L'Altro Mondo

When I hear that a chef is doing Italian but with "f" words (fancy and fusion), I feel worried rather than excited. Italian food isn't about tricking stuff up. It's about channelling nonna, having a grand romance with produce and keeping it simple. But when contemporary and edgy is underpinned by respectful and authentic then I'll stop fretting and start enjoying.

There's plenty to enjoy at L'Altro Mondo, which feels calm and neighbourly even though chef Domenico de Marco and his partner (ex-chef turned excellent waiter) Elyse Woodward-Brown are pedalling madly underwater.

De Marco grew up in Bologna making pasta with mama, then developed his style at Michelin-starred restaurants. Until he moved to Australia he disdained Asian food but, partly through Sydney jobs at Rockpool and Luke Mangan's Glass, his mind and palate opened.

Now he subtly combines Asian elements with bedrock Italian dishes. His delicious pork terrine has a background buzz of Sichuan pepper; sticky beef ribs are braised in kombu stock that's the base for black bean sauce.

Other dishes (silverbeet ravioli with lemon and herb butter, tiramisu nestled in a chocolate sphere) are more traditional yet elegant.

Owning a restaurant is hard. The challenge shows in the preponderance of secondary cuts; no sirloin in sight. But what matters more is the love and inspiration showered on those humble ingredients.

Chestnut peelings are used to smoke beef ribs. Pig's head becomes terrine and cured guanciale​. The squid ink rice crisp garnishing rainbow trout was born from an overcooked risotto that De Marco couldn't afford to throw away. Of course, unstinting endeavour means less if the food isn't good. But these dishes are great.

De Marco reckons he's sticking around for at least 30 years – don't wait that long to eat here.

Rating: Four stars (out of five)