Bianca

The Verdict

If your ideal 'last supper' involves a big bowl of pasta and a plate piled high with cannoli, read on. Ellerslie's cool new pasta joint, Bianca, does both dishes exceedingly well—so well in fact, eating them may cause you to think you've bypassed the death part of that picture altogether, and gone straight to heaven.

The creator of this divine cuisine? Chef Hayden Phiskie, who you may recognise from his time at the helm of some of Auckland's best restaurants such as Cotto and Ada.

Bianca is Hayden's first solo venture as both chef and owner and here he aims to provide a casual, relaxed space to enjoy the exceptional pasta his name has become synonymous with.

At Bianca you'll find a dine-in menu for lunch and on select nights, dinner, along with a fridge full of fresh take-home pasta kits, should you wish to challenge Hayden's title as one of the top pasta chefs in Auckland.

Found on Robert Street, the space itself is warm and welcoming, featuring a simple, clean fit-out punctuated with on-point blue and white branding. We especially love the semi-open kitchen, where you'll get a taste of the culinary action as Bianca's chefs roll out pasta just metres from your face.

This stripped-back aesthetic pairs perfectly with the food, which adopts the same no-fuss approach. There's a strong focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients, meaning the menu will change on the regular.

Leading the charge of course is a tight selection of pasta dishes, headlined by an incredible mafaldine. Here, long ribbons of ruffle-edged pasta are dressed in a rich pork and fennel sausage ragu, crowned in parmesan—the absolute epitome of comfort food (especially when enjoyed with a cheeky glass of chilled Halcyon Wines red, one of several drops available on tap).

The ravioli is equally glorious and features delicate parcels of pasta stuffed with a subtle whipped ricotta and lemon filling, topped with juicy broad beans and crunchy sourdough crumbs.

And those with an aversion to gluten will pleased to know they haven't been forgotten about, with all but the ravioli available gluten-free (assigning more brownie points as we speak...). 

That's not to overlook the many other Italian-style delights that are also on offer, including a moreish housemade focaccia (as much a source of pride and joy as the pasta, we're told), which you should pair with at least one of the following: the beef tartare (a hands-on affair where you'll mix tender pieces of finely chopped beef through anchovy mayo, currents, and pistachios)—the burrata with marsala peaches and red pepper—the heirloom tomatoes (beautifully complemented by juicy blackberries and honey)—and the Agria potatoes with hazelnut butter and whipped feta.

And this wouldn't be a proper Italian feast without some ridiculously delicious dessert to finish, so Hayden and the team have kindly obliged. They're dishing up not one, but three glorious treats to send you home on a happy tummy, including what are some of the most chonky cannoli we've ever seen in flavours like pistachio, orange, and vanilla, along with a tiramisu tart (where mascarpone, coffee, and other elements of the traditional dessert are bought together in the guise of a rather gorgeous looking tart) and an absolute perfect panna cotta drenched in salty brown butter caramel, which we simply cannot stop thinking about.

If Hayden Phiskie was hoping to create yet another top Italian restaurant out of Bianca, we have just two words for him: job done.

Image credit: Urban List | Wono Kim