Have a little break

Still can’t believe how hectic my schedule is this week. I thought I’ll have some time to take a break and enjoy some family bonding, but I guess I’ll be doing a buzzer beater again. My mom asked me if I can treat her friends out for dinner this week, they were raving about Italian food in Singapore and how there are so many Italian restaurants here.

I couldn’t say no to them because they’re really good to me and my sister. So I’m squeezing them in my tight schedule and probably would have to make reservations in one of the restaurants near my work. I couldn’t afford to bring them all the way to Al Forno, even though I know they’ll love it there. It’s far from where I work and I know I can find a nearer Italian restaurant that serves almost the same quality of food as Al Ferno.

Speaking of Italian food, I’ve been slowly enjoying my Italian food with a glass of wine these past few times that I’ve had Italian for a meal. I used to shy away from wines because I’m not really a wine aficionado. I would opt for some Iced tea or bottled water whenever I eat out. But now, I get it why some people pair their meals with a glass of wine.

I still do not follow the red is for meat and white is for fish type of thing. But I do have my favorites already. I find merlot and Pinot noir subtle on the taste but rich on flavor. When it comes to whites, chardonnay is the best for me. My friends say I drink like an old lady because I prefer Chardonnay, I don’t care. The taste is mellow, and you can smell the grapes. I also like Vinho Verde. I like my whites chilled, and Vinho Verde is so refreshing. I’m sorry if I couldn’t find the right terms in describing the wines, I’m still a work in progress.

So, yeah my Italian dinner with mom’s friends, I’m thinking of maybe bringing them to the one near the Marina bay area. It’s a little bit pricy but I’m sure they will like the ambience, view and the food in that restaurant.

I like their cheese Tortelli there. Their pastas are freshly made, so when you bite into them, the taste is different from store-bought brands. They have good selection of seafood dishes too, but what I’m really looking forward to is their Angus beef in black truffle and red wine sauce reduction.

It’s good that I’m an Italian food junky too, so that I can share to my mom’s friends that even when you’re not in Italy, Italian food in Singapore is as good as you can get. Now, about the wine thingy, let me see if I’ll like my angus beef with a red wine this time?

Italian food in Singapore

Christmas parties are everywhere. And I’ve been attending some since the start of December, and honestly, if I see another attempt to kiss under the mistletoe, I’ll surely puke. Seriously, how old are we guys? Those kinds of things only happen when you’re in high school anxious to have your first kiss. Now that we’re old, that’s called desperation. Good thing that these parties serve great food. The other night, one department party that I attended was serving Italian food.

Wow. There was so much food at that party. Gone are the days when office parties mean a cup of iced tea and a wrapped sandwich. These days, the more food they have, the better. Some of these parties are even catered. Aside from the exchange gifts and raffle prizes, food is one reason why I attend these parties. Plus, it’s always nice to see your superiors getting drunk.

My friend and I were discussing during lunch today what we should do for our group’s annual Christmas party. We always do themed parties every year and my friend and I are always in-charge of the food. We’re eating at this nice Italian restaurant that’s known for its wood-fire oven pizzas. I also heard that all their ingredients are flown from Italy. I don’t usually to around this neighborhood since it’s far from where I live, but I love eating here because they really serve good Italian food.

For an Italian restaurant, the prices here are a little bit higher than where we usually hang out. I did order their salad with artichokes and sun dried tomatoes. My friend and I just shared it because we’re making room for the pizza and pasta.

What I like about Italian food is that you can recognize the ingredients. I mean, if it’s mozzarella cheese, you’ll see a mozzarella cheese. They don’t hide or pretend to be something else. I was a little bit disappointed with their gnocchi. I couldn’t really taste them with the tomato sauce and the mozzarella cheese. Their seafood pizza was the usual. What I like about the pizza more than the toppings is that you know that the dough was freshly made.

I think we both agreed that we’re definitely cramming for this party. Finding a caterer who’ll say yes last minute will be a nightmare for the both of us. And still we couldn’t decide if we’re doing classic Italian food or western, or maybe we could go Indian this time? By the way, no one told us yet what the theme of the party is.

