Must Try

Keeping to my 2015 new year resolution of popping randomly into never-been-before places was how I discovered this gem in Joo Chiat. It's actually been opened for more than two years. But better late than never, I always say 😄
After placing our orders, a basket with two kinds of warm bread was brought to the table, along with a small saucer of olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. We were off to a pleasant start indeed.
Our appetiser of Sautéed Clams with White Wine Chilli ($18+) arrived shortly in a saucepan. Although the portion wasn't large, it was delectable with a touch of chilli and lots of sliced garlic in the soup. This dish is meant to have mussels as well but I had asked to have only clams and they were happy to oblige. I love it when that happens 👍
Our main courses of pastas ($22+ each) came next and they both deserved their "must try" labels. The Scialatielli Di Gusto was sumptuously rich in flavours from the sea (represented by fresh prawns) and the mountain (represented by porcini mushrooms). Tasting just as good but in a different way was the Linguini Con Granchito. We wiped every bit of its delightful, thick sauce of crabmeat in vodka-spiked tomato cream clean from the bowl.
For dessert, it was the day's special of Creme Brûlée which was really aromatic thanks to the use of proper vanilla (there were the telltale black specks in the custard). It came with a scoop of hazelnut gelato that was thankfully, mildly sweet.
The vibe in this cosy restaurant is an interesting blend of service styles. Dark-suited wait staff and their elegant old-school mannerisms provided the formal element, while the informal saw the Singaporean Chinese chef-owner coming out of the kitchen to chat with customers (sometimes in Mandarin even).
I have to say it is both a treat and a surprise, to encounter such warm, attentive service at a venue where the well-executed food doesn't cost an arm and a leg. We'll be back for sure.

Showcasing traditional wood-fired oven pizza (no gas chambers, here) made with an inherited secret recipe of pizza dough from one of the oldest pizzarias back in Italy, you know they’re serious about its food. A classic pizza consisting of three ingredients: tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil, the margherita pizza ($19.90) uses fresh buffalo mozzarella flown in three times a week from the volcanic region of Campania—where the cheese in the best Neopolitan pizzas are from. One bite is all it takes to know we’ve found the pizzeria in town.

Somewhat deconstructed buttermilk waffle but beautifully presented (scored). Taro paste sandwiched in the waffle with dollops of taro trapped in the squares (scored twice). Paired with earl grey ice cream which had a good balance of sweetness and creamy texture (scored again). I've waffled before I'll waffle again and will be back to try the taro cheesecake.

Grilled ribeye with red peppers on the side. Head Chef Jordi must love his meats very fatty, judging from the gelatinous confit pork belly and this cut of beef, which I unfortunately couldn't stomach very well.

Loved the cream patisserie - very smooth and fragrant, and only subtly sweet. I found the puff to be a taaaad soggy. It is the chewy sort, and I loved the top of the puff which was sweet and cake-like, kind of like the top of bo lo buns. ☺️

‘OTTO’ is Italian for ‘eight’, and dining here will give you reason to believe this was meant to be the eighth wonder of the world. The food speaks for itself, and its no surprise with acclaimed Italian Chef Michele Pavanello (formerly of Il Lido) heading the culinary team. A special off-the-menu dish we also enjoyed was the Wagyu beef and pan-seared foie gras tagliatelle ($44). Grain-fed for 180 days, the Australian Wagyu is incredibly tender; the pan-seared foie gras so creamy and smooth that it melts in your mouth like butter. A very hearty dish, but delicious nonetheless.

Some say eww, I saw wow!! Don't knock em till you try em! The subtle hints of olive oil in this ice cream makes such a beautiful balance of sweet and savory. With an added buttery waffle biscuits, triple check! Sweet, savory, crunchy! Oh and creamy! 😍 I'd forget their classic butterscotch budino and order their caramel copetta and olive oil ice cream instead. You won't regret it 👌

hot fluffy pancakes topped with sautéed spinach, tomatoes, crispy bacon, roasted ribeye steak, roasted chicken and two poached eggs with our very own red wine and dark chocolate infused hollandaise sauce. I guess this was enough to make up for missing vance joy at laneway? But to be honest, all that amazed me about this dish was the way it was presented. And because there was bacon in it and bacon makes everything better! The pancakes were a little too plain for my liking, even after I added maple syrup to them. Also, the texture of the pancakes were not one of the best in town but I guess I could live with that. For $22, I would say that this dish is still reasonably priced, especially for a restaurant located in MBS. It would not be one of my recommendations for quality food but for Instagram/Burpple worthy photos, this dish would suffice.

Not a good quiche at all, especially when it's something like $16 for a small wedge like this. The pastry didn't taste fresh, either.

Garnish with micro basil and extra virgin olive oil. I was expecting to see a ball of cheese but was greeted with this. Still good and nice. Love it with their tomato and basil bread to balance out the saltiness.

Everyone needs to stock up on this stuff. So friggin' good and goes with everything - crackers, croutons, veggie sticks, potatoes...heck, you could even eat it straight from the tub with a spoon.

Fries are fried till almost perfection. Loved the texture of the fries. but wish it has more truffle oil in order for it to be called Truffle Fries. Service in that place is great!