*SOLD OUT* Itō x Santini: A Menu Without Borders

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For one night only, Santini Bar & Grill becomes something unexpected – part Italian trattoria, part Tokyo izakaya, and entirely delicious.

In this special collaboration for Good Food Events, Culinary Creative Lead Nic Wood and Executive Chef Jake Lynch of Santini join forces with hatted Sydney chef Erik Ortolani of Itō, whose subtle and modern take on Japanese cuisine has won him a loyal following. The menu is a meeting point – not a mash-up – where comfort and complexity live side by side. Handmade pasta takes on the deep umami of dashi-rich sauces. Charred vegetables meet miso, bottarga or shiso. A snack might feel like Nonna made it… until a burst of yuzu says otherwise.

Why do Italian and Japanese food play so well together? It comes down to shared values: seasonal produce, technique-led cooking, and a deep reverence for simplicity done well. Both cuisines let ingredients lead – but never without flair.

It’s a menu that honours craft and culture without ever losing its sense of play. Each course will be paired with Kirin’s finest pours, the impeccably crisp, malt-driven Kirin Ichiban and a line-up of bespoke Kirin Hyoketsu cocktails, built on Hyoketsu’s clean shōchū base and bright citrus lift. Together they weave a seamless thread of precision, freshness, and Japanese artistry through the entire evening.

This is a one-night-only event. A rare chance to see three sharp culinary minds at work – blending tradition, curiosity and just the right amount of rule-breaking.

Tickets are strictly limited. Book now to secure your seat at the table.

Ticket Price: $159pp
Ticket inclusions: Cocktail and snacks on arrival, followed by a three-course meal with paired beverages

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Want to make Erik’s Prawn and Scallop Ravioli with Tobiko Butter at home? Check out the recipe below.
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Garlic chilli base:
2 long red chillies / 4 garlic cloves / 50g sunflower or neutral oil / 20pcs wonton wrappers

Ravioli filling:
215g scallop meat, roe off / 15g prawn meat / 15g potato starch, plus some for dusting / 20 g mascarpone / 3g sugar / 3g salt / 4g hondashi granules* / 5g grated ginger / 1 tbsp chilli garlic base / 1pc lime
*if you can’t get hold of the hondashi granules, substitute with a dash of fish sauce (3 crab is my favourite brand)

Finishing sauce:
100g butter, cubed / 1 tbsp chilli garlic base / 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce / 1 tbsp chopped chives / 1 tsp lemon juice / 1/2 tsp fish sauce / 1 heaped tbsp Orange tobiko (flying fish roe) / cooking water as needed

METHOD

1. In a small pan, fry chopped chilli and garlic on low heat. You just want to get rid of the sharp bite and infuse the oil. Set aside. This is your chilli garlic base.
2. Roughly chop scallop and prawn meat.
3. Transfer in a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients: mascarpone, potato starch, sugar, salt, hondashi granules, grated ginger, chilli garlic base, zest of one lime. Quickly work into a coarse paste.
4. Using a teaspoon, transfer the filling into the wonton skins (about 20 g for each) and seal the the edges with water. Close the ravioli in a triangle shape, making sure you don’t leave much air trapped in the dumpling.
5. Dust them with potato starch, especially if the are not cooked straight away.
6. Have a pot of salted water boiling and a pan ready on the side.
7. Drop the ravioli in the water and cook them until they float (1.5 to 2 minutes).
8. With a colander transfer in the pan, together with 1/3 of the butter and a dash of cooking water.
9. Now swirl the pan in a circular motion and start incorporating the butter, chilli base, soy sauce, lemon juice, fish sauce. You should achieve a silky, savoury sauce that coats the ravioli.
10. At last, add the tobiko (don’t put it back on the heat as the fish eggs will cook).
11. Taste and tweak with lemon and fish sauce if needed. Serve in flat, warm plates immediately.

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MENU* REVEAL
(All food is served sharing style)

Drink: Kirin Ichiban + ‘Pineapple Zing’* Cocktail on arrival
*Pineapple Hoketsu, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Ginger + Mint Tincture

Spuntini
Miso Mushroom Tartlet + Whipped Ricotta + Brick Pastry – SANTINI
Yellowfin Tuna + Bonito Bread + Bottarga – ITO

Antipasti
Manzo Crudo + Fermented Chilli + Pecorino + Cured Egg + Patatine Fritte – SANTINI
Roasted Eggplant + Tomato Miso + Whipped Tofu – ITO

Drink: Kirin Ichiban + ‘QT Ice T’* Cocktail
*Peach Hoketsu, Green Tea, Spiced Honey Syrup, Peach Bubble Tea Pearls

Principale
Wood Grilled Berkshire Pork Tomahawk + Blood Plum + Miso Glaze – SANTINI
Prawn + Scallop Ravioli + Tobiko + Hotaru Ika – ITO

Drink:
Conte D’attimis-Maniago Ribolla Gialla 2021, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
or
Fugnano ‘Chianti Colli Senesi’ Sangiovese 2021, Tuscany

Contorno
Wood Roasted Sugarloaf Cabbage + ‘Nduja Crema + Garlic Pangrattato  – SANTINI

Dolci
Tiramisu ‘Recipe 1988’ + Espresso + Mascarpone Crème + Lots of Alcohol – Served tableside – SANTINI
Chocolate Purin + Miso Banana + Walnut – ITO

Drink: Santini’s House Made Limoncello

*Menu items are subject to change based on availability