3one7, Parramatta - A Second Chance

One of my first restaurant reviews was at 3one7, and boy was I disappointed. The service was super slow and unprofessional, and the food wasn't 100%. Now, this was one of the first restaurants Stephen and I went to as a couple, and their gnocchi with aurora sauce opened our eyes to a whole new world of culinary delight, so I thought I'd go back there to give them a second chance - after all, that review was performed at 2:30pm on a Monday. Maybe they'd do better with a dinner service?

We decided to have dinner here on Tuesday for our friend Gita's going away dinner (she's going to Kenya to get married - how exciting!), and when we arrived the place was buzzing. Luckily we made a booking, otherwise we would have had to sit outside, and it was raining and windy. We were shown to our table and given menus. Unfortunately the waitress we had kept coming back every two minutes, trying to rush us into ordering, which WASN'T happening because Gita couldn't eat anything with meat or egg in it, and our other friend AK could only eat Halal meat.

Bruschetta with Feta Cheese - $8.90

This was one dish that the four of us could eat, and it was executed well. The tomato, basil and red onion were very fresh, the garlic not overpowering, and the feta was smooth and creamy. The bread it was on was a good thickness, and was well toasted.

Pesto Risotto (without chicken) - $19.90

This risotto was packed full of flavour with the house-made pesto and the mushrooms. The sundried tomato added some interesting texture, but there was a lot of sauce in the dish compared to the amount of rice and it made it a little difficult to eat.

Margherita Pizza - $16.90

We ordered the most basic of pizzas that everyone on our table could eat, and it was predictably tasty. The base was thin and crispy at the crusts, and it was covered in sweet tomato sauce, mild mozzarella and thin strips of fragrant basil.

Creamy Garlic Prawns - $25.90

The prawns in this dish were plump and fresh, but the sauce lacked depth in terms of flavour - all I could taste was garlic, and it was pretty weak at that. The rice came in a sticky, brick-shaped clump that wasn't particularly appealing.


Gnocchi with Aurora Sauce - $18.90

This is the dish that started Stephen and I on our culinary adventure all those years ago, and it didn't disappoint (I know it's a humble dish of gnocchi, but at the time we would only eat our parent's cooking or fast food). The gnocchi were firm little pillows of starchy goodness, and the sauce was a tasty mix of napoletana sauce, mozzarella cheese and cream.

Veal Prosciutto - $28.90

This dish was a little disappointing - the veal was a little tough, which is not what you expect when you order veal, however the prosciutto that was cooked between the layers of veal added some nice flavour. The new potatoes were fine and the vegetables were crispy, but the veal let the dish down.

I really had hoped that 3one7 would have improved since the last time we were there, but again, we were disappointed. It seems they're really good at the simple dishes, but anything involving more than 5 ingredients and the skill and quality starts to deteriorate. I guess all I can derive from our experiences here is that we've grown in our tastes and standards; I'll always appreciate this restaurant for broadening our horizons as youngsters, but next time I'm in the area, I'll probably pass on by.

3one7

317 Church St,
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Phone: 1300 317 317

Comments

[Gaby]

Looks like sauce-wise they have the philosophy of quantity over quality.

[muppy]

We had a similar experience with risotto many years ago, i would be curious to go back and try it again (but it was on the gold coast!)

[InTolerantChef]

I have to say some of it does look a little 'iffy' What's up with the rice, and the risotto does look too saucy- it should have enough liquid to ooze gently not swim in. The pizza does look fantastic though, and a great pizza is not as easy to do as you might think!