Peperoni Pizzeria

three words: 21-inch pizza. :O:O:O this has to be the most gigantic pizza i've ever seen and eaten, and it is a.m.a.z.i.n.g. i've seen so many pictures of this pizza and i've been wanting to try it since forever. (i say that pretty often huh?). and i believe this is probably one of the best and most value-for-money pizzas for a bunch of friends. this ginormous delight cost $50nett (no GST & service charge here!), and it feeds 4-6 pax, which means each person pays max $12.50 for this? super worth it. and it was so good!

hehe look how awesomely huge it was!!! :O for a pizza of this size, we were allowed to pick two flavours from the menu, and even then, it wasn't an easy choice! there were many that sounded very interesting, and i have to say that this restaurant does stay quite true to the italian pizza roots. the flavours are mostly cold cuts, but it's thankfully still better than italy with flavours that include real salmon (rather than smoked) and the singaporean classic favourite: Hawaiian. we didn't go for the hawaiian this time though! (: a unanimous choice was the Pancetta, which was simply alluring with the gorgeous sunny-side up egg in the picture. our massive pizza came with not just one, but TWO wobbly sunny side up yolks and i pounced on one of them with excitement :p the other flavour we chose was Salmone, which came with a pretty generous portion of salmon cubes and capers (again, a reminder of italy ^^). while we loved the Pancetta flavour, it was admittedly a tad too salty due to the cured bacon. i was glad for the tomatoes that helped to balance it out a little, but it was still too much for me. i preferred the half with the salmon which had a comparatively pared down salt-content, but was no less tasty. the thin crust totally appealed to me, and i found myself picking the pieces along the sides for their satisfying crunch. the fact that it was a thin crust pizza also helped us in devouring the pizza pretty easily amongst the five (or six) of us. this was certainly an experience and i definitely wouldn't mind coming back to try out more flavours!

Peperoni Pizzeria

Suntec City B1-130

Tel.: +65 6884 7737
Daily 11.30am-9.30pm (Closed on certain PH, call to check)

La Ristrettos

omg guess what!!!! :D i found my cioccolata calda in singaporeeeee ~ haha so happy! thought i'll never get to drink it again after leaving italy :( now i know where to get my cioccolata fix ;) hehe. la ristrettos is a really nice hidden find, tucked away amidst the maze of medical suites in novena medical centre. if not for the small lunch crowd, i would think that place is normally really really quiet and peaceful (: just look out the window and you'll see nothing but greenery, and more people just chillin'. nice ;) the perfect place for some me-time which i'd really needed during that period. 

i think this is an italian-inspired cafe, not just because of the chocolate, but because lots of things on the menu are in their italian names :) quite nostalgic actually. haha. 'ristretto' actually means 'restrained' or something like that, which means that you get an even more POWERFUL espresso shot, as it has less water in it. i'm not a coffee person, so i didn't try their espresso. but i wonder whether it could be anything like the super gao italian espresso sam enjoyed so much.

i would say that their cioccolata calda ($6.50) was pretty well done! ^^ definitely has the thickness and creaminess similar to the italian version ;) the only thing was that it was rather erm..lumpy? haha not that it diminished my experience of drinking it. it was actually quite nice to melt the chocolate lumps in my mouth :p just wondering whether it was because they didn't stir it properly or what. #kaopeh haha :P

i really like their options for all-day breakfast here! definitely one of the most original i've seen so far. getting a teeny bit bored of the normal full breakfasts and eggs benny (even though i still love it!!) that i'm seeing in every single brunch menu around. the menu here though, has none of those, and therefore appeals to me much more at this time ;) it's the kind of menu you'd probably find in italy (though this would probably be more like a lunch menu in italy, rather than breakfast), consisting mostly of sandwiches. BUT way better than italy ;) why? because there is real meat in it!!!!! score :D i loved my tostino e arrosto ($10) which was a toasted sourdough spread with garlic olive oil (which made the bread superrr tasty!), spinach, roast chicken breast, cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese. the flavours of the spinach and cherry tomatoes were lovely, and they enhanced the mild taste of the chicken breast significantly when eaten together. the texture of the chicken was not too shabby, at least it wasn't overly dry, despite being roasted. wish there was more ricotta because it was merely a tiny dollop and i couldn't really taste it :/ sadly, a blooper came in the form of the salad! it was...sad to say, disgusting. ironically one of my friends said it was one of the best she'd ever eaten. maybe they didn't wash it for me :( it tasted really strongly of pesticide. which is awful. but i didn't touch it after a few mouths and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my sandwich (: 

overall, a very nice place to chill, with a very calm, zen-like feel. and i would come back for my italian hot chocolate ;) 

