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Best Italian Restaurant in Singapore
2013-06-14 210 views
As far as I understand, Pietrasanta is a town on the coast of northern Tuscany, with its capital being none other than Florence itself. And yes, the owners of Ristorante Pietrasanta hail from beautiful Pietrasanta! I believe this Tuscany family-styled restaurant embraces the most homely and authentic Tuscan experience one can ever have in Singapore, away from all the hustle and bustle of the Singaporean lifestyle. I was extremely thrilled to be invited to this food-tasting event by OpenRice; to
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As far as I understand, Pietrasanta is a town on the coast of northern Tuscany, with its capital being none other than Florence itself. And yes, the owners of Ristorante Pietrasanta hail from beautiful Pietrasanta! I believe this Tuscany family-styled restaurant embraces the most homely and authentic Tuscan experience one can ever have in Singapore, away from all the hustle and bustle of the Singaporean lifestyle. I was extremely thrilled to be invited to this food-tasting event by OpenRice; to be able to step into this little piece of my Italian heaven.

Ristorante Pietrasanta is really gorgeous by day, but even more romantic by night. Other than outdoor and indoor seating, there is also courtyard seating. I love the charming decoration at the courtyard because it gives me a tinge of excitement in the lovely environment; feels like it's Christmas all year round! There is also a couple swing which really sets the romantic mood.

The food tasting started with Chef Alfredo giving us a visual treat on how he prepares Home-made Mozzarella Cheese - stretching and kneading to achieve a delicate consistency, then pulling out to develop the stretchy strings before shaping it for the plate! I love how pure Mozzarella tastes so subtle; yet its gentle cheese fragrance is so alluring. I enjoyed the slightly chewy texture. Burrata presents a pleasant surprise for its sharper taste, with its texture being rich and creamy - notably distinct from its Mozzarella origins.
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 Home-made Fettuccine with Sausage and Truffle
Black truffles are held in high esteem in the Italian cuisine, and are highly prized. The little slice of black truffle on the plate totally brought out the character of this dish. Its precious savory sweetness, coupled with lots of tempting sausages, tossed together with the delicate home-made pasta made this dish so divine.
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 Home-made Green Ravioli filled with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach, served with Butter and Sage Sauce
Other than the uniqueness of this round-shaped Ravioli, what struck me was the texture of this home-made pasta - so fine and soft, unlike the normal kinds of store-bought pastas! It was not only able to soak up the full flavour of the tasty Butter and Sage Sauce, it also acted as a warm and gentle embrace to the savory taste of its Ricotta Cheese and Spinach filling. Yummy!
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 Risotto with Porcini, Saffron and Marrow Bones
Another highly prized dish. Porcini is an expensive type of mushroom that is also held in high regard in many cuisines and is difficult to cultivate although it is available commercially, while Saffron is the most exorbitant spice in the world, believed to have medicinal benefits. The taste of this dish is rather complex, taking the character of Saffron which is one flavour I still face difficulty describing. All I knew was, the golden-yellow creamy-textured Risotto was so enticing that I couldn't stop eating it, and if it was prepared without Saffron, this dish would probably be dull and soulless. The Marrow Bones (Beef) made this dish all the more welcoming, adding that explicit beefy butter fragrance.
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 Grilled Lemon Sole
The sprinkle of herbs enhanced the lemon zest in this dish, resulting in a light and refreshing surprise. The nature of the meat is slightly textured, yet remarkably soft to the bite; something close to the consistency of Grilled Salmon.
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 Braised Lamb Shank with Chianti Wine
As far as I understand, Chianti is a region near Florence in Tuscany, and is one of the best wine-growing regions in the world. Tuscany is arguably most famous for their elegant Chianti Wines. This charming ingredient made the whole dish so luxurious! Needless to say, the fragrance of the sauce was intensive and heavenly. I have no idea how long the meat was braised, but I'm sure lots of time and effort were put into achieving its fall-off-the-bones tenderness, juiciness, and explosive taste. With the divine sauce drenched over the delicate meat and moist mashed potato, this dish was extremely addictive!
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 Lemon Tart
Arguably one of the best dessert I've ever eaten in my life! It is incredibly weightless; melt-in-your-mouth with a little tinge of fizz. The lemon fragrance was so explosive it shot a renewed sense of euphoria into me. There is just some supernatural power in this that made me so in love, when in actual fact I don't usually think much of lemon (fruit) and tarts in general. Maybe double negatives can magically turn into a magnificent positive after all. This dessert is to-die-for!
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 Pistachio Semifreddo
Semifreddos are semi-frozen desserts, typically gelatos. Its fluffy consistency was stunning, like compacted shavings of iced milky pistachio. The moment it went into my mouth, the semifreddo melted slowly, then so gracefully flowed down my throat, leaving its alluring presence in its entire trail as it made its way into my belly - there was something so comforting about this indulgence. The milky pistachio flavour is pure and clear-cut, better than the actual pistachio nut in my opinion.
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 Tiramisu
Another outstanding dessert that is surprisingly lightweight. The foamy and softest melt-in-your-mouth consistency was seductive. I love that this version didn't have any ingredient overpowering another. The resultant flavour was the most blissful blend of coffee, cocoa and mascarpone cheese.

