The initial intent behind my visit to @lamensa.sg was to partake of their pasta, but when I saw the newly added mushroom risotto ($12, GST included), I couldn’t say no to rice. Yes, it’s Italian arborio rice, but it’s still rice. No Asian can resist rice. According to the menu, the arborio rice is cooked in a creamy sauce which is a concoction of La Mensa’s housemade stock (probably vegetable stock), extra virgin olive oil, pecorino cheese & mushrooms.⠀
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They might’ve understated the creamy part, as each spoonful of rich, redolent risotto is considerably creamy & is incredibly infused with the aroma of mushrooms that’ve been forever fused into the luscious liquid. Come to think of it, if you took out the rice, the creamy mushroom sauce could function flawlessly as a terrifically thick mushroom soup.⠀
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Each grain of risotto is cooked to a slight past al dente, which produces soft, mildly chewy rice that’s all too easy to inhale in short order. Well, when the rice is luxuriating in such a scintillating sauce, that action just gets even easier. The sauce gets almost cloyingly creamy towards the end of the very deep dish, and I’d imagine that it would be a bit of a struggle to eat when cold.⠀
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At just $12 for a prodigious plate of delectable risotto, La Mensa’s mushroom risotto is hot stuff, and should definitely be eaten while still smouldering with steam. Don’t be left out in the cold, get yourself some right now.