La Ristrettos

10 Sinaran Drive, Novena Medical Centre #08-37

Tel.: +65 6397 7165

Mon-Fri 8am-6pm

Sat 8am-1pm

Reminisce

i was just going through my photos to find the pizza place we first ate in Castellanza. and it suddenly just brought back a whole slew of images of this place. it's been only about a month since i've got back to singapore, and it already feels like the past half a year is somewhat like a distant memory. something i'll look back on fondly, knowing that i'll never have another experience like this again (or maybe i will...haha if i dream enough :p).

i realised i didn't post many pictures of life in castellanza. probably because it was just way too boring there. haha after the first two weeks we kinda figured there was really no point staying too long in this town, nor Milan, because either of these places had nothing much of value really. but i do miss those days, when life was really about just planning the next trip :p in between lessons, during lessons and after lessons haha. yep, that was my life for 4 months :P and i really enjoyed doing this. from being a complete noob at the start, i think i became quite good at it towards the end ;) and i did feel a sense of accomplishment planning our final italy trip! ;) 

haha we really didn't take a lot of pics actually. because *AHEM* sam doesn't like to take photos -.- something we are probably going to disagree on forever :P haha. these pics were in our first week or so in italy! (: when i was still relatively slim then... -.- haha. our first taste of limoncello, which we immediately concluded that it tastes disgusting! like drinking lozenges O.o 

i always have mildly retarded expressions on my face...trying to look greedy but #fail.

and now this is one greedy boy :P

heehee. this is our favourite pizza place! okay i know i said that Pizzeria Mondello has the best pizzas, but this was the shop that we patronized so often ^^ more for the kebabs though! because it is the most balanced meal we could get. LOVED the kebabs, although im sure there are better ones everywhere else in europe (this seems to be their kind of fast food! which i like way more than macs actually :D). and we went there so often, usually before and after every single trip haha, that the staff could recognise us ;) guess it's quite interesting to be a minority and stand out in the crowd for once! ^^ unfortunately i can't remember the name of this place, but it's the ONLY kebab shop in castellanza and it's right next to school, soooo i'm sure it's easy to find ;) this town is not big at all :) 

Napoli - Pompeii & Capri (Part I)

gosh, gotta start somewhere with this backlog of posts! haha. all the way from easter i haven't blogged here at all :p i've got south of france, vienna, switzerland and italy! shall work backwards and do italy first while it's fresh in my mind (: will try not to procrastinate!

our first stop in italy was Naples, where we took an overnight train there. *warning: not a good idea to do this if you're in italy cos the trains suck. unless you can get the couchette seats (which are MAYBE better, but don't take my word for it because i didn't try them), but you need a group of exactly 4 people to book it. reached in the morning and went off to Pompeii immediately after checking into our hostel! didn't really have much time to explore Naples itself actually, but i've got some shots here to share with you (: anyways, be really careful in Naples! we just had the feeling like we were going to be robbed anytime >.< although we didnt, but ALWAYS be careful.

What to see in Naples

Centro Storico is probably one of the prettiest squares you can find in Naples. apparently Naples is more of a roman city than Rome (i have no idea why), but that's why it had two structures like these which is a cross between st peter's basilica & the pantheon (pics of the real thing will be coming up real soon in my Rome post! ^^)

Castel Nuovo is a huge castle just along the coast where you board the ferry to Capri (: we walked past it and couldn't resist a picture! you can go in too, but seems like reviews on tripadvisor weren't great, so it's up to you! anyway, i really didn't spend that much time in Naples itself because i was so busy travelling out, but i do think that places like Capri and Amalfi Coast were wayyyyy nicer :D

of course, Pompeii is a must visit when you go to Naples. at least go there for a look because of its significance!

