The Red Hen - A Review

Italian is one of my favourite cuisines and I've been longing to devour another delicious, creamy pasta dish ever since my trip to Italy over a year ago.  Italy has a fantastic food culture nourished by passion and basic recipes.  Quality ingredients and loving preparation are fundamental to creating the perfect Italian dish.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a special dinner at The Red Hen with a group of food lovers.  Located amongst Indonesian, Ethiopian, Greek, Vietnamese, Mexican and Tibetan restaurants on Hardgrave road, West End, it is definitely a culturally diverse place to be, and also very appetising place to be. 

I'd never met my fellow dinner companions in person, but sure enough conversation flowed easily as we all shared a common interest - food. 

For entree we shared five items from the menu:

Polpettine di pollo - chicken meatballs served with a white wine sauce and crostini.

Calamari fritti - fried baby calamari served with fresh rocket, lemon wedge and aioli.

Bruschetta al pomodoro - toasted sourdough with fresh tomato, basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Involtini di melanzane al forno - oven baked eggplant parcels filled with ricotta and fresh herbs, served with napoletana sauce and topped with parmesan cheese.  This was definitely my favourite entree, full of fresh ingredients and lots of cheese.

For main course I had to make a decision, a very hard decision based on the enticing menu selection.  I eventually decided on the gnocchi al gorgonzola - housemade potato dumplings with gorgonzola, cream and spinach.

It was an excellent choice, perfectly creamy with strong gorgonzola flavour, garlic, and freshly chopped spinach.  If you're a blue cheese lover, this one is for you.

And just when I thought I couldn't possibly fit anything else in, it was dessert time! I was told, the Rich Chocolate Brownie is the best in Brisbane.  Moist on the inside with a delicate crust, the sweetness melted with slight bitterness from the cocoa. Mouthwatering.

To sum up, The Red Hen is a great casual dining spot in West End and you won't be disappointed by their good, hearty comfort food.  The dishes are simple with only 4-5 ingredients, classic, authentic Italian, made with love.

The Red Hen is BYO (corkage $5 per bottle).  Gluten free bread and pasta options $2.00.

Elise dined at The Red Hen as their guest.