Osteria RealBlue - Stunning Food!

Massive shout out for the Osteria RealBlue at the Publika. Was a bit difficult to find (everything is difficult to find at Publika - very confusing shopping mall and car parking) but a total delight. We had been there about two years previously with the Amante food group and had an okay time. The chef is Italian and met his wife Sherrie (born in PJ) when she had relocated to his home town in Bologna. The Osteria has had many good word of mouth reports, so it was long overdue a revisit.

Lenglui, the good Dcotor and I sharad the fried Burata with Ham scraps and Saute Mushroom as starters. The Burata was beautiful melt in the mouth salty sweetness which gained some further salt from the ham. The combo was fabulous - gooey and salt explosive. The Saute Mushrooms came in a lightly peppered cream sauce and plated with thyme and oyster sauce (I think). A perfect blend of soft firm texture and tantalizing taste. Simple food prepared excellently well.

Second up was the Ravioli. This was fabulous, melt in the mouth chunks of pumpkin mix wrapped in firm freshly made pasta and doused rather than dusted with parmesan cheese. The cheese stuck to the pasta and gave it a crusted texture to bite through into the ravioli and was a total delight. Sinful maybe, but well worth any penance due.

And then on to the T Bone with side salad. A large chunk of beef perfectly cooked and having that perfect mix of char on the outside and medium rare lean beef on the inside. I have not had a piece of steak like this for a long time. One of those tastes for the ages. Osteria say give them some notice if youwant the beef so it can be brought to room temperature before grilling over the charcoal. Paired with a Fontodi 2007 Chianti - drinking nicely, still a little time left in the bottle, firm structure and body with full black cherry fruit, spicy notes and chewy tannins made an excellent partner for this king of the steaks. The Fontodi also paired nicely with all the other dishes, though more as a tongue and salt cleanser rather than matching the food. I found the salad a bit on the sweet side for some reason, though it didn't detract from the overall ensemble and added coleslaw crisp texture to underpin the meat. Didn't see the bill, the good Doctor paid. He didn't squeal. But then he never does.

Definitely going back to the Osteria. Total no brainer.