We went to Lygon street last week to discover more Italian food culture in Melbourne. Along the street, there are many Italian restaurant patios on the pedestrian path which gave us the chance to smell the flavour of the pasta without even tasting it. There are also chefs in a transparent glass window making pasta, the complicated techniques involved reminded me that in the past, the middle class may consume peasant food but using different techniques to make it, allowing them to differentiate from the working class. In front of the restaurant, a greeter will invite people to dine with a smile, creating a relaxed and comfortable vibe and this unique phenomenon can only be experienced on Lygon street. The style of cuisine is mostly Italian with only a few exceptions of fast food or Spanish cuisine, the price also varies depending on the reputation or the design of the place. Many pasta houses such as La Spaghettata restaurant will charge customers a bit more on the food they serve because the good reputation and long history they have, whereas restaurant that has a more modern-looking design such as D.O.C or universal will charge less. The rich tomato smell reminded me that how tomato became a key ingredient in the Bolognese sauce. Many pasta houses has a logo that consists the colours of red, green and white, which is the colour of the Italian flag, I struggle to relate myself to this cuisine as it isn’t the delicacies of my country, but the taste of the pasta makes me think that “if I’m Italian, then this will probably be the taste of home.”
