Sure To Delight

By Belinda Cipriano
TRY getting into Sandrino's on a weekend without a booking and you will struggle - trust me I've tried. It's booked out weeks in advance.
However what a lot of people don't know is this popular Fremantle eatery is the perfect place to grab a quick bite to eat most days of the week.
Yes, it's gained a reputation for having lines out the door (and with good reason) but if you want a Sandrino's fix pop in during the week - you won't be disappointed, just as my colleagues and I came to find out.
First on the menu was the Antipasto platter. A colourful dish filled with all the Mediterranean treats, sure to delight the greatest of food connoisseurs, it came filled with grissini sticks, marinated vegetables, prosciutto, salmon, dips and cheese.
A meal in itself, it was an ideal meal for sharing and certainly satisfied the three of us.
Next was the bruschetta and garlic prawns. The bruschetta, with fresh, chunky tomatoes and drizzled in olive oil, was delightful and hearty.
The garlic prawns served on a bed of rice was creamy but not too sickly and was served with a Gieson Sauvagan Blanc which was crisp and refreshing, complimenting the garlic prawns perfectly.
After whetting our appetites with these delicious starters, original chef Edwin Kubale surprised us with gluten-free Pannoni pasta.
You see, what a lot of people don't know is that as well as serving freshly made pasta, Sandrino's also offers their Celiac customers a choice of gluten-free pastas and sauces. Owner Jelena Kaddour said there had been a demand for gluten-free dishes in recent years.
Our Pannoni pasta was served with chicken, mushroom, sundried tomato and spinach in a creamy sauce, and was surprisingly very light leaving room for more of the delights awaiting us.
Also on the menu was popular lunchtime treat the Beef Burger with beer battered fries, vegetable stack and seafood platter for one.
Although all dishes were delicious the one that got my nod was the seafood platter.
Now the menu tells me it is a platter for one but trust me when I say this dish more than satisfied my colleagues and me. It came with squid, prawns, salmon and red emperor, and was served with a light avocado salad. Everything was grilled to perfection and this was easily the stand out meal of the day.
My vegetarian colleague on the other hand thought the vegetable stack was the best. It was beautifully presented with zucchini, asparagus and capsicum in a tomato sauce, and she said this dish was just her.
To finish us off the homemade burger with a beef pattie, cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato sauce hit the spot.
People ask me why I keep going back to Sandrino's and I guess it's the comfort of knowing that whenever I go there I'm guaranteed a delicious feed at a great price.
To know the original chef Edwin Kubale of nine years is still going strong and owners Jelena and Sam Kaddour are two of the best in the business also gets my vote.
Add to the fact that it's tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the cappuccino strip, this Freo favourite will always remain at the top of my list time and time again.