My advice: get a walking tour or at least an audioguide for Pompeii! i didn't really enjoy my trip there much because we didn't get either and it was a real pity because i think there is a lot of history behind these ruins, which would be much better explained through a guide. we ended up trying to guess what the ruins were about, just to amuse ourselves. but after awhile, it's just ruins, ruins and more ruins. if you're really interested in these kind of things though, and you have some sort of a guide with you, it is possible to spend the entire day there because the place is HUGE! for a whole day trip, you can also check out Mount Vesuvius, which is the volcano that erupted and destroyed Pompeii, along with Ercolano, which is a Roman city that is even more well-preserved than Pompeii (: remember to bring lots of water and sunblock!! not kidding, it's super hot there!

Getting to Pompeii: take the train, Stazione Circumvesuviana, at Napoli Centrale station. the journey costs €2.80 and takes approximately 35min.

Capri

and now...for my favourite part of this leg of the trip ^^ CAPRI :)))))) the moment i stepped off the ferry into this sparkling blue paradise, i was just squealing in delight and instagramming like crazy! hahaha. the amazing weather just totally accentuated the beauty of this place, and i'm so thankful for the sun for the most part of my trip :') (the weather forecast was terrible, but thank goodness the skies held up pretty well!)

Capri is pretty small, with quite a bit of climbing involved, so wear good walking shoes! there are furniculars which bring you up from the Marina Grande port to the central area of Capri (€1.80) so that it's easier to get around. trust me, there is more climbing from there, so it is a pretty good idea to take the furnicular up. i didn't want to initially, but after that i decided it was the right decision haha.

we had lunch at Port Marina Grande, at a random restaurant called Ristorante Da Peppino (: not too shabby! although the portions were a little small, but i guess for Capri, it was quite reasonably priced. Piazza Umberto, the central area of Capri, is known to be expensive! anyway, when you're in Capri, you've got to try their specialty insalata Caprese ^^ mine at this restaurant was €9 and sam's seafood pasta cost just €10! (that was their main selling point - the €10 seafood pasta haha everyone was ordering it). caprese cheese is a mix between ricotta and mozzarella cheese ^^ love it!

Capri is expensive to get to (more about that later), and all the attractions have a small fee. but it's pretty affordable for the attractions, so don't worry about it (: plenty of free panoramic areas for you to visit too! our first stop was Giadini di Augusto, a pretty garden (€1) with a breath-taking view of Isole Faraglioni :')))) this is the MOST BEAUTIFUL place in Capri and you have to go there!!!! one of the most easily accessible places and the entry fee is peanuts, so please visit it! (: you might think it's just three limestone pinnacles sticking out of the water but i guarantee you the photos will be totally worth it hehe ^^

see!!!!! ♥.♥ i love this place hehe

you can walk down this winding path from the gardens for a nice view of the coast again (: but we didn't walk there haha.

we trekked all the way up to the north-eastern point of Capri for Villa Jovis (the walk is crazyyyyy long. and there is no other way to get up there. seriously testing your patience & perseverance -.-) but were kinda disappointed upon finding that it was ruins. at least i was. haha i really thought i'll find a pretty villa!!!! -.- it's supposed to be the largest and most magnificent one. oh well. haha. i would say, save the €2 and all the walking and visit other places. there are plenty of places to go by walking and do try to get to Capri early so that you can visit as many places as you can! (: each place takes 30-45min to get to so yeahhh, it takes awhile.

we intended to visit Grotto Azzura which is supposed to be the biggest sea cave in Capri! (: it sounds like a beautiful place :) but expensive to go to! :/ especially considering how much you already have to pay to get to Capri. but i guess since you're there already, might as well go right? haha. i didn't, but i think it's definitely a nice place to go! the easiest way to visit is to take one of the tours from Port Marina Grande (where you alight from the ferry from Naples).

How to get to Capri 

Check out this website for the ferry schedule: http://www.capri.com/en/ferry-schedule. the prices vary quite a bit from hour to hour (depending on the type of ferry/hydrofoil and its speed).

will continue about food in the next post! (:

Zafferano

Presentation plays an important role in the value that Zafferano brings to its customers. From the layout and décor of the restaurant, to the stunning 360-degree sights and the plating of each dish, Zafferano impresses with its detail in presenting the best to you.

