One of the most common questions I get regarding reviews is "Do they know you're coming?"
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The answer is no. I don't think you can trust that you can get a good gauge, if the people you're reviewing know they're being reviewed.
That is not to say that I don't go out to dinners, lunches and events where I get stellar service because they know I'm from The Canberra Times. But, these dining experiences are not reviewed. And my latest dinner at Compa - Matt Moran's recently opened Italian steakhouse - is a great example as to why not.
When Compa first opened, my colleague Karen Hardy and I were invited to lunch. When we returned to the office I remember telling everyone that it was one of the best steaks I had ever had. Fast forward a few months and the question is, can they deliver that again?
We start the evening with a half-dozen Sydney rock oysters with merlot mignonette ($7 each) and some Moran Family Farm salami with zuni pickles and grissini ($19).
The oysters were plump and moreish, and the mignonette packed a punch. A little went a long way, delivering a satisfying tang that went well with the oysters. But I was glad for the side of lemon because the natural oysters were some of the best that I have had recently and didn't need much embellishment.
I liked the casualness of the salami starter. The fact the salami came from Matt Moran's farm in the Central Tablelands was the big drawcard, and it's a farm that obviously produces great salami. It has a brilliant saltiness to it, and the type of marbling that brings stellar flavour.
Paired simply with the zuni pickles - which brought a zing to the dish - and the grissini - which are just breadsticks, albeit house-made ones - it almost captures the Italian way of life in a dish.
This is why when our plates were cleared - mid-bite and with still food on them - I was so disappointed.
I had a sense that this was going to happen. I had seen our server come from the kitchen with what looked like our mains, only to turn back to the kitchen when we got within sight. It seems I was correct, as it triggered a rush of servers clearing unfinished food to replace it with our mains.
It felt clunky, ill-timed and as if we should be rushing our meal.
For mains, we knew we wanted steak - because how could we not? We chose the pasture-fed sirloin from the "on the bone" section. At about 500 grams, and priced at $18 per 100 grams, it works out to be $90.
We pair this with steamed collard greens, preserved lemon and black pepper ($16) and the "cacio e pepe" mac and cheese ($16) because I remembered how much I enjoyed them last time.
The steak comes with a choice of sauce - we opted for red wine jus - and a choice of mustard is also offered as a complimentary side, which was a nice touch. And it seemed others thought so too because by the time it came around to us, the mustard jars were almost empty. Our server stood there for a few moments scraping the bottom of the jar to spoon some onto my plate.
We requested our steak medium-rare but as soon as we started plating up the precut slices to our plate, we could see that it was rare. Being an on-the-bone steak, it was even less cooked closer to the bone - which is always a side effect of ordering and cooking steak like this. But when the main part of the steak was undercooked, it wasn't ideal.
It's a shame, because it was a nice piece of meat, and the red jus that we ordered paired perfectly with its rich flavour.
The collared greens were one of my favourite parts of the meal during our lunch - there was an oomph to the preserved lemon that made the simple side sing. Here, however, they were overcooked and under-seasoned, and you had to concentrate to get the lemon flavour.
The mac and cheese did save the mains though. The light, creamy, cheese pasta, with the golden-brown bread crumbs on top that added warmth and nuttiness to the dish, really was everything I wanted it to be.
We rounded out the night with the lemon sorbetto with basil oil ($16). It may seem like an odd pairing, but it's a combination that I've had before and loved. It was even served in the same, fun presentation - a large scoop in a hollowed-out, frozen lemon skin, with the oil placed in a divot on top.
This combo of sweet and sour elements of the super smooth sorbet, with the herbal brightness of the basil, works so brilliantly. I just wished there was more oil as it was all gone within a couple of mouthfuls.
It was a sweet ending to a not-so-sweet dinner, however.
Perhaps the restaurant was having an off night. I know others have gone to Compa and enjoyed their meals. But I also believe that any successful restaurant should deliver consistency, especially at this price point.
Compa
Address: 148 Bunda Street, Canberra
Phone: 0466 080 480
Website: comparistorante.com.au
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12pm to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10pm
Noise: No problem
Dietary: Some options