Whimsical Italian Food

This is what the owners of this restaurant want us to believe. That dining in their restaurant means catering to our utmost desires of Italian food. We were so intrigued by it, and honestly for all my years in Singapore, this is the first time that I’m eating here. It was supposed to be a great gastronomical experience.

The restaurant is found at the Tahjong Pagar area. My friend reserved for us, because we don’t want to go all the way there and finds out that we don’t have a table. It was lunch time when we arrived. They only open at specific time so for people who are interested, make sure to have your reservations. I’m lover of Italian food. I eat and breathe anything Italian. I can’t say that I’m an expert, but when it comes to pizza and or pasta, I can honestly say that I can distinguish great pasta to a second-rate one.

The place is nice. Shabby chic is what I would describe it. It has a homey feeling, even though everything looks so expensive. I get it why Italian food in Singapore is very popular. Aside from it being simply delicious, it has a sexiness appeal to it. Just like this restaurant, it looks like everything is put up together in a way that it’s not too over-bearing.

We were looking at the menu and it was simple. They do have a degustation menu, but we’re not here for that. I love their prawns and avocado salad. A nice touch for something rich was that they used citrus-based dressing.

I came here for pizza and pasta, and I ended up ordering risotto. I haven’t had risotto in awhile and I keep on forgetting that part of Italian food is risotto. Italians make the best risotto. The one with the pan-seared scallops was really divine. The risotto was cooked perfectly. It was creamy and the lemon zest was a nice touch.

My friends ordered Tagliolini Primavera, squid ink fetuccini, and Sous-vide cod fish. The fish wasn’t dry at all. I actually got to taste each dish, and yes, it’s true that the Primavera was a little bit on the average side, but the squid ink fetuccini was beyond expectations. Because I’m used to tomato based pasta sauces it would really take a phenomenal sauce to knock me off my socks.

Overall, the experience was ok. If you ask me, wherever place you’ll bring me, as long as it’s great Italian food I’ll be there, regardless of what the surroundings look like.

Tapas or Appetizer?

When I go out, I usually order appetizers first. It’s a way to jumpstart my dining experience. But when I’m in a European country, there are restaurants that serve only appetizers, or what they call tapas. I’m actually confused? What’s the difference between Tapas and appetizers? Honestly, their serving sizes are the same.

Even now in Singapore, a lot of Tapas restaurants can be found all over the place. I didn’t know that the locals are interested too. My friend suggested this tapas place in Vivo City and true enough the food’s great. It’s like a small serving of their entrees.

A must try in this place is their Sangria. I know it’s not part of their tapas, but since you’re in a Spanish place, might as well try it. Besides, it’s either Sangria or wine for Tapas. I would rather have Sangria. Spanish food is almost similar to Asian cuisine. Because it uses a lot of spices and rely on local ingredients. Their food is their heritage, each dish tells of a story. Just like our local cuisine, we are all proud of them because each has its own personality.

We ordered the flat bread with cheese, anchovies and paprika. The saltiness of the dish came from the anchovies but just enough, none of that fishy taste. We couldn’t help too but to order the grilled octopus. Not that we haven’t tasted one yet, but how many times can you eat an octopus in a tapas bar?

It was very filling. We wanted to order paella, since it’s a Spanish restaurant but we just couldn’t resist the other yummy looking tapas. It wasn’t cheap though. I mean for a small serving, we need to pay the amount of an entrée.

I think tapas are literally just small plates of what they serve on entrees. It’s just that they put some variations into it. While appetizers, they’re really food you can nibble on. You don’t usually see them being served as main courses because, they’re just not.

I still get confused to what’s a tapas and an appetizer, but one thing I get straight is that it’s still food that’s waiting for me to devour.

A must try!

Ok. So this is not your typical pizzeria in Singapore. It’s a little bit on the expensive side but it really is delicious. It’s been a few months since I ate here and already forgot how good my meal here was. My friend’s asking me to eat here again this week, and I can’t wait. It is a must try if you’re in Singapore.

One of the best restaurants I say, it’s authentic pizza at its best. The thin crust is very naples-like, or so they say because I haven’t been to Naples. But seriously, it’s that good. I’ve always like thin crust pizzas so I remembered really enjoying this one.