The server places a breadbasket in front of you, and immediately, you will be spoilt for choice with the options provided. Choose from five varieties, from soft and fluffy ones to thin, crisp, pizza breads.

It’s great to start with something light, and we recommend the Capesante – a carpaccio of Hokkaido scallops – that has to be the prettiest appetizer ever! Arranged in the shape of a flower with the petals being the thin slivers of carpaccio, it is a feast for the eyes. The presence of orange piths counters the rawness of the scallops and whets the palate.

When there is a good harvest of summer truffles, like the season that has just passed, you do not want to miss the Risotto Zafferano. This saffron-flavoured risotto is mouth-wateringly fragrant with the earthy scent of truffles. Creamy and cheesy without being too overwhelming, it is nice to note that the slightly crunchy grains add a bit of bite to this dish, which makes it a pleasure to eat. A quail leg confit sits atop the risotto and is also delicious, with the aroma of being slow-cooked in its fats. Dig further into the risotto for bits of treasure in the form of foie gras, and this is definitely one decadent dish that Zafferano is famous for.

Another must-try from the mains is the Guancia. The wagyu beef cheek comes in a generously portioned slab, and is slow-cooked till it is absolutely tender such that it can be sliced easily with a knife and nearly melts in your mouth. It is cooked in a delightful Chianti red wine sauce that resembles a homely stew and hits all the right notes in terms of flavour and texture.

For desserts, the Cioccolato fondente is an absolute winner. A lovely chocolate fondant with a soft fluffy exterior that gives way to a molten lava river, this will send you to chocolate heaven in an instant. It comes with a zesty raspberry sorbet that is refreshing and balances the chocolate beautifully.

The selection of desserts is highly exciting and if you don’t know where to start, we suggest you order the dolci assortiti, which is a selection of the restaurant’s best desserts in bite sizes – something you can never go wrong with. Zafferano’s crème brulee comes with a little twist – a dollop of prune on the top of the vanilla crème lends a tinge of sourness to counter the potential overwhelming sweetness of the dessert. The Sigari di cioccolato is really interesting! A delicate cocoa cigar shell filled with Amedei black chocolate 70% mousse, it combines crisp and frothy textures in one, a juxtaposition in itself.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Zafferano

Ocean Financial Centre Level 43

Tel.: +65 6509 1488

Mon-Wed 12pm-12mn

Thu 12pm-2am

Fri 12pm-3am

Sat 5pm-3am

La Nonna

Stepping into La Nonna is like entering a traditional Italian home, where you are welcomed into the open arms of a team of friendly wait-staff, amidst a delightfully warm, cosy atmosphere. From the huge stove where your wood-fired pizzas are prepared, to the chalkboard list of specials served by the restaurant, you feel instantly hyped up for your meal ahead. La Nonna has so many favourites among its regulars that it is impossible to have all the dishes listed on the menu. Instead, to keep the menu fresh, it is updated every 6 weeks, so that customers will always have something new to try, and signature dishes are then proudly displayed on a huge chalkboard, and can be ordered to evoke some sentimental memories. All the dishes recommended in this article are the restaurant’s best sellers, which have been around since its inception.

The Mozzarella E Parma is a great appetizer to start with. Amazingly fragrant, slightly chewy mozzarella is encased within streaks of 18-month aged Parma ham. This sits on a bed of fresh salad that is laced with a delicate amount of balsamic vinegar reduction, which is absolutely heavenly! This perfectly exemplifies the adage ‘old is gold’, where matured balsamic vinegar is patiently boiled till approximately one third of its volume, and the result is a concentrated, sweet-sour sauce that goes beautifully well with the vegetables.

Also, check out the Baby Spinach salad, which you would enjoy for its refreshing, light feel, despite the hefty portion. A variety of tastes comprise this dish: the savoury smoked duck breast atop it complements the natural flavour of the greens, cherry tomatoes lend a touch of sweetness, while shreds of shaved parmesan cheese add a sharp tang to spice up the dish.

