Burlamacco Ristorante

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Burlamacco is 2! I saw a 2nd anniversary email from the restaurant and went by last weekend.The restaurant is located along Amoy Street, near Tanjong Pagar is a conserved shophouse. It has modern interiors and is nicely appointed with huge paintings of modern art portraits. It also has a walk in glass cellar with a wide variety of wines to choose from.Here are the highlights of my meal:1) Parma Ham wrapped around Griscini Stick: A savoury lollipop, with the parma ham wrapped around a biscuit stick. You can’t stop at one, for sure.2) Smoked Salmon with Baked Cracker topped with sour cream and caviar: Very good. The sour cream and caviar complimented the smoked salmon well.3) Hand Chopped Tuna Tartare served with Avocado: Unlike tuna tartare I ate elsewhere which is more finely chopped, this was roughly chopped into 5cm pieces and seasoned. Topped with avocado pieces, it was good. Recommended!4) Squid Ink Risotto: As black as a night’s sky, the risotto was simply served on a white plate. The photo I took doesn’t do justice to the taste and flavour of the dish. It was simple and often the simplest dishes are the hardest to do. Couldn’t get enough of the dish. It was good!5) 48 hour Sous Vide Braised Beef Short Rib: The beef was very tasty and flavourful, thanks to the 48 hour cooking period. Tender and comes apart easily when cut. The mash potato was also good and the beef jus was delicious.6) Warm Valrhona Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream: Think warm molten lava chocolate cake, and this was what came to my mind. The same ingredients are used to fill the tart shell. Topped with vanilla ice cream, it was a great dessert to end the meal. Must-order!The food I had are signature dishes of the restaurant and I can see why they are popular.A good place for Italian cuisine. Try it! continue reading

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/08/sg-burlamacco-ristorante-traditional.htmlQuietly tucked among the conservation shophouses at Amoy Street, Burlamacco is a fine example of a stylish Italian eatery with its offering of a modern, elegant yet unpretentious environment. The friendly owner and Chef, Gabriele Piegaia wishes to juxtapose the lively ambience with his professional culinary skills honed from working in Michelin 1* restaurants in Italy, including Ristorante Antica Zecca and Ristorante Antica Osteria del Bai. Chef Gabriele then moved on to improve his skills working in New York, London, Syria and now Singapore. With a list of culinary awards and accolades under his belt, Gabriele works with a battery of suppliers around the world to ensure the freshest produce is brought to the table.Tuscan-born Gabriele lives by the golden rule, "What you see on the menu is what you see on the plate". As such, Burlamacco's signature dishes are simple hearty fares. Can they make our calories count?Incidentally, the iconic Burlamacco is a carnival mask from the characteristic town of Viareggio in Tuscany where one of the most famous Italian carnival is celebrated. Bearing a red, white and black carnival mask, the Burlamacco is an icon of vivacity and one cannot help but sense the vibe with the line of suspended lampshades that front the restaurant.Like most Italian restaurants, Burlamacco serves some complimentary warm and fresh rolls baked in-house. With a nice crisp crust while remaining fluffy on the inside, it went well with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip served on the side.This was a perfect summer dish with the vibrant colours of the tomatoes, oranges, sliced radish and fine beans complementing the tan of the octopus tentacles. If presentation was not enough to wow, the flavours and textures were spot on. The octopus tentacles had a nice crisp texture from the caramelisation formed on the surface though it was slightly rubbery on the inside. While most chefs would tenderise their octopus before service, apparently Gabriele intended the texture to be so to bring out the contrast.In terms of flavours, the sweetness from the caramelisation of the balsamic vinegar coating the octopus tentacles were harmonized by the freshness of the tomatoes before a refreshing burst of tang from the orange pieces.While most foie gras are served pan-seared, the Chef ingeniously introduced a layer of thin batter that crusted the delicate foie gras. The crispness of the golden-brown batter juxtaposes the melt-in-your-mouth foie gras, giving a much desired balance in texture.When it comes to flavours, there was much complexity in the dish with sweetness from the balsamic vinegar reduction, caramelised onions and the luscious home-made green tomato chutney. It was perfectly balanced by the crunch from the pomegranate seeds together with its sweet-tart juices. For those with an umami palate, this dish would bring oomph but for those with a preference for a lighter fare, the sweetness from the accompaniments and the richness of the dish might tip the scales and overwhelm.For those not familiar with beef tripe, it is the cow's stomach. Quite frankly, I am not a fan when it comes to innards but having told that this dish was regarded by I-S Magazine as one of the "50 things to eat before you die", it would seem only fair to give it a shot.Much to our surprise, it was actually a really pleasant dish with the aroma of the melted Parmesan cheese whetting one's appetite before the chewiness of the beef tripe added a second dimension to the vegetable stew dominated by tomatoes. With more than 12 hours of cooking time before service, the richness and creaminess of the dish certainly made my dining partner swoon.The Arrabbiata sauce is a classic Italian spicy sauce made from garlic, tomatoes and red chilli peppers cooked in olive oil. Arrabbiata literally means angry in Italian and owes the name to the heat of the chilli peppers. While the name of the dish and the colours looked intimidating, the heat would be a breeze for the palate of most Singaporeans.With home-made pasta, you could taste the difference of the linguine compared to the commercially packed ones. Cooked al-dente, the flavours of that beautiful sauce were robust and when paired with that fresh Boston Lobster, this is easily a dish I call comfort food.A simple dish executed perfectly, the beef short ribs were cooked sous vide for 48 hours at 62 degrees celsius to achieve this melt-in-your-mouth tenderness that was slightly pink and juicy. Precise temperature control and uniformity of temperature made possible with the sous vide preparation method ensures that the beef short ribs were evenly cooked.The sauce was a careful reduction of Marsala wine where a sweet after taste lingers. While the potato mash and fine beans were good, they played complementing roles to the starred short ribs.Playfully plated with summer colours, the panna cotta was beautifully done and easily one of the best I have tried. It set perfectly with a nice little wobble when you move the plate. The classic pudding-like dessert won us over with its creaminess and the flavours were elevated with the freshly scrapped vanilla pods.It is quite impossible to go wrong pairing panna cotta with wild berries and this was simply the perfect ending to a very sumptuous lunch.While all the dishes tried were executed to the highest level, what impressed us most was the dedicated customer service that Gabriele and his service team rendered to diners at each table. They took special efforts to speak to diners between service to make sure that the food was cooked to their liking and some intimate levels of interaction are no coincidence that most of the patrons are regulars.Overall, the food was impressive and service immaculate. The ambience spots a rather relaxed setting yet elegant enough to host business lunches. With a wine cellar that carries in excess of 120 labels and conveniently located near the business district, Burlamacco would surely be a recommended place for an executive lunch or an intimate dinner date. continue reading

