Buttero

With the arrival of new Executive Chef Antonio Massagli, Buttero (or Tuscan Cowboy) returns to its classic Italian roots and presents a hearty slice of Tuscan fare and other well-loved Italian dishes in an inspired new menu. Hailing from Lucca, a small town in Tuscany (I want to go!), Chef Antonio, a born-and-raised Buttero, serves up the clean, simple flavours of authentic Italian cuisine that he grew up enjoying and preparing in his countryside home.

His parmigiana is honestly one of the best versions I’ve tried in Singapore! Thin eggplant slices are grilled instead of fried, then layered with a combination of freshly made tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan. The cast iron pan which landed on our table had a generous portion of baked eggplant with more tomato sauce and pesto oil. Delicious and surprisingly light!

Parmigiana di Melanzane ($18++)
baked eggplant, tomato, parmesan, basil flan

At Buttero, all the thin crust pizzas are proudly made with imported Italian mozzarella. The pizza dough is hand tossed, apparently the gentlest way to shape and form a crust. Prego is K’s first love when it comes to pizzas and this came in a close second! He almost single-handedly finished the whole pizza!

Parma e Rucola ($24++)
mozzarella, tomato, prosciutto, rocket salad

An Italian menu cannot do without any pastas, of course. Made in-house, the hearty squid ink pasta was decent but other than the umami-packed prawns bisque, it was rather forgettable and not something I’d order again.

Tagliolini Neri ($25++)
prawns bisque, prawns, herbs, cherry tomatoes, capsicum

A first for us was the Crespelle Fiorentina, a classic Florentine dish. I’m sure you’ve had crepes before but an Italian style one? Imagine thin pasta sheets filled with spinach and ricotta, and crowned with béchamel and pesto oil. Naturally sweetened with finely chopped raisins, the dish also had a subtle hint of nutmeg, very interesting!

Crespelle Fiorentina ($20++)
gratinated ricotta & spinach crepe, béchamel, tomato, basil sauce

Next was a sausage and bread dish – a typical Tuscan dish that was enjoyed by Chef Antonio as a child where the cannellini beans were left to braise slowly in a wine bottle by an open fire while his family worked out in the fields. Sausage is made with minced pork and a selection of mixed herbs while the amazingly soft yet firm beans are cooked with fresh cherry tomatoes and sage.

Salsiccia e Fagioli ($30++)
pork sausage, white cannellini bean, homemade truffle focaccia

We tried more than half the dessert menu (3 out of 5 ha) and our unanimous vote went to the affogato! Not the usual affogato, Buttero’s rendition had double scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with a polenta cookie crumble, accompanied by an espresso shot and a shot of Frangelico, a hazelnut liquor. Pour them in (messily) and we had ourselves a wonderful post-dinner treat! The other two desserts of tiramisu and molten chocolate cake were adequate for a sugar fix but definitely not as impressive as the affogato!

Affogato ($12++)
latte ice-cream, frangelico, esspresso, crushed cookies

Special thanks to Samantha for such an entertaining evening!

Buttero
54 Tras Street
6438 7737

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Waterfall Ristorante Italiano

In retrospect, it seems that I’ve been making annual pilgrimages to The Waterfall ever since 2012! This year is more special as The Waterfall is no more – or rather, renamed and rebranded as Waterfall Ristorante Italiano, an Italian restaurant helmed by Chef de Cuisine Marco De Vincentis. Expect authentic and unique Southern Italian cuisine that combines fresh seafood, handmade pastas and heirloom recipes!

Parmigiana Di Melanzane ($20++)
eggplants, parmigiano, tomatoes

Let’s talk wine first before food. While the wine collection is extensive, I’d say just go for the smooth and easy-to-drink Nero d’Avola, Waterfall’s house wine made from the most important red wine grape in Sicily and served in a unique cup known as boccalino.

Tagliolini Al Pesto Siciliano ($22++)
homemade pasta, tomato, ricotta cheese, pine nut, basil, roasted almond

Pair Nero d’Avola with some antipasti such as the popular seafood salad (I found it average though) and parmigiana, an aubergine bake. The latter uses carefully-sourced eggplants layered with generous lashings of tomato sauce and melted parmesan and mozzarella cheese. A must try!

