya-Ahhh ok, thanks for letting me know, I might avoid a secondary visit
Hi Jobe-Yeah I was really hoping for more, especially with such competition on the strip!
I feel exactly the same way about al dente pasta If it’s not al dente, it may as well be Heinz. Most of the bad pasta meals I’ve eaten have been from “Italian” restaurants, it’s safer to cook that sort of thing at home I think!
Hi Lori-Yep if it’s soft it reminds me of that slop in a can which you could probably eat without teeth-not good!
You know it’s funny that you say that because my husband said that he prefers the way I cook pasta. Perhaps the secret ingredient is not haste but love?
ah love .. (:
* * * *
i think newtown’s better is all off king street .. places like ism, satellite espresso and cordial .. other than that, cafe c’s burgers aren’t too bad, rise bakery’s baked cheesecake and corelli’s waffles
we were at cooper’s arm hotel bistro last night. atmosphere & service was great and ingredients fresh, but food lacking flavour. couldn’t taste the “7 spices” on the soft shell crab nor the cajun on the chicken
Hi Tian-I’ve heard of Cordial but never been. I might have to check it out as the review I read did say it was good.
Oh no, the non delivery of the promised spice or flavour is very frustrating!
Hi my foodie friend,
I’m still playing catch-up with your lovely posts!
Is this eatery a franchise of Italian pasta or is it a one-off place there in Sydney?
I love green peppercorns in things and it seems sad that there weren’t too many in the sauce. I found the combination of beef tortellini but with chicken in the sauce interesting?! Is the tortellini made on the premises.. would you know? I struggle to find a good tortellini in the supermarkets.
Sad about the bolognaise.. but I guess.. like you I would have tried it too to see if they did a “good one”. That’s why I sometimes order lasagne’s and chicken pargmagiana’s (which to me, hints a limited ’safe’ palate)..but I am always in search of something “brilliant”!
Thanks for sharing this Lorraine!
Hi Maria-Hope you are well! I think it is a one off place, although it does actually seem like it would be a franchise the way they do everything.
I admit I was a bit confuddled with ordering and didn’t think that mixing beef tortellini with chicken would be odd. The tortellini was ok-pretty much like the kind that you find at supermarkets and grocers. It wasn’t very beefy so I didn’t even notice. I really doubt they were made on the premises though sadly
Mmm I actually thought I should’ve gone for the lasagne as that’s usually done better than Spag Bol or the chicken or veal dishes but again, I was under pressure with a big line behind me.
Why thankyou and thanks for your comment Maria!
I go to Italian bowl about two times a week and I love it
I have never had a bad dish and my partner has now gone through everything on the menu. The kitchen staff are quite vocal but it adds to the atmosphere and gives you something entertaining to watch while you are waiting.
There is another place on King Street that is my favourite on the strip - The Pastizzi Cafe. The pastizzis are great and very addictive. The pasta dishes are very authentic and Nonna never lets us down.
Hi Le Black Book-It seems there are a lot of contrasting opinions on the Italian Bowl. I’m one of those people that can’t stand shouting in a restaurant and it ruins the atmosphere for me and makes me feel tense. And for me that Spaghetti Bolognese just was such a disappointment. Thanks for the other rec though
Hi All,
Thanks for you comments, however as owner of The Italian Bowl am most disappointed. I respect any feedback, however am shocked of the review as this would be the first bad one in 3 years. I am sorry you didn’t enjoy your meals but like I said in 3 years we havn’t had this type of feedback. I hope you give it another try as I believe you will enjot it, in fact I will guarantee this. I am of Italian background and I never went to Italian restaurants as I, too, felt it was hard to compete with home cooking, but, our food at The Italian Bowl is freshly cooked in front of you and is very close to the home cooked meals. All our produced is fresh and delivered daily. The restaurant has been very successful, in fact, we serve approx 400 people a day. That’s alot of people and it is true. Our restaurant represents fast, cheap, fresh and great food as well as a lively atmosphere, that’s why we are so popular. So please, try us again and like I said, I will guarantee you will like it. Ask for Jenny when you go next and you still do not get what you want. I will also add, Tortelinni, chicken peppercorn is not a good combination, although people do go for it and our bolognese, well that is our most popular dish so the chef must have had a bad day that day. I am not making excuses because no day should be bad, but, it wouldn’t be our most polpular if it wasn’t good. Also, we are a fmaily business, not a franchise, however, considering the success we may open a few more. Take care to all and thanks for your feedback.
Hi Jenny-Thanks for your message
I have no doubt that the Italian Bowl is very popular, the queues alone attest to that.
I didn’t mind the tortellini with chicken and peppercorns as a combination but as I said, I felt that the sauce wasn’t balanced enough. So it wasn’t the combination itself but the sauce itself that wasn’t balanced.
With the Spaghetti Bolognaise, I have to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it that much and if your chef was having a bad day that’s unfortunate. But I am giving you my honest opinion of it, as someone who adores spaghetti bolognaise.
I understand your comment but looking at it as feedback is probably the best way to look at it
Hi,
It’s all good.
Again, sorry it wasn’t to your standard.
You may or may not wish to try us again, but please if you do and your not satisfied (which I highly doubt it), ask for the owner and tell them on the day. We do need to know if something is not right then and there so we can take care of it.
I have sent your feedback to the chefs and this again is the first time I’ve had to do this.
Take care and hope to see you at The Italian Bowl soon.
Jenny
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