The Mouth: The biggest dining regret of the week, food review for Noi at Petersham

The Daily Telegraph’s undercover food writer has one big regret this week after dining at Petersham’s Noi. Find out what it was.

NOI Petersham restaurant. Photo: Instagram / Supplied

One of the great dilemmas of this sort of chomper’s diary is that while lousy meals are more fun to write about, good ones are more fun to have.

And while we don’t hold ourselves to be any sort of A.A. Gill (RIP) over here, twee “concept restaurants” and overcooked steak are often much more fun to read about.

So, it is with a heavy heart that The Mouth reveals that this column will be about good times.

Specifically at Petersham’s Noi Restaurant, which is sort of like Sydney dining but via an alternate universe where hospitality groups go outside the model of Josper grills, brasserie menus, and European tat on the walls, purchased by the yard.

This is, in short, a great neighbourhood place that every suburb deserves.

And Petersham seems to have taken it to their hearts: On a recent night we saw dog park locals greeting one another and a wine fancier’s group tasting secret bottles out of their own Zalto glasses.

Terramis at Noi RestaurantPicture: Monique Harmer

Carrot, lemon mirtle citronette, macadamia at Noi Restaurant. Picture: Monique Harmer.

So how is the food? Well it had been too long between drinks for us but since our last visit it has found a great mod-Italian groove.

Oysters hit the table with a sharpish little dressing, and yummy little mortadella croquettas too.

We absolutely loved the various pastas – an open lasagne of tuna and prawns was meaty, playful and fun, one of the best things we’ve had in a restaurant in a while

Risotto is one of those tricky things we never order out unless we trust the kitchen, and we were not let down by a charming and bright take on the dish here, shot through with nettles and topped with scallops.

The team behind Noi Petersham: Anastasia Drakopoulos, Federica Costa & Alessandro Intini. Picture: Monique Harmer

As often happens, mains were a bit of a let-down: A pork cutlet special was just a bit over, and the fish of the day was perfectly nice but no more.

But, washed down with a good Sicilian white and friendly neighbourhood service, it didn’t matter.

In short, this is what Sydney needs more of.

Again, it is part of an improbably large hospitality group, but the place feels perfectly local.

The fact that you can get three courses for $79 also means that it is not just a special occasion place.

Support this and anything like it near you, they deserve it.