Paccheri All’astice ($32++)
homemade pasta, lobster sauce, tomatoes, brandy, chilli, basil, parsley, evoo

Pasta dishes feature prominently on the menu, all painstakingly homemade. There’s linguine (with plenty of seafood), tagliolini (amazing nutty pesto!), lasagne (a crispy version, if you can imagine it) and my pick out of the lot – paccheri tossed and evenly coated with a rich lobster sauce.

Stufato Di Pesce ($68++, min 2 pax)
seafood stew, tomatoes, garlic, garden herbs

Don’t leave without trying the tomato-based signature seafood stew! Sun-ripped tomatoes flavoured with garlic form the base for all the seafood you can think of – from lobsters, prawns and snapper to scallops, mussels and clams! So hearty and satisfying.

Tagliata Di Manzo Rucola E Grana ($38-56++)
premium beef, capsicum, rocket leaves, parmesan cheese

Fans of beef will not want to miss the grilled beef marinated with extra virgin olive oil and capsicum. Choose either striploin black angus 120 days grain fed, tenderloin hunter valley grain fed or wagyu rib eye 5+. Me, I’ll stick to the pan-fried sole, perfumed with parsley, lemon juice and that all-important ingredient – butter, of course!

Sogliola al Limone ($38++)
sole, butter, asparagus

I’ve always enjoyed Waterfall’s take on the classic tiramisu and it didn’t disappoint. Another traditional dessert is the torta caprese, a safe but decadent chocolate cake named for and originating from the beautiful island of Capri.

Tiramisu ($15++)
coffee infused sponge, mascarpone cream

If I can only have one dessert (worst nightmare ever!), it will be the freshly made zabaione – light whipped custard primarily made with egg yolks, sugar, and interestingly spiked with sweet moscato and intense espresso!

Zabaione All’Espresso ($14++)
zabaione, moscato, espresso

My thanks to Cheryl, Joleena and Josephine for hosting dinner!

Waterfall Ristorante Italiano
Garden Wing, Level One, Shangri-La Hotel
22 Orange Grove Road
6213 4138

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Breakfast at Jamie’s

We’ve been to Jamie’s Italian numerous times but it’s always for dinner; so glad that we finally made it for breakfast! I love how bright the whole restaurant looks in the day, and it suits our happy mood perfectly on a Saturday! Jamie’s has started serving breakfast on the weekends, and I mean breakfast literally – it ends at 11.30am so definitely does not qualify as lazy brunch which begins after noon.

The comprehensive menu is broken down into pan-cooked breakfast (naked chef style!), butties (all served in seeded buns with ketchup), toast/cereal/sweets (think freshly baked breads, granola and american-style berry or bacon and banana pancakes), kids’ breakfast (smaller portions of selected items from the “adult” menu) and beverages from the usual coffee/tea and juices/smoothies to brekkie cocktails! Never too early for a glass (or two) of prosecco, mimosa or bloody mary, aye?

Brilliant Berry Breakfast ($9++)
mixed berry compote, smashed toasted nuts, artisanal yoghurt, honey

I totally dig the creamy artisanal yoghurt topped with tart berry compote and sweet honey (supposed to have nuts too but they were missing hmm), beautiful and my kind of healthy breakfast any day! Speaking of which, I’ve been solely eating fruits for breakfast for the past decade (and counting) so the plate of mango, kiwi, banana and strawberry was another dish right up my alley. Pricey tag aside, I like how the simple fruits were jazzed up with a touch of zesty and crumbly lemon ricotta!

Breakfast Fruit Plate ($15.50++)
freshly cut fruit, lemon ricotta, berries, honey

No doubt, my favourite was one of Jamie’s classics – smashed ripe avocado set on a crisp toasted ciabatta! Too few places in Singapore do smashed avocado right. Jamie’s take is rather special; rich and buttery avocado that’s a little spicy and has the distinct vinegar tang from Worcestershire sauce, lovely!

Smashed Spicy Avocado ($12.50++)
toasted ciabatta, vine-roasted cherry tomatoes, worcestershire sauce

The other classic of scrambled eggs and salmon didn’t fare as well. Eggs were not bad, but the supposedly gently poached salmon was overcooked…

Scrambled Eggs & Salmon ($15.50++)
freedom range eggs, poached Norwegian salmon, toasted ciabatta

Last but not least, breakfast is not breakfast without the big breakfast! I think this is the most value-for-money dish – there’s so much going on in a pan! Almost 10 different components (you get your meat and veggies) and despite the amount of food on our table, K single-handedly polished this off! If that’s not the highest compliment, I don’t know what is.

