Italian Osteria X

PSA they updated their menu and REMOVED their pizzas. Average pasta so really, given how ulu it is, there's no reason to visit

Ckn and honestly quite flat as well

Prawns were meaty, not crystal and there's a slight brininess in the cream sauce. But the sauce was otherwise somewhat flat, not particularly good

Homemade but too dense, and portion is way too huge for 2 pax.

Balsamic was quality though, very intense. Olive oil wasn't anywhere near as strong

For the grand finale, we had @iox_sg Kansas City Salsiccia e Pepperoni, which sees a pair of meaty, juicy and subtly spicy Italian sausages slapped over a mound of charred & caramelised sliced bell peppers and onions. This dish has nothing to do with the American city of Kansas City, and I have no clue as to why all the dishes are named after cities in the USA. What I do know is that at twenty three dollars before an additional ten percent service charge, these big sausages are best shared.⠀
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The Italian sausages bear a striking similarity to its distant relative, the Spanish chorizo. However, the salsiccia are less spicy and more herbaceous, with an emphasis on oregano. The meaty links possess a solid, bouncy texture that is the ideal for all sausages, and the pork within is ground finely enough to be smooth, but just coarsely enough to retain a meaty chew. While there isn’t much of a sear on them, it’s really a non issue as the sausages are already good enough as is.⠀
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Now you may be wondering: where’s the pepperoni? Well, it’s a slight typo, but the peperoni, which is the word for peppers in Italian, are the red & yellow bell peppers mingling with the onions. Pepperoni, the beloved pizza topping, is actually called ‘salamino piccante’ in Italy. #themoreyouknow. ⠀
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Language lesson aside, the bell peppers have been charred just enough for the skin to blister, and for the pepper to go soft & release its sweetness. The competently caramelised onions add even more sweetness to the veggie medley. The combined sweetness is perfect to counteract the salty, spicy juices from the sausages, and you’ll wanna get a forkful of vegetables in between stuffing your gob with the meaty sausage.⠀
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Italian Osteria X’s sausage fest is stupendously simple, but so stunningly stellar. C’mon, stuff these salciccias into your mouth. You know you want to.

@iox_sg Houston Fettuccine Alfredo ($19 before 10% service charge) usually has prawns in it, but since one of my pals was allergic to shellfish, the head chef & owner very kindly agreed to switch the shellfish for chicken. At first glance, this rendition of fettuccine alfredo is far from being glam for the gram, but once you take that fateful first bite, you will sing its praises for a long, long time.⠀
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So, what makes this cream based pasta so downright delightful? Firstly, the consistency of the sauce is utterly flawless. It’s thick, creamy and so seductively smooth, but not once does it ever come close to being surfeiting. A pure cream sauce that’s even been reinforced by freshly grated parmesan not being overly rich? What sorcery is this? Well, for that, you can thank the citrusy notes of the lemon that have a faint but distinct presence in the sauce.⠀
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I myself was skeptical about lemon in a cream sauce, but it all made perfect sense once I sipped on that sapid sauce. The zest & possibly the juice of the lemon is just prominent enough to rein in the rich, gluttonous attributes of the cream while not overtly clashing with the salty, umami cream. It’s like the flavour equivalent of Jezebel, it seductively beckons you to drink your fill, consequences be damned.⠀
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The broad, flat al dente fettuccine noodles give a lot of surface area for that perfectly piquant sauce to cling onto, but that ain’t enough. Trust me, you’ll just grab the whole bowl and guzzle every last drop of that splendid cream down. The cream is so stunningly stellar that I find myself unable to fully expound upon its absolute magnificence.⠀
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With Italian Osteria X serving up a fettuccine alfredo this sublime, I’m proud to say that Houston, we have liftoff.

The origins of penne alla vodka are unclear and lost to the annals of history, but one thing that’s crystal clear is that @iox_sg version of Penne Alla Vodka ($17+10% service charge) is smashingly sublime. While you won’t get drunk off the vodka in the sauce as it has all been cooked off, the sheer luxuriousness of the sauce is still intoxicating.⠀
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Penne alla vodka is essentially an arrabbiata pasta that has been fortified by the inclusion of heavy cream and vodka, resulting in a tangy and captivatingly creamy sauce. Penne is arguably the best choice for this sumptuous sauce, as the hollow tube structure of the penne captures a whole lot of the titillating tomato sauce. If you’re so inclined, you could even attempt to use a penne noodle as a straw to suck up the creamy sauce, but I definitely advise against that.⠀
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The creamy sauce is also strikingly savoury, with sweetness & sourness coexisting in perfect balance, while the salinity makes the tomato sauce come alive on your tastebuds. I’m running outta words to compliment this sensational sauce as it was downright divine. The amount of creaminess, saltiness, tanginess, sweetness and umami cohabiting in the dish were all positively flawless. Even the boring old chicken that was the protein for this penne got new life breathed into it by this breathtakingly delicious sauce.⠀
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You know, I love vodka, but I reckon I love Italian Osteria X’s Penne Alla Vodka a little more. I’m definitely returning to get X-rated & saucy with this delicious little thing.