iO Italian Osteria (HillV2)

restaurant eluted warm and rustic vibes with beautiful tall windows which gave great photos thanks to the sunlight ☺️ Burrata was fresh and stringy but would probably give the risotto a miss as it wasn’t as creamy and rich as I expected.

Finally visited iO Italian Osteria!

Funny story behind this visit. My colleague recommended me to check out this place more than 4 years ago! I have been bookmarking this restaurant for the LONGEST time! Have made many chope reservations and then cancelling it because the location was kinda out of the way! Finally after so many years of procrastination, FINALLY visited this place! Luckily we made a chope booking reservation before heading down, because it was so crowded, even on a weekday lunch timing!

Here is what we ordered, most are the best seller recommended dishes:
-Traditional Stuffed Roman Schiacciatta with truffle ($10 for small size) - This was the highly anticipated food item! While it was good, it did not blow my mind
-Orecchiette Pork sausage with saffron sauce ($19) - We were puzzled when this dish was served as the minced pork was not very visible. But quite a nice dish as it is pretty unique
-Home made Tagliolini with Prawns, Asparagus, Lemon and Aromatic Breadcrumbs ($22): Opps, this was our least liked dish. The small portion size served caught us by surprise. LOL
-Pistachio Tiramisu ($14): I am not typically a tiramisu lover, but PISTACHIO lover I am, hence we got it to try! It was good!

Location: 4 Hillview Rise, #02 - 01, Singapore 667979

iO has been on our must-try list for the longest and we finally paid a visit there a while back! We got a few recommendations from our friends and here’s our take on their authentic italian street food:
.
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗮 (𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹) ($𝟭𝟬)
We’ve heard that iO does their bread SO well - this Italian flat bread was well toasted and crispy! The truffle and cheese was aromatic but we just wish there was more filling to make us really fall in love with it.

This was highly rated by many and as pork belly fans, our expectations were sky high. Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed by the taste, perhaps because it was not piping hot when we dug in. The pork belly was meaty and had crispy crackling skin, and the wild fennel definitely balanced out the fattiness. This was also served with a mustard sauce which went really well with the pork belly.

Now this was the unexpected star of our meal. It was piping hot (maybe because it was served in the pot it was baked in), and the cheese was so gooey and stretchy. With the endless layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese, it was like a lasagna that we couldn’t get enough of. This was a good choice of solid flavours and texture!

We thoroughly enjoyed the rustic and charming ambience at iO and can see why it’s always bustling with regulars. This might perhaps be one of the best places for some solid Italian food - so hear it from us that we’d surely be back!