The Works ($19.50++)
toulouse sausage, pork & honey sausage, outdoor-reared streaky bacon, choice of freedom range egg, vine-roasted cherry tomatoes, homemade baked beans, garlic & thyme oven-roasted portobello mushroom, spinach, toast

Special thanks to Stef for arranging breakfast!

Jamie’s Italian
#01-165/167, VivoCity
1 HarbourFront Walk
6733 5500

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Pete’s Place

Pete’s Place may well be the oldest Italian restaurant in Singapore but the stalwart is certainly not resting on his laurels. With Chef Andrea Bontempi helming the kitchen, the a la carte menu has recently been revamped yay.

Newly introduced under the antipasti section is a classic salad dish featuring a pocket of fresh burrata cheese set on top of an eggplant caponata and lightly drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar. I also tried the appetising “panzanella di granchio” – a refreshing mixture of blue swimmer crabmeat, celery, crostini, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, onion, fennel and yoghurt sauce. Both appetizers were light and clean-tasting, and I was all ready for the heavier mains to come!

Burrata e Caponata ($22++)

The variety of freshly made pasta dishes on the new menu offers choices ranging from squid ink linguine with seared sustainable prawns and calamari to mushroom crepes with parmesan and pumpkin sauce. However, I’ll always be a stuffed-pasta-type-of-girl so naturally, the lobster ravioli caught my attention. Filled with meaty lobster and burrata cheese, the large “dumplings” were flavorful (thanks to the saffron zucchini sauce) but a tad too salty.

Ravioli Astice ($36++)

Pete’s Place’s philosophy is to provide tasty and hearty Italian cuisine. Nothing proves that more than the “cacciucco alla livornese”, a seafood stew popular with Italian fishermen and originating from Livorno, Tuscany. Initially, I thought the portion was rather small for a main course but oh boy, the bowl of tomato-based stew seemed magically bottomless – squid, baby octopus, scallop, prawns, barramundi, cod, white bait, mussels and clams kept surfacing! Very fresh seafood and the side of homemade bruschetta made a wonderful sponge for the delectable broth.

Cacciucco alla Livornese ($34++)

Traditional desserts have also been given a refreshing twist with creations such as the “Bonnet Astigiana”, a rich dark Amaretti chocolate pudding with unique pairing of orange blossom and basil cress which I single-handedly finished (because I’m not a fan of panna cotta)! Tiramisu was ordinary – Chef promised a better one on my next visit as this was not made using his recipe. Shall look forward to tiramisu v1.2 then!

Tiramisu ($12++); Bonnet Astigiana ($10++); Vanilla Panna Cotta ($10++)

My thanks to Sandee for arranging dinner!

Pete’s Place
Grand Hyatt Singapore Hotel
10 Scotts Road
6738 1234

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Trattoria Nonna Lina

I’ve no idea where is K gonna take me for dinner on New Year’s Eve but I hope it will be as good a choice as Trattoria Nonna Lina! Available till 31st December and in the spirit of year-end camaraderie, this authentic Italian restaurant with a homey ambiance and friendly service is offering a specially crafted sharing menu of 5 appetizers, 3 mains and 2 desserts ($168++ per pax). Yippee, that’s a lot of food!

The New Year Menu starts off with a refreshing octopus salad, seasonal Canadian oysters with lemon dressing, classic smoked salmon crostini, homemade seafood ragu on toasted homemade bread and a lobster bisque, which is a traditional Tuscan seafood recipe popular with New Year’s celebrations.

Insalata di Polpo
a tuscan seaside recipe featuring tender morsels of slow-cooked octopus

Have you noticed that there’s no meat so far? According to owner-chef Simone, a native of Porto Santo Stefano in Tuscany, people over there feast on meat during Christmas (carnivores rejoice!) and then it’s an all seafood diet when New Year comes around (pescetarians rejoice!) so basically, Xmas = meat, New Year = seafood, haha.

Crostini al Salmone
premium norwegian ocean-caught salmon on toasted homemade bread

I was initially worried that ordering another octopus starter off the a la carte menu would be an overkill since we already had the octopus salad. Luckily we didn’t cancel! The tender baby octopus absorbed the earthy flavour of the porcini mushrooms and it was an explosion of umami! I’ve been convinced that no chewy and rubbery octopus will come out of Chef’s kitchen!

Polpetti e Porcini ($25++)
baby octopus and porcini mushrooms in prosecco reduction

K can’t live without his meat so the fresh beef carpaccio perfumed with truffle oil was all his to savour. This is an ideal dish to share as the generous portion can easily feed 3-4 pax.

