The magic of Bar Mare Petit

Very few places spur me to write a review on Tripadvisor. This incredible restaurant near Praiano with a perfect marriage of incredible food and magical location did. Here's the Tripadvisor review:

The view from above the cove

Walking down to the Marina di Praia cove is magical. As you descend down, you know you are heading to a special place. Bar Mare Petit is one of three restaurants situated at the Marina. It seems the most casual of them all - but do not be deceived. Using local, incredibly fresh ingredients, Grandma's cooking is on par with top restaurants in metropolitan cities. We started with the seafood salad - sweet mussels, clams, shrimps with octopus so so tender, dressed in olive oil.

The best dish of our whole trip!

The sciatelli with seafood was one of the best pasta dishes we ate during our 2-week vacation in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast. The fresh home-made pasta had a gorgeous chewy texture - the clams, mussels with the sweetest tomatoes added an incredible unami to the sauce.

Interesting but delicious

Another beautiful pasta dish is the bucatini with clams and pumpkin. A weird combination? You will be convinced when you taste the sauce.

Local dessert speciality

Delizia limone cake for dessert was light and fluffy. Complimentary lemon cream and limoncello rounded off the meal.

Imagine sitting by the cove, as the sky gradually moves from a light mauve to a deep blue. Jazz tunes played by the restaurant fills the air. Flanked by the vertical steep walls of the cove, the boats and ships pass through as if moving through a picture. You have just had a delicious seafood meal. You sit back contented, thinking "Now, this is what it means to live".

Bar Mare Petit gave me a memory I could not forget - perfect food in an incredible setting.

La Dispensa, Rome

Birthday dinners are always loaded with high expectations and my 39th in Rome would be no exception. Fortunately, La Dispensa in Rome met them. After a disappointing restaurant referral the previous evening, our host suggested La Dispensa for their amazing black truffle carbonara. The restaurant was situated in Prati by the Tiber river. It was cosy but modern - with mint green walls and small tea candles at every table. The menu was a simple portable black board which the wait staff carted round to every table, patiently explaining the specials for the day. Extra brownie points as they patiently explained every dish in English on the menu for us!

The appetizer

We started with a smoked bufala mozzarella with prosciutto parma. We knew we were onto a winner when we tasted the prosciutto - it was the best we had in Rome so far.

For our pasta mains, I had the black truffle carbonara and Paul had the turbot with local tomatoes. The black truffle carbonara had all the signatures of a great dish - perfect pasta, the unami after-taste but it was just a tad too salty.

Pasta with turbot and 3 types of tomatoes

Paul's pasta dish was heavenly though - with three different type of tomatoes, it had an incredible natural sweetness which I could never duplicate at home. We finished an incredible dinner with the best tiramisu I have ever had...and I have had a lot of them!

My 39th birthday 

A simple summer meal

I came up with this simple recipe to use my fresh basil. Kind of reminds me of that old student standby - pasta with tomato sauce. Throw in a few mushrooms for nutrition etc. This is the grown up version!

Serves 2

As much garlic as you like (at least 2 cloves; I use 5) - smashed and chopped

Half a finely chopped onion

2 large flavorful juicy tomatoes (I like to use vine-ripened) - chopped

Pasta shapes of your choice ( I used mini penne)

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

fresh parmesan or grand padano cheese, shredded

*Optional - I threw in some raw peeled prawns to smarten the dish up. You can throw in other stuff like some sliced mushrooms!*

1. Cook your pasta with a little olive oil and salt in the water.

2. In another pan, saute the garlic and onions for 2 minutes. Then, add the chopped fresh tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh basil before serving.

3. Mix the sauce with your pasta. Top with parmesan or grand padano cheese.

*Interesting taste variation - add in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for more acidity*