We ordered this special pizza with mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes with potatoes and sausages. It sounded as if it was a heavy pizza, but it didn’t taste like that. I can’t believe that they’ve used sun-dried tomatoes. I’ve always thought that sun-dried tomatoes are such an understatement in Italian cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I love freshly made sauce on my pizza, but I also like sun-dried tomatoes. They taste different. It’s like there’s summer in every bite.

The place is not hard to miss. I also recommend the parma ham with melon. It’s quite refreshing for summer days. In my book, anything with parma ham tastes better. But seriously, try it. It’s a must have. They have other typical appetizers, but do not order much of it, because you don’t want to miss on their fresh-made pastas.

I remember my friend ordering their lasagna. It was so creamy. I mean, the beef ragu was cooked perfectly. We couldn’t really say anything bad about it.

I couldn’t really remember dessert. I know we ordered Tiramisu and a soufflé.

Singapore has really the best of both western and eastern cuisines.

Antsy about Antipasti

I eat appetizers when I feel like not eating at all. I just want to be polite and instead of ordering some big entrée and not be able to finish it, I’ll just go for their antipasti. But I just don’t eat any ordinary antipasti. Of course it has to be good too.

I try to go to gourmet groceries so that I can buy my favorite antipasti. It’s too expensive to always dine out. And sometimes, I don’t like some restaurant’s list of their antipasti. I think only Italian restaurants really know how to make a good antipasti list. Not sounding, bias of course.

My favorite antipasti are those cured meats. Don’t you just love having a bite of melon wrapped in prosciutto? Or maybe you’ll go for the thin slices of pepperoni and salami, and some assortment of olives.

I love a plate of fresh Insalata Caprese. Thick slices of mozzarella cheese with basil and tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. That alone is a meal in itself. Plus an order of Bruschetta with just lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan on top, I’m already in bliss land.

Italian food is basic. They rely on the quality that’s why Italian food is simple. They let the ingredients speak for themselves. Almost all Italian restaurants serve Focaccia bread on their tables. They don’t accompany it with jams or jelly, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar will do. Why, because the bread itself can stand alone.

In American restaurants they’re often referred to as Cheese sticks, but if you’re going Italian, you’ll have to order Fried Mozzarella sticks. I know fried food’s not good for the body, but I don’t eat it every day and if ever I order it, I don’t finish the whole thing, even though I can.

It feels like all I do is talk about food, I’m not hungry all the time. I just think that I would rather talk about food, than something foolish.

Passion for Pasta

My friend’s birthday is coming up and she asked me to cook for her instead of buying her a gift.  I didn’t even know that she was planning a party.  I thought we’re just going for dinner.  Her theme is Italian night.  She even thought of a theme.  

I’m thinking of making Pasta Puttanesca.  I can use either angel hair or regular spaghetti then probably just put shrimps on it just to have a variation.  But my friend said the pasta should have a wow-factor.  What does she mean by that, I’ll put fireworks in it? Kidding aside, I get what she means.  She’s a show-off, so she wants her guests to enjoy their food.

I once had this pasta in Chili crab sauce.  Actually, it was Singaporean Chili Crab with spaghetti in it. I should try making a little bit before the party, so that I can taste it and make my adjustments to it.  

I bought some mud crabs in the market and had to ask around for their chili crab sauce recipe.  I want authentic Singaporean local recipe, but I also searched the internet just to make sure I have the best recipe.  

Living in Singapore has taught me one thing that you don’t mess with traditional recipes.  They are very proud of their food and you should honor that. On the other hand, I know my pasta too.  There are certain sauces that don’t really mix well with any pasta, and I’m afraid that the chili sauce is just too overpowering.

I only ate that pasta dish once, and I wasn’t really sure if I liked it because it was my first time or because it was really good?  It’s not exactly your typical marinara sauce, and I’m afraid that I’m butchering a Singaporean famous dish by making it Italian.  

I did it anyway and have my friends taste it.  They said it was good.  It was something new and something old at the same time.  They thought I should make my chili sauce a little bit runny next time.  It was too thick that it was heavy on the angel hair pasta.  

I sure hope it’ll be a hit when I serve it to her guests or else we can always dial Pizza hut or Dominos for some deliveries.