Italian Street Kitchen to open at Norwest Esplanade

A popular restaurant brand is bringing its rustic flavours to The Hills just in time for the festive season.

Giulio Marchese at the site where Italian Street Kitchen will open. Picture: Monique Harmer

Popular restaurant chain Italian Street Kitchen is branching out to Norwest where it will bring rustic dishes with a contemporary twist to the Esplanade Norwest complex in December.

The restaurant, which made its debut at Neutral Bay in 2015, before opening at Meadowbank and recently at Zetland, will open at Solent Circuit, where food manager Guilio Marchese can’t wait to bring the flavours he grew up relishing from his uncle’s osteria in northeast Italy.

“I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen because that was his kingdom but slowly he let me in,’’ Marchese, who hails from the small village of Ronchis, said.

Giulio Marchese brings authentic, modern Italian flavours to Norwest. Picture: Monique Harmer

The 32 year old’s love for Italian cuisine and hospitality was born in that kitchen, and is reflected on the menu, which pays homage to the diverse recipes of Italy while injecting a modern profile to staples such as pastas, which are made in house daily from a mix of flours imported from Italy.

Pizzas are used from imported Italian flours.

ISK’s exclusively made flour (in collaboration with Le 5 Stagioni) is what Marchese believes is a point of difference from ubiquitous Italian eateries.

“It’s been a long journey,’’ he said.

“We worked one year tasting different flours from Italy.’’

Giulio Marchese at Esplanade Norwest. Picture: Monique Harmer

It took three months to finalise the ratios to deliver a product that has pleased Marchese.

“We’re proud of this because they’re completely sustainable and unbleached flours … like back in the old days, how the flour should taste,’’ he said.

ISK’s pizza dough is fermented in the coolroom for 48 hours where it “sleeps” and matures to gain firmness and a delicious base.

Polenta from Italian Street Kitchen. Picture: Instagram

Diners at Bella Vista can expect a “cosmopolitan interpretation’’ of an Italian courtyard with Roman park benches and pergolas while those who love a spirited tipple will appreciate extended bar and cocktail seating arrangements.

The restaurant’s signature dish is the panzerotto — a deep fried folded pizza stuffed with mortadella, pecorino and buffalo mozzarella.

ISK’s flavours reflect multiple regions across Italy, and reflect Marchese’s non discriminatory palate.

His father was a cattle farmer, his mother a greengrocer and there was always plenty of fish when at his nonna’s home.

He hopes to return to Italy to open an osteria a couple more decades but now wants to share his knowledge of authentic, Italian cooking in Australia, where he has lived for a decade.

ISK picked “vibrant’’ Norwest for its mix of corporate and residential communities, which would make a “great recipe of success for a new restaurant’’.

“The corporate world will sustain the lunch trade during weekdays as we have affordable and well positioned meals designed for them,’’ a spokeswoman said.

“The residential population should sustain the dinner part and weekends.”

MORE NEWS

Castle Hill: Hills Showground Metro station plan for 800 units