Gigino, Fairfield
I think any kid who bought food from the school canteen knows the struggle of the delicacies it sold. Sometimes the coating of the chicken tenders were crispy and crunchy, other times soft and oily. Some mornings the hash browns were perfectly golden brown, while on other days they would be breaking apart in the greasy white paper bag they were held in. And can't forget the frozen pizzas, whether it be ham and pineapple, supreme or magherita. You just had to open that plastic sleeve and hope for the best. The unlucky ones would have the cheese on top come completely off as it stuck to the plastic wrapping, or maybe the bread was still borderline cold. The luckier ones would be gladly chomping away at their $4.50 purchase. Canteen food was good until halfway through year 12, where you realised that the food was sort of just sad sometimes. Around that time, I also discovered Gigino, a recommendation given to me by my friend, Vivian. This place serves authentic pizza and delicious home-cooking, so it was goodbye to frozen canteen pizzas and hello to Gigino, one of my favourite places to eat in Sydney!
Gigino is a gem found in the heart of Western Sydney, Fairfield. It's owned by Attilio Labbozzetta, with the pizzas being made by a chef who practiced the art of pizza making for 8 years in Milan. Food is simple and hearty, and service is quick, warm and friendly. Labbozzetta was at the front of the shop waiting on our table, and said to my quiet dining companion, with a smile on his face, to "not be shy, I don't bite."
These are a must for me when I come to eat here. They're cheesy risotto balls that are crumbed and deep fried, and I reckon Gigino has done the best I've had. They're incredibly moreish and perfectly golden, and so good that we decided to go for a second round.
Regina - $19.00My dining companion next to me had come here before on previous visits, and longed for the Regina pizza again. This one had a pomodoro base(a sauce made from tomatoes), mozzarella, ham and mushrooms. The bottom of the base was perfectly thin and crispy, while the top was light and fluffy. The crust was also the right thickness and a delight to eat, which can be hard to say for pizza crust sometimes. It was the perfect vehicle for the good quality ingredients that lie atop.
The incazzato is one of my favourites at Gigino because it's incredibly spicy and flavoursome. Some people find it too hot for their taste, so my heart sang when one of my dining companions showed interest in getting it. On top, it had pomodoro, mozzarella, salami piccante (spicy salami) and chilli. The salami was gloriously salty and the chilli oil doused on top brought it to a whole new level.
For the vegetarians, there's the Ortolona, which had pomodoro, mozzarella, eggplant, zucchini and capsicum. The vegetables looked soft and well cooked.
The 4 cheese pizza consisted of mozzarella, zola (gorgonzola), talleggio and scarmoza. The cheese on top was nicely melted and golden brown on top, with it being so irresistible that slices were stolen before I could get a picture. The bursts of flavour from the distinctive zola was delightfully salty and warming.
Forgot to take down the price for this one as it was a nightly special at Gigino. The staff reckon this one is "better than the one Nonna makes", and man, did it taste wonderfully homemade. The pasta sheets were deliciously soft and fluffy, the beef coated with a rich and tangy tomato sauce and the cheese perfectly melted and stringy.
This was another one of my favourites of the night. Each slice had a large succulent prawn that was perfectly cooked and went well with the pomodoro and mozzarella base. The parsley sprinkled on top freshened it all up. These prawns are also good in the garlic prawns dish which is served with bread to scoop up the rich and garlicky tomato sauce, which I've had on earlier visits.
The last pizza of the night was the Luigi. The toppings included mozzarella, parmegiano, crudo (which I am gonna guess is prosciutto), mushrooms and truffle oil. The staff gladly allowed for half of the pizza to not have the crudo for our vegetarian friend to enjoy. The prosciutto was paper thin and nicely salty, going well with the drizzle of truffle oil and the good quality parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Desserts range from $6-$9, are homemade and displayed in the dessert cabinet at the front counter. The creme brulee was the popular choice at the table, with five of us going for it. The toffee on top was the right thickness and a theatrical act to break into. The custard innards was not too sweet and had berries mixed through. The consistency was a little thinner than I'm used to and some were unable to finish it because they were so full from dinner.
There were a limited amount of creme brulee, so the creme caramel was a second choice. I've had this before, with the texture of the baked custard nicely smooth and the caramel not overly sweet.
My personal choice for the night was the tiramisu, as it is another favourite of mine at this eatery. It gives me everything I need in a dessert, it's cold and refreshing, with the soaked sponge giving a nice coffee hit and a hint of marsala. This complemented the sweetness from the mascarpone cream layered within that was lusciously smooth. The cocoa on top was also a nice touch.
By the end of the night, our stomachs were stuffed and we were ready for a lie down. Gigino, yet again, provided a night filled with excellent service and uncomplicated food that's carried out with a balance between skillful technique and warming love. But they don't just do dinners! Gigino is also available with a separate breakfast and lunch menu, and a bar hidden at the back with some nice sounding drinks. This place is a jewel in Fairfield, and I cannot wait for my next visit already!
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