Sapore della Vigna, Leichhardt

First time to the Italian Forum, I was excited to try some true Italian cuisine.  It was a Friday night but surprisingly not too busy.  We immediately got seated and was presented with a huge menu....so many options!

As a fan of pappardelle pasta, I opted for the daily special of Braised Lamb Shank with Black Pepper Pappardelle (~$28).  Large amounts of ribbon pasta filled the plate, combined with a tomato-based sauce.  A large lamb shank sat on the top, setting the scene for a yummy and hearty meal.  As I dug into the dish, I noticed some of the pasta was still clamped in chunks.  It was quite unique though, having black pepper embedded into the pasta ribbons.  Although the lamb meat fell off the bone, it was a little dry, so not too enjoyable when eating in large amounts.  The tomato sauce did help to offset the dry-ness, making it more tasty.

Braised Lamb Shank with Black Pepper Pappardelle (~$28)

We also got the Spicy seafood Linguine.  It came out temperature hot and beautifully presented, however it lacked the spicy kick except for when you ate the actual chill pepper.  It was however filled with prawns, scallops, mussels, clams and tomato cubes.  The pasta was cooked too al dante for me, and unlikely to have been freshly made that day.

Spicy Seafood Linguini (~25)

Consider this to be mass-made Italian food, quality and taste was good but overpriced.  There is seating both inside and outside the restaurant and can cater to large groups and/or parties.  Took us at least a good 15 mins and 4 tries of the waiter to get our bill.  Very welcoming to get us in the door, but took forever for us to pay and leave.