Our Customer Matthew from Glen-Waverly Writes: I dined here tonight with my 87 year old Nonna (grandmother) as we wanted something nearby in East Malvern. As Nonna slowly walked up Glenferrie Rd walking stick in one hand, my arm in the other, the staff at La Via noticed and made us welcome coming out to open the door and assist Nonna up the step. This set the scene for the level of service we received. The food was excellent and I would recommend the two dishes we ate: the calamari salad and the gamberi. The calamari was cooked perfectly, flash fried I imagine, finely tenderised and scored. There was no batter just a very light flour and seasoning. It was sensational: soft and tender yet just crisp on the surface finished with lemon and Chili flakes atop a spinach salad. My gamberi was equally tasty: succulent crisp prawns with linguine, tossed with wilted spinach and finished with olive oil, chili flakes and garlic confit. I thought it was slightly overpriced for essentially a casual dining/cafe style restaurant, but considering the service and two delicious meals I think it was a fair deal. Even on the way out, the staff went out of their way to hold open the doors and help us out. Nonna enjoyed it for three reasons: it was fresh and tasty, its casual so you dont have to get dressed up and it isnt too loud/echoee which makes it easier for her to enjoy conversation
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 07:54:58 +0000