If you're now tempted to visit Ristorante Pietrasanta, SBS Bus 191 actually stops right in front of the restaurant at Wessex Village Square, but do be cautioned that the last bus is at 8pm.

I'm really thankful for this one of the most amazing food journey I've ever had in my life! :')
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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Homely Italian Food at its Best!
2013-05-30 101 views
More delectable food reviews on my blog here: www.jerjerjer.comItalian cuisine is my second favourite type of cuisine, next to Japanese food that is. And I was really glad that I had the chance to participate in a Food Tasting by OpenRice at Ristorante Pietrasanta (along Portsdown Road at Wessex Village and just next to Temasek Club). This restaurant is truly a hidden gem located in that area. You’ll need to do a bit of searching to find the place – exit AYE after North Bouna Vista, go past Tema
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More delectable food reviews on my blog here: www.jerjerjer.com

Italian cuisine is my second favourite type of cuisine, next to Japanese food that is. And I was really glad that I had the chance to participate in a Food Tasting by OpenRice at Ristorante Pietrasanta (along Portsdown Road at Wessex Village and just next to Temasek Club). This restaurant is truly a hidden gem located in that area. You’ll need to do a bit of searching to find the place – exit AYE after North Bouna Vista, go past Temasek Club and you’ll see a forested area with low lying tin-roofed buildings. Here you’ll find a cluster of rather unique and interesting restaurants, similar to those you find at Dempsey Hill enclave.

The food tasting session began with a demonstration by Chef Alfredo Colle on how to make some Homemade Mozzarella Cheese.
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 Apparently, this is the only Italian restaurant in Singapore that makes their own fresh Mozzarella cheese by hand. Look at just how stretchy that cheese can go. Mozzarella cheese is usually semi-soft and has high moisture content which makes it stringy and great for pizzas.
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 The final product that comes from all that stretching, spinning and cutting is a ball of perfectly round cheese which is chewy and slightly rubbery in texture. Since the Mozzarella on its own does not have much of a taste, it was served with some Burrata – another type of Italian cheese made from a combination of Mozzarella and fresh cream to achieve a more flavourful and rich, creamy taste.
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 We also had a basket of freshly baked Focaccia Bread to eat with the cheese. The bread also goes really well with some extra virgin olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
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 These Parma Ham Mozzarella Rolls are wrapped in more Mozzarella cheese and also has rocket leaves rolled up within it. The pungent taste of the rocket does not overpower the salty parma ham and I thought the combination went really well together. Both equally strong flavours rolled up into one and wrapped up in a rather tasteless cheese. Mmmmmm.. mamma mia~! How refreshing..
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 After all that cheese, it’s time to dig into the main course! First we had some Fettuccine al Tartufo ($24.90) which is basically Fettuccini pasta cooked in a mushroom truffle sauce. It also had minced sausage meat in it which gives it a rather interesting texture. The truffle taste was quite strong too and since I love mushrooms, I really enjoyed this pasta! =D
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 Next we had some Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli ($17.90) served with a butter and sage sauce. The thing I love about Italian cuisine is that it is very rich and flavourful but that also means that it can be rather fattening, especially when almost everything contains butter, cream and cheese. Well, I say eat first and worry about the calories later! =P
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 This is one of my favourites here – the Risotto Porcini ($23.90) with saffron and bone marrow. You’ll probably notice a few red strands in the sauce – those are the saffron which is one of the most costly spices available in the world. A few strands of saffron also has a coloring effect which turns the sauce into a deep orange colour. This dish is creamy, rich, and oh-so-very satisfying.
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 We also got to sample some Mixed Sausages which turned out to be quite average end when compared to the many delectably rich pastas we just had.
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 Doesn’t this piece of meat on a bone look impressive? Well, it’s a Lamb Shank ($28.90) with Chianti wine that has been braised for over 4 hours, such that its meat is tender enough to just fall off the bone. However, I felt that the tomato-based sauce was a little bit on the bland side for me. I would have preferred it to take on a stronger, saltier and richer flavour.
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 I seldom associate fish with Italian cuisine, but here’s one on the menu – Grilled Lemon Sole. Fish, to me, is mainly about how fresh it is more than how it is cooked. The meat for this was fresh enough and also flavourful enough, but it’s not exactly the kind of dish you would think of ordering at an Italian Restaurant.