Carpaccio di Manzo con Porcini ($24++)
fine slices of raw beef with truffle oil and porcini mushroom dressing

Back to the New Year Menu (hope I’m not confusing you lol). Mains include gnocchi (made with minimal flour) cooked with clams, Italian “snowball” and cacciucco, Nonna Lina’s popular Tuscan style seafood stew featuring assorted seafood slow-cooked in thick broth and served with homemade bread.

Gnochetti Vongole e Chardonnay
traditional homemade potato dumplings with clams in a chardonnay reduction

What stole my heart was the plate of “snowball” – so-called because Chef formed a unique medley of seafood, herbs, and ricotta cheese into the shape of a “snowball”. Texture was crumbly soft and the taste was surprisingly not too cheesy. Amazing stuff, I’ve never had anything quite like it before!

Palle di Neve
an exclusive secret family recipe and drizzled with fish ragu

The pan fried cod fish from the a la carte menu sounded something I’d like and bingo! Although the sauce smothering the fish was very creamy and heavy, it was a wonderful pairing with the naturally oily and silky cod.

Merluzzo della Nonna ($40++)
pan fried cod with pine nuts in lemon sauce reduction

While I had my cod to make me happy, K had his dream dish – a mix grill of beef, lamb and sausages with baked potatoes. Good quality meat and expert cooking by Chef left K with nothing but praises.

Grigliata di Terra ($48++)
tenderloin, lamb rack, Italian sausages marinated in barolo wine over 36 hours

After a taste of the homemade chocolate and rum pudding, I totally understand why is this a house favourite! We were floored. Stunned. Speechless. It was too good, very smooth, insanely rich, potently alcoholic, and words are inadequate. K said this is one of the top 3 desserts of 2014 (I haven’t decide what’s the other two heh) and I have to agree. Of course it has to be a part of the New Year Menu!

Bonet Argentarino ($16++)
traditional italian chocolate and rum pudding with homemade caramel sauce (contains alcohol)

Can’t end an Italian meal without tiramisu! Nice but nothing as memorable as the chocolate and rum pudding… Which I’m craving for now!

Homemade Tiramisu ($12++)

My thanks to Valerie and Chef Simone for hosting dinner!

Trattoria Nonna Lina
61 Cantonment Road
6222 0930

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Jamie’s Italian Christmas Feast

With the festive season around the corner, December is definitely a month for pigging out! I’ve already made plans for Christmas but if you have not, do check out the Jamie’s Italian Christmas Feast at Jamie’s Italian. Available all day everyday till December 25, the 3-course menu ($68++ per person) even includes a glass of pink bubblies (or mocktail) and festive minced pies thrown in the mix! I think it’s pretty perfect for anything from office parties to family gatherings.

Although I’ve been to Jamie’s quite a few times, somehow I’ve never tried their famous antipasti planks before! The planks on the a la carte menu are broken down into “meat”, “fish” and “vegetables” but for the Christmas menu, you get a mixture of each. I was initially worried that the cold cuts and cure meat would get too salty but K finished all of them single-handedly, well done!

Our Famous Antipasti Plank
pistachio mortadella, bresaola, hot soppressata, buffalo mozzarella, pecorino cheese, snappy cracker bread, olives, pickles, grilled & marinated vegetables, grissini, homemade focaccia, beetroot-cured salmon on ice with pickled cucumber & crème fraîche

Foodie being foodie, I couldn’t help but order something new from the regular menu. The crispy soft shell crab was an absolute winner! Okie, I do have a bias towards anything soft shell crab but this was honestly delicious and far from greasy. The bed of salad was spicy from the chilli, creamy from the smashed avocado, and tangy from the yuzu lime dressing. Love this!

Crispy Soft Shell Crab ($12.50++)
crab with chilli, fennel, sea lettuce & smashed avocado with yuzu lime

The Christmas menu offers four different choices for the main course and I reckon the sirloin steak will be the most popular item. A generous slab of medium rare (to me, that’s bloody enough) beef with shaved truffles and chicken pate crostini, this is bound to satisfy any carnivorous craving. The other meat item is the slow-cooked duck leg marinated with juniper and bay, served with smashed celeriac, spiced Asian plums and pomegranate molasses. We didn’t try that but it sure sounds good too, eh?

