3 Bay View Terrace, Claremont
Ph: (08) 93855282
Please note that this venue used to be called Rudy’s, however the venue owner and head chef are still the same.
Italian Flavours Shine Here
When I was first asked to visit Rudy’s I was thrilled! This is one of my family’s regular spots and I couldn’t wait to get the word out about one of my favourite spots for a pizza. Don’t be fooled though, there is so much more to this Italian restaurant than pizza.
Claremont’s recently gone through a major face lift with the opening of the Claremont Quarter and a made-over Bayview Terrace is underway. Situated at the top end of Bay View Terrace, next to the Claremont Hotel, Rudy’s is part of these changes. It is inviting from the moment you walk in. Offering warm and inviting decor, without the pretentions of many modern restaurants, Rudy’s manages to be both family friendly and trendy.
Seasoned restaurateur Albasio La Pegna first opened Bellissimo’s on Bay View Terrace in the heart of Claremont in 1992, and after nearly two decades of owning and operating various other restaurants (including Funtastico, Pronto, Rialto’s and Zaffarano) around Perth, has returned to the original site of Bellissimo’s to open Rudy’s.
This time, we had a chat with La Pegna’s right hand man, Chef Muhammed Nazmul Hasan.
Chef Hasan has been behind the wheel of many of La Pegna’s restaurants on/off for twelve years, starting his career as a pizza chef at Pronto after moving out to Perth from Bangladesh. He said that he was introduced to La Pegna early on and was excited about the idea of working with Le Pegna.
Hasan’s career moved from there, eventually landing him the role of Head Chef at La Pegna’s latest venture.
“I like flavours that are smooth and rich.” Hasan said; a sentiment which rings true in many of his dishes. He truly loves what he does, and sometimes incorporates in the flavours from his native Bangladesh, such as the pilaf that was featured the night we visited.
The smell of pizzas in their wood fired oven waft throughout the space, and both Hasan and La Pegna agree that the authentic, thin crust pizzas and pastas are the house specials.
My dining partner and I were presented with the Pizza Bella, topped generously (although not overly so) with cacciatore sausage, bocconcini, marinated capsicum, cherry tomatoes, olives and rocket pesto. The sauce was well seasoned and the combination of ingredients complemented each other well.
The Seafood Risotto was full of flavour and cooked in a house-made fish stock; it had plump scallops, butterflied prawns and pink snapper stirred through creamy Arborio rice.
The Veal Scaloppine with spinach, tomato and melted provolone cheese tasted like it had come from nonna’s kitchen, accompanied by perfectly roasted potatoes. The tomato sauce and pepper from the veal was intensified by the 2008 Poggiotondo Cerro De Masso Chianti red wine that the staff expertly matched it with.
Ultimately the dish that stood out was the Bruschetta. Four grilled slices of organic ciabatta were each topped with a different combination: eggplant marinated and roasted with bocconcini, marinated capsicum, marinated zucchini and of course the classic tomato and basil combination to finish the platter off. The Bruschetta would make an ideal starter as well as a great quick meal to share between shops on a Saturday.
We finished the meal with a warm Apple Pie served with vanilla gelato, custard and apple compote. Apple pie usually isn’t my first choice, but it was a warm and comforting end to the meal. The compote accompaniment melted in my mouth and you could see and taste the specks of fresh vanilla bean in both the pie and compote, indicating it was made on the premises.
The smiling staff kept our drinks topped up and replaced the paper napkins as required. The kitchen was also prompt and we never felt like we were kept waiting for meals – something that is a big tick in my books. They are also well educated on matching wines to meals, something that is clearly not taken advantage of enough.
Bellissimo is more than just a little pizza joint for the locals of Claremont. It’s got some fantastic main dishes and a wealth of experience that is unmatched in Perth. There are several gluten-free dishes available and vegetarians are catered for upon request. But at the end of the day, it is worth popping in just to check out their Bruschetta. That’s where you’ll find me.