Booked this restaurant under Restaurant Week with no background knowledge and not knowing what to expect. To our delight, it turned out to be a great experience.Service was friendly and attentive (yet not overly so) and our server kept up light banter with us throughout the 3 courses, leaving a lasting impression.Food was impeccably well-executed, from the warm bread served, to the refreshing starters; from the lovingly prepared main courses to the delightful desserts.Especially loved the squid ink linguine which was al-dente and highly addictive, accompanied wih a small but very fresh Boston lobster.Great service, great food, we will definitely be back! continue reading

The former exec chef at Alkaff Mansion has left to set up his own cosy restaurant in the Chinatown area.It was quiet on a Friday night and there was time to talk to the chef himself. So what's good to be ordered?This is an antipasti from the chef's own hometown in Tuscany. Trippa alla burlamacco. A signature of the restaurant and aptly so. This was my first time having beef tripe and it was just a happy burst of flavours. Stewed in tomato paste and an assortment of carrots and celery, this was savoury rich and simply perfect to start the dinner with. He also mentions that the beef tripe has been washed 5 times and cooked for 5 hours. I'm amazed it keeps a certain bite. I also had the pacherri nero di seppia. Basically pasta in black squid ink. The squid ink didn't have that strange earthy flavour nor pungent smell. In fact, there was nary a trace of the sea. The texture of the squid ink was grainy and I found out it was because there was a large amount of chopped leeks that have been reduced in this ink to make the base. The pasta was al dente and good to the bite. They have a risotto in squid ink that I bet would be stellar as well, judging by the taste of this. Just in case you fell in love with squid ink, Chef Piegela also sells squid ink here in his restaurant. He's happy to share his easier cooking methods. It wasn't exorbitant but it was a relatively expensive dinner albeit worth the price tag. continue reading

photos and more here: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/burlamacco-ristorante-tanjong-pagar/I came here after reading quite a few rave reviews – decidedly well-deserved – and though I was initially a little apprehensive at the sight of an empty restaurant on a friday night, I can now tell you it’s not from a lack of quality at all; and you really ought to make your way here.the food is bright and delicious, with clear flavors and vibrant color; and while the meal wasn’t inexpensive – it is billed on par with similar continental restaurants in singapore.there is something very welcoming about the restaurant’s interiors. the tables are spaced well (so you don’t need to edge in on your neighbors’ conversations), and while the decoration isn’t blatantly composed the way many new places are, it is modern rustic – good lighting in a space that is both intimate and cozy, with furniture that smacks of an italian or french establishment.we started off with good bread – always a good sign. and asked for more when our starters arrived - these clearly showed kitchen expertise. we shared the uova al pomodoro, essentially an italian version of shakshuka, and the carpaccio di filetto di manzo alla mostarda in grani (such a mouthful) - a thinly sliced beef carpaccio laden with greens and a generous drizzle of mustard dressing. both very good - impressive flavours.the veal ravioli in a creamy mushroom sauce was incredibly difficult to photography but very tasty. the silky pockets were savoury (in that cheese sort of way), and the sauce well-seasoned.the food really was good and more than deserves praise. the place really is surprisingly unpatronised though – we stayed till nearly eight and the place was barely filled. I have a feeling it might be a mixture of price (high, though not exorbitant considering the quality – rather worth it) and the fact that the central business district is pretty much a ghost town past working hours. great food, an intimate ambience – very suited to close friends and partners. continue reading