NewsBite

Advertisement

Don’t miss the carbonara at Italian-Filipino fusion restaurant Fauna

This blink-and-miss-it restaurant in a Surry Hills terrace might not yet offer a fully polished package, but it’s definitely one to watch.

Terry Durack
Terry Durack

Fauna seats 16 diners downstairs, another 16 upstairs and 14 in the rear courtyard.
1 / 6Fauna seats 16 diners downstairs, another 16 upstairs and 14 in the rear courtyard.Wolter Peeters
School prawns with yuzu kosho aioli.
2 / 6School prawns with yuzu kosho aioli.Wolter Peeters
Barbecue Hornsby Shire spatchcock with pickled slaw and lime ponzu.
3 / 6Barbecue Hornsby Shire spatchcock with pickled slaw and lime ponzu.Wolter Peeters
Go-to dish: Spaghetti carbonara.
4 / 6Go-to dish: Spaghetti carbonara.Wolter Peeters
Piadina with Berkshire pork cheek.
5 / 6Piadina with Berkshire pork cheek. Wolter Peeters
Kalamansi tart.
6 / 6Kalamansi tart.Wolter Peeters

13.5/20

Italian$$

For a restaurant named Fauna, there isn’t much in the way of wildlife around. Unless you count the hordes of loyal Swans marching down Fitzroy Street bound for the night match at the SCG, I suppose, but they all look pretty well-behaved.

Fauna is the latest addition to the burgeoning restaurant scene along this neighbourly stretch, which includes the likes of Chez Crix, Lokal and Sang by Mabasa. If Surry Hills ever decides to secede from Sydney, the local populace probably wouldn’t even notice, because they don’t need to eat anywhere else.

It’s a small blink-and-miss-it terrace house, with just 16 diners seated downstairs, another 16 upstairs and 14 in the rear courtyard. This makes for a more personal experience, with everyone in the room happy to join in and sing happy birthday to a complete stranger.

Advertisement

Co-owner Geraint Coles of Bondi’s erstwhile Panama House is in tonight, subbing for manager Quentin Touitou, who is on leave. In the tiny kitchen is head chef Ace Espiritu, formerly of Icebergs Dining Room & Bar. But while the Italian-leaning menu is filled with things such as arancini, piadina and pasta arrabiata; it’s also filtered through Espiritu’s Filipino heritage, which adds a level of interest and curiosity.

Go-to dish: Spaghetti carbonara.
Go-to dish: Spaghetti carbonara.Wolter Peeters

That piadina ($23), for instance, is whipped away from its Italian roots and served on the side of a meaty, fatty chip-chop of charcoal-grilled pork jowl, in the style of Filipino sisig. It’s a dish of full-on flavours that doesn’t quite come together, because you want to spoon the stew on top of the piadina and eat it in the hand, but the bread won’t bend. An idea worth refining.

An entree of school prawns ($19) is great (isn’t it always?), coming as a pile-up of head-on, deep-fried pinkies ready to swipe though a mound of aioli flavoured with yuzu kosho. Arrosticini, or skewers of char-grilled lamb (two for $22), come warm rather than hot, with a good green herb sauce. A rocket salad ($12) has a low-impact dressing.

Co-owner Julia Quisumbing has made the most of the space, running a mirrored wall and cushy banquette around the dining area. Textures are marble, wood and glass, and the front room, particularly, is a nice place to be.

Advertisement

The wine list is still a work in progress, with small stocks of hand-picked wines. You might just get someone bringing a few bottles to the table as suggestions for you to try, which is how I found a 2021 Stargazer Rada ($88) a fruity, savoury mix of pinot noir and pinot meunier from Tasmanian winemaker, Samantha Connew.

The menu lists three pasta dishes and five main courses, built for sharing. Of these, a heavily brined barbecue Hornsby Shire spatchcock ($28) isn’t as straightforward as it might sound, with its Korean-style pickled slaw and salty soy-ponzu dipping sauce.

The kitchen is on surer ground with pasta, and a generous dish of spaghetti carbonara ($30) is pretty much what you want when you want carbonara. A well-emulsified sauce brings together guanciale, pecorino, parmesan, egg yolk and pepper, coating the strands of nicely al dente pasta with needy clinginess.

While the Italian-leaning menu is filled with things such as arancini, piadina and pasta arrabiata; it’s also filtered through Espiritu’s Filipino heritage.

To end, a kalamansi tart ($19) is a cute twist on lemon meringue pie, with a strong, pushy tartness that acts in self-defence against a sugary meringue topping and the jug of dulce de leche poured over the top at the table.

Advertisement

As I said, Fauna is still a work in progress, and a busy night might see a few yawning gaps in service, or a relaxed attitude to the temperature of dishes sent out. The Italian influence is the most promising, with the Asian flavours feeling a bit forced.

But we’re at an intriguing stage in Australia, where young chefs want to express who they are through their own cooking, not just that of others. Which makes Fauna, and other small restaurants like it, very promising.

The low-down

Vibe: Refined and rustic Italian food with an Asian filter

Drinks: A constantly changing if limited wine list

Go-to dish: Spaghetti carbonara, $30

Continue this series

Sydney hit list June 2023: Hot, new and just-reviewed places to check out, right now
Up next
A hazelnut and pistachio praline cone.

There are 40+ gelato flavours at Messina’s new Marrickville wonderland - here’s the scoop on what to lick first

With 40 flavours to choose from, gelato fans are spoilt for choice at the gelato giant’s new headquarters.

Fried chicken eggs Benedict is wildly popular with customers.

The Naked Barista serves up fried chicken eggs Benedict and a coffee-fuelled wonderland

An obsession with coffee is at the core of this gleaming white space in Sydney’s western suburbs.

Previous
The all-natural selection of wine at Frankie and Mo’s.

The Blue Mountains finally gets its first wine bar and bottle shop (and it was worth the wait)

New Blackheath bar Frankie and Mo’s features the widest selection of drinks in the Blue Mountains (plus a vegie-forward menu of share plates).

See all stories

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Terry DurackTerry Durack is the chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/sydney-eating-out/don-t-miss-the-carbonara-at-italian-filipino-fusion-restaurant-fauna-20230502-p5d4xq.html