35-Day-Aged Angus Sirloin
served medium rare with chicken liver crostini, shaved black truffle & crispy sage

My seafood main course was the yellowfin tuna, served chilled and tasted very light, healthy and not too exciting. If not for the chilli flakes, this would have been a rather bland dish.

Sustainable Yellowfin Tuna
served rare with rocket, green beans, chilli, mint, lemon & creamy mustard dressing

I learn something new about pasta on every visit to Jamie’s. The baked rotolo (which is the only vegetarian main course for the Christmas menu) is definitely not commonly seen elsewhere – it is akin to a cannelloni or maybe a round lasagne? Stuffed with potato, pumpkin, ricotta and spinach, this was very hearty and filling. And may I add, a carbo-loader too haha.

Baked Rotolo
filled with truffled potato, pumpkin, creamy ricotta & spinach, baked with a Sicilian-style tomato sauce & Bella Lodi cheese

All the main courses will be served with terra cotta-roasted root vegetables and the signature polenta chips. I found myself fishing for the roasted pumpkin, so sweet and soft!

The menu starts and ends with a plank – my favourite epic brownie and tiramisu (both are still so delightfully delectable!), panna cotta (not a fan but K loves it as the texture reminded him of “tau huey” haha), and a towering slice of lemon meringue cheesecake, a new addition to the normal dessert menu. Coffee or tea is part of the set menu, as well as dried fruit pies!

Dessert Plank
epic brownie (amaretti ice cream & caramel popcorn), lemon meringue cheesecake (with lemon curd & blackcurrants), creamy panna cotta (with fruit compote), gennaro’s tiramisu (with orange-flavoured mascarpone)

And because it’s Christmas, there is a Vespa lucky draw going on now. Guests get a chance to win a handsome Montebianco White LX150 complete with COE, worth more than $11,000, just by spending $50 nett at Jamie’s Italian. I spotted a lot (really a lot!) of receipts in the box by the front door so good luck to you!

Thank you Stef for arranging dinner!

Jamie’s Italian
#01-165/167, VivoCity
1 HarbourFront Walk
6733 5500

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Pontini Italian Buffet

Pontini, the long-standing Italian restaurant at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, has unveiled a brand new Italian buffet featuring a plethora of antipasti, breads, soup, main courses and desserts from various regions in Italy. Priced at $48++ for adult and $24++ for child on Saturdays and public holidays from noon to 3pm, I thought that it was very value for money, especially for the quality (rather than quantity, which is rare for buffets).

I found myself heading back to the antipasti corner again and again – wholesome baked butternut squash, crab meat and black truffle tapenade; juicy grilled Portobello mushrooms with sweet chilli and arugula salad; Tuscany-style marinated octopus, chickpeas and green asparagus salad; assorted Italian cold cuts served with candied fruit mustard, sweet onion chutney and grain mustard (I made the rounds for K too!); and the crisp, leafy radicchio, pear, Gorgonzola cheese salad tossed with aged balsamic vinegar etc.

Pastas are whipped up a la minute at the live station by the team of chefs. You can DIY your pasta – choice of pasta (tagliolini, penne, tagliatelle) and preparation methods (aglio olio, tomato basil fondue, “Roman” style carbonara, wild mushroom with pancetta and pine nuts, “Genovese” style basil pesto sauce). Mine was given a luxurious touch because I was really lucky to “bump” into both black and white whole truffles! Freshly shaved truffles onto our plates of carbonara and mushroom tagliatelle upped the delicious scale by several notches!

Main courses were kept to a minimal – Piedmont-style braised beef brisket and potato fondant in herb gravy; sauteed live mussels in crustacean saffron broth and broccoli floret; chicken thigh “Diavola” paired with spicy capsicum tomato sauce and dried oregano. My favourite was no doubt the oven-baked Norwegian salmon mignon in pistachio crust. I love that it was not overcooked despite sitting in the warming tray and the delicately nutty and crunchy crust provided a delightful contrast to the tender flesh!

A finale for an Italian meal cannot be without desserts right?! The ensemble of mini tiramisu, zesty lemon tart, vanilla panna cotta, pistachio almond biscotti and stracciatella ricotta cannoli prepared deftly at the live station left us completely satiated. I usually left buffets feeling overstuffed but not this time! Everything was just right 🙂

Our thanks to Jennifer and Shawn for the kind invitation!

Pontini Italian Buffet
Level 2, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
392 Havelock Road
Singapore 169663
6233 1100

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