Everyone has that one friend whose restaurant recommendations are to be trusted. They’re the type of friend who follows food blogs religiously, who knows their nduja from their natto, always the first on the ground when a new hot sandwich joint opens or, in Alt’s case, a sultry modern pasta restaurant. So when that type of friend in my life gave the Niagara Lane newcomer a big, fat, green tick, it soared to the top of my hit list in an instant.
What I discovered in my research was intriguing. Everything at Alt is made in-house, including the pasta, the bread, vinegars and more. The menu’s also interesting, not your standard showcase of traditional Italian ingredients. Mossy green ribbons of pappardelle come topped with shavings of abalone, and you’ll spot diverse ingredients like kumquat, romesco, dashi jelly and edamame also making unexpected appearances in several dishes. There’s clearly a flirtation with Japan going on here.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the Korean-born chef eschews added salt in his cooking, instead building his dishes from a savoury base of house-made chicken stock. Curiosity piqued, off to lunch I go, bringing along a carb-loving colleague. Alt’s slinky dimly lit lair offers a relaxing haven from the noise of the city. We settle in with a vino each, two skin-contact whites that pair politely with a plate of fresh pumpkin bread and mushroom butter brought to our table right away. The flavours are wild and robust, as satisfying as you’d expect.
My zippy Il Modo pinot grigio is nursable, and it pairs even better with the cute lobster and lime curd snack that comes next. It’s a light and delicate bite with hints of saffron, kaffir lime and fennel working together to lift the creamy notes of the seafood and curd. A spoonful of Wagyu tartare propels the meal to even greater heights, arriving all red and juicy with duck fat brioche and a smear of charcoal mayo. It’s a first-class ticket to biscuity, buttery heaven. Impressive.
Alarmingly, a cacophonous Smashing Pumpkins track threatens to clash with our elevated dining experience, but the staff are quick to reverse the playlist back into easy listening. Phew. Music really does change the vibe. On that note, there’s a confusion to Alt, as if it doesn’t know quite what it wants to be, or is rather in the process of finding out. It’s a clash of sorts in itself, but it’s also what makes it so unashamedly Melbourne. The chef here has clearly opted to take risks, and it makes Alt a great deal more thrilling than your average Italian restaurant.
Bowls of pasta don’t take long to come out. In the first, thick tagliatelle strips are slathered in a rich cheesy mushroom, shio koji and gorgonzola sauce, so savoury and well-balanced it’s a wonder, though still familiar. The earthy, gooey mess, one addictive forkful after the next, is easy to finish in a heartbeat. The way the chef has mollified the sharp creaminess of the gorgonzola with the sauce’s other elements is seamless. It’s a little lukewarm when it arrives, however, and it would only be even tastier if served hotter.
The other pasta we try is squid ink spaghetti with spanner crab and pastrami, dramatically concealed with a bright orange crab shell. I’m freaking out that I’ll have to get my hands in there and expose my poor manual skills at seafood de-boning, but alas it’s just for decoration. Fun! The lemony, garlicky sauce is more like an oily soup and it doesn’t cling to the noodle in quite the way I’d like. There’s no denying, however, it’s a sensual, slurpable treat that feels special to eat for lunch. The portions are ample, and though we’d love to try the Korean rice wine gelato or the tiramisu with tonka bean for dessert, we’ll already be full until dinnertime.
In terms of value, you’re pushing towards the $40 mark for a main, so it doesn’t make for the cheapest meal out. But with kitchen pizzazz this creative and colourful, the price tag makes sense. Alt’s inventive approach still manages to create crowd-pleasing flavours, and as a destination for meetings, date nights and everything in between, its allure is indisputable.