You have got to try the La Nonna pizza! Simply the fact that this restaurant’s namesake is part of its name says something about its significance. It is probably the only pizza in Singapore that is made with an inimitable black truffle sauce, made in-house, and the aroma it imparts to the pizza is delicious. A subtle whiff of its smell hints at its essence, and it starts off understated, but slowly spreads and engulfs your olfactory senses and taste buds. The stalk of asparagus blends with well with the sauce, providing a contrast in terms of flavour and texture, but doesn’t overpower the dish’s highlight, which is the truffle. You will also love the runny sunny side up egg yolk in the centre of the pizza.

For the mains, we recommend the pan-fried cod fillet with mash potatoes, sautéed spinach and balsamic reduction. This is one of the dishes that has been removed from the revamped menu, but is retained on the chalkboard with signature dishes. The codfish is shipped fresh from New Zealand, and proudly declared to be saltwater codfish, which is proclaimed to be tastier than the varieties from freshwater lakes. The fish has a pleasant, firm texture with a crisp skin. But it’s the sides that stand out even more! You will love the mashed potato for its buttery flavour, and the spinach is boiled till it is soft, drenched with olive oil and scattered with bits of garlic. Simply wonderful!

And for dessert, you have to try the Lemon Tart! A delicious crust, a robust lemony zest, and the fact that it is served warm is a plus! Probably one of the best lemon tarts you can get!

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

La Nonna

76 Namly Place

Tel.: +65 6762 1587

Daily 12pm-2pm

6pm-10.30pm

Alfresco Gusto

Choose from either the bustling alfresco Italian dining atmosphere outdoors, or snuggle in the cosy comfort of the gelataria indoors. Alfresco Gusto whips up a range of dishes covering all aspects of Italian cuisine – from the antipasti to the pastas, pizzas, gnocchi, mains and desserts, not forgetting the delectable gelato that simply begs for you to eat it.

The mushroom ragout is a good option to begin your meal with. Bathed in a delicious cream and white wine sauce, the mushrooms have a wonderfully deep robust taste that pairs well with the accompanying garlic crostini.

The tuna salad is one of Alfresco Gusto’s popular dishes, and we highly recommend it as a starter as well.  It is extremely refreshing, with the mesclun and cherry tomatoes. Cubes of feta cheese and olives add a burst of flavour to the leafy greeens, and the chunky pieces of seared tuna are an absolute delight! A contrast in itself with its crunchy raw section with flaky seared meat on the outside, the generous portion lends an additional dimension to the salad.

The prawn linguine is drenched in an aromatic lobster bisque that envelopes you the moment you spoon it into your mouth. The broth is potently rich, evidence of the chef’s attention to detail in bringing out the essence of the dish. The pasta is tossed with succulent tiger prawns that are so bouncy and fresh, and abundant in portion, you will absolutely relish them.

We also recommend the pizza meatball – huge beef meatballs, nicely minced, propped on a thin crispy pizza crust, with mozzarella cheese caresses the pizza and meat, and hits all the right notes.

For desserts, the chocolate fondant is a favourite. Pierce into the crusty exterior of the chocolate cake, and a velvety molten chocolate sauce oozes out with elegance. You will love the pairing with the icy cold milky gelato that comes with it, for a juxtaposition of taste, temperatures and textures.

For a lighter option for dessert, try the pear tart tartin, which is a caramelized pear tart. The pear is soothing in its boiled state and complements the crisp pastry nicely.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Alfresco Gusto

ION Orchard #01-15

Tel.: +65 6509 9380

Sun-Tue 11am-12am

Wed & Thu 11am-1am

Fri & Sat 11am-2am

Etna Duxton

With 80%-85% of the ingredients freshly flown in from Italy, you can be sure that the seafood served at Etna is of the utmost quality. Together with meats sourced from Australia and the United States, Etna promises to dish out cuisine of the highest standards and takes pride in the perfection of every course. The specialties here include its seafood, which is fresh from the Mediterranean sea, and as they are proud to say ‘more flavourful than the seafood you can find anywhere else’.

One thing you’ll notice about the list of appetizers is that many of them have cheese in it. And why not, when there are so many varieties, all with their unique characteristics that enhance the various elements of each dish. Take the Boccocini di Asiago e Prosciutto for instance. The Asiago cheese is melted slightly, such it becomes delightfully soft and fluffy. While the savoury taste of the Parma ham is a tad overwhelming, it sharpens your taste buds, allowing you to discern the various textures of the smooth creamy cheese, streaky slices of ham and the crisp bread. You will absolutely adore the mushrooms, which are so juicy, the earthy aromas completely envelop you once you bite into them. Also try the cherry tomatoes on the side! They are stunningly delicious – a touch of sour, followed by a burst of sweet syrupy juices. A simple ingredient that instantly brightens up the whole dish.

For the mains, you should definitely try some of the seafood. The seabass comes highly recommended, and it’s very worth its value as well! A hefty 400g slab of fish, massive by any standards, grilled to tender perfection, and served in its full glory with a simple garnishing of garlic. You can opt for the chef to de-bone it for you thereafter, so that you can eat it easily without the bones getting in the way. The fish is extremely fresh, cooked with lemon and thyme stuffed beneath the skin such that the zest and herbs are fully absorbed during the process.

Finally, desserts. It’s almost impossible to choose because everything sounds so tempting. But we’d highly recommend that you try these two – the panna cotta and tiramisu. The presentation of the panna cotta is already a feast in itself with its lovely three-layers served in a cocktail glass. The top layer is a mango puree, followed by the vanilla panna cotta. Etna’s version is creamer than what you would find in other restaurants, as they use less gelatine in creating it. This is finished off with a layer of tangy-sweet mixed berries at the bottom. The way to eat it? Scoop all three layers right fro the bottom and pop it into your mouth to savour the flavours together.

Etna’s tiramisu is like no other, with a special ingredient to make it stand out from the rest – pistachio cream, and a layer of pistachio nuts on top. We completely adore it! The pistachio’s nutty essence complements the coffee perfectly and produces a well-balanced, light, wonderful dessert to end your meal.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Etna Duxton

50 Duxton Road

Tel.: +65 6220 5513

Mon-Sun 12pm-2.30pm

6.30pm-10.30pm

Noti Restaurant & Bar

Stepping into Noti is much like entering a little Italy. Canvas photographs of the charming back alleys of Italy adorn the walls, framed by the soft lighting that glows above them. A magnificent photograph of a 600-tree olive garden in Otranto, Puglia catches your attention from the far end of the restaurant. It is the extra virgin oil from this olive garden, produced by the Rossetti family that adds a special touch to virtually every dish in this restaurant.

For starters, Toni will definitely encourage you to try their specialty deep fried risotto balls ($8). Sounds like something different, why not give it a shot? In fact, the appetizers at Noti set a high bar for further expectations with the precise execution in which they are delivered. Do not be shy in asking for recommendations. As with most Italian restaurants, the hosts here are naturally talented in making you feel completely at ease and are always excited to share their suggestions with you. The deep fried risotto balls are a juxtaposition of textures – with soft fluffy rice encased within a lightly breaded exterior. They come piping hot so do be careful! Although there are definitely worth getting a burnt tongue, for they are delightful! The fresh mozzarella oozes out, making the rice slightly moist, and the streaks of ham in the centre of the ball are a wonderful surprise.

Also try the tasty spicy calamari fritti with lemon mayo ($9). This has a lovely light crust, almost as if done tempura-style. The calamari is springy, and we love how the lemon adds a zing to perk up Noti’s rendition of this dish.

Some of the dishes at Noti are actually based on recipes from Toni’s mother! You can be sure that these are true-blue Italian dishes that embody the essence of the South Italian cuisine. The freshly made pasta with mama’s meat ragout ($22) for instance, is a homely dish that is simple food for the soul.

Alternatively, another pasta dish that we recommend would be the crabmeat linguine with fresh tomato sauce ($26). This was beautifully done – the fluffy shreds of crabmeat embellished the al dente linguine, producing a delicious blend of flavours. On top of that, the tomato sauce had a slightly spicy kick, reminiscent of the famous chilli crab, which Singaporeans love.

Save some room for desserts – they all sound so lovely, which makes it difficult to choose from. Annalisa’s homemade espresso tiramisu ($11) has a robust coffee aroma, and chunks of chocolate within provide an interesting element to this signature Italian dessert. We love Mama’s torta di mele ($13), an apple pie that feels healthy, and yet certainly scrumptious; and the crostata ($12)  satisfies chocolate fans with its thick chocolate between two layers of sponge cake.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Noti Restaurant & Bar

54 Club Street

Tel.: +65 6222 0089

Mon-Sat: 11:30am - 3pm

5.30pm - 11pm

Spizza

i've been wanting to come here with a big group of friend so that we could try out more pizzas! :D but in the end although it was a big group of us, they weren't too enthusiastic about the pizzas -.- haha so we only ordered two large ones to share.

the pizzas here have such cute names - they're all named after girls :P we had the katerina ($23 for large) which was tomato, mozzarella, beef carpaccio, rucola salad and shaved parmesan cheese.

and the ursula ($23) that had tomato, mascarpone cheese, spinach, smoked salmon and capers. thumbs up for both pizzas! :D especially the smoked salmon one. we couldnt get enough of it! each one of us only had a small slice. haha i'm really nuts over bread. gonna become fat when i go to italy :O :O

ordered some sides to share as well! the calamari ($12) was crispy and came in quite a generous portion. liked the tomato 'pizzalolo' dip that came with it.

our portobello al forno ($12) looked so burnt!!! haha but it was quite yummy :) tender and oozing with juices, its flavour exploded in our mouths when we popped it in. lovely!

Spizza

29 Club Street

Tel.: +65 6224 2525

Daily 12pm-2.30pm

6pm-10.30pm

Trattoria Nonna Lina

Tuscany is famous for its meat dishes, but additionally, from the hometown of Chef Simone, the fresh seafood plays a significant role in influencing their cuisine. Coming from Porto Santo Stefano, where fishing boats trawl up fresh Mediterranean catch, Chef Simone brings together meat and seafood in whipping up dishes inspired from his beloved grandmother’s kitchen – all homemade and handmade, including the pappardelle and lagsane sheets. Some of these recipes are so exclusive to his hometown that they can’t even be found in other parts of Tuscany. Such is the authenticity and individuality that Chef Simone hopes to bring out in his dishes, providing the accompaniment to his diners enjoying their gathering in typical Italian style.

I was lucky to be one of the first to sample Chef Simone’s bruschetta appetizer. A lovely blend of olive oil with lots of garlic that exuded a delightful aroma, it stirred out taste buds to excite us for the rest of the meal to come.

Carpaccio di Tonno e Spada ($18)

Baby Octopus and Porcini mushrooms in Prosecco reduction ($21)

Calamari ($16)

To assist guests who are too overwhelmed by the menu and have trouble deciding on what to start with, there is the Antipasti Misti ($24/pax, min. two to order), which is a daily selection of three antipasti, to give you a little sampler of what the restaurant offers. We had the Carpaccio di Tonno e Spada – delicately thin slices of semi-raw cured tuna and swordfish with Italian herbs, drizzled with a deliciously refreshing lemon dressing. We highly recommend the Baby Octopus and Porcini mushrooms in Prosecco reduction! Bouncy and oozing with juices, the octopus impresses with its texture and flavour, and the porcini mushrooms adds a beautiful earthy flavour to the sauce that further enhances its taste. A favourite on the menu is the calamari, which comes piping hot, crisp with a pleasantly light batter.

For the mains, pasta is the restaurant’s forte, and our server had wonderful things to recommend for nearly every dish. We had the Pappardelle al Ragu Toscano ($22), which was made with a traditional Tuscan beef and tomato sauce and Spaghetti with fresh seasonal Italian fish roe, enhanced with clams and prawns ($29).

The latter has a mouth-watering fragrance, and seduced with the rich umami essence from the crustaceans. The spaghetti was well balanced, aglio olio-style without being too dry.

Tiramisu ($10) is a dessert that can most definitely be found in any Italian restaurant. It just depends on how different the restaurant does it, and at Nonna Lina, you can simply feel the familial warmth in this dish, lovingly prepared with its smooth milky whipped cream cheese atop a moist cake base, suffused with a deep coffee flavour.

The Italian lemon sorbet with alcohol ($9) was sharply sour, and very refreshing to cleanse our palate at the end of the meal.

With affable service staff who are always ready to warmly welcome their guests and provide the utmost level of comfort, Trattoria Nonna Lina lives up to its belief of  bringing people together through comfort food.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Trattoria Nonna Lina

4 Craig Road

Tel.: +65 6222 0930

Daily 12pm-2.30pm

6pm-10pm