Finally, for my absolute favourite part of every meal; it’s dessert time!
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 The Lemon Tart here is sour and refreshing enough to invigorate your senses, but at the same time the sourness is not too overpowering and well balanced out with the sweet meringue on top and tart pastry. Plus, it comes with a little bit of jam on the side too, if you’re not good with sour foods.
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 And finally, the main star of the show is… Tiramisu! One of my all time favourite desserts. This Tiramisu reminds me of the one I used to get at Paragon (though the restaurant that sold it closed down a long time ago). It has really light mascarpone cheese and a rich, strong espresso coffee flavour to it. Though I would have liked my Tiramisu with a bit more Tia Maira liqueur in it to give it that extra kick! =P Still, this is one of the best Tiramisu I’ve tasted in a long time.

Overall, I really enjoyed the good Italian food and with the great company of other food bloggers as well. Here’s a big THANK YOU to Chef Alfredo Colle and Ristorante Pietrasanta for hosting us!


(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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    Date of Visit
    2013-05-29
    Recommended Dishes
    • Risotto Porcini
    • Tiramisu
    • Fettuccini al Tartufo
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    Fish
    2013-05-12 77 views
    The grilled fish here is really well cooked and packed with great flavour and herbs. Love the freshness of the ingredients used and the fish goes really well with a squeeeze of lemon. The restaurant is set in a cozy and peaceful part of portstown and is a great place for chilling out and relaxing. The setting of the restaurant is quite cozy and also try the tiramisu!
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     The grilled fish here is really well cooked and packed with great flavour and herbs. Love the freshness of the ingredients used and the fish goes really well with a squeeeze of lemon. The restaurant is set in a cozy and peaceful part of portstown and is a great place for chilling out and relaxing. The setting of the restaurant is quite cozy and also try the tiramisu!
    (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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    great food!
    2013-04-15 55 views
    Tried this Italian restaurant with my family and the food here is really nice! I've ordered the squid ink ravioli with prawns in a light lemon sauce pasta and it tasted quite nice but with a little too much tomatoes inside. The pizza tasted yummy too with a soft yet crispy skin just from the oven. This place can be considered for small gatherings and chill outs with friends.
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    Tried this Italian restaurant with my family and the food here is really nice! I've ordered the squid ink ravioli with prawns in a light lemon sauce pasta and it tasted quite nice but with a little too much tomatoes inside. The pizza tasted yummy too with a soft yet crispy skin just from the oven. This place can be considered for small gatherings and chill outs with friends.
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    (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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      Date of Visit
      2013-04-14
      Spending Per Head
      $20 (Dinner)
      Level4
      115
      14
      Company year end party
      2011-12-07 41 views
      We booked their private room for our company year end party where it's equipped with Karaoke system, private kitchen and wine cellar. It's just like we are having a party in a house! The chef cooked in the private kitchen and serve us the food while it's hot, so it's really nice.This appetizer taste good and quite a big portion too. I particularly like the seared smoked cheese wrapped with parma ham. On first bite, the parma ham is crispy and cheese oozing out, smells fragrant ! Baked portobello
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      We booked their private room for our company year end party where it's equipped with Karaoke system, private kitchen and wine cellar. It's just like we are having a party in a house! The chef cooked in the private kitchen and serve us the food while it's hot, so it's really nice.
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       This appetizer taste good and quite a big portion too. I particularly like the seared smoked cheese wrapped with parma ham. On first bite, the parma ham is crispy and cheese oozing out, smells fragrant !
      Baked portobello with sausage and cream sauce taste quite special too.
      Baked prawn, garlic bread crumbs and olive oil - Prawn was fresh and crunchy. Good!
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       Next come the handmade pasta with lobster sauce. This dish was ok only. Nothing special and the taste is quite flat for me.
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       For main course, i've chosen the grill tenderloin with porcini sauce, roasted potato and french beans salad. It's quite disappointing as the chef cooked the tenderloin to VERY well done! so the meat is too hard and thick. However the taste is actually well marinated. Potatoes are roasted to perfection and french beans makes it very refreshing.
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       Tiramisu
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       our set menu also includes dessert bar, coffee and tea. Dessert was just ok. I still prefer french desserts


      (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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        Date of Visit
        2011-12-01
        Spending Per Head
        $100 (Dinner)
        Recommended Dishes
        • Appetizer
        Level3
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        Ristorante Pietrasanta
        2011-11-16 25 views
        It was recommended by my friendswe booked 2 week ago,when we went they gave us outdoor seatLuckily the courtyard was quite pleasant & it was a cool evening.We start off with bread basket & oilve oil,it was very tastyWe ordered four cheese pizza ,this was a bit of a disappointment. Besides the tiny areas which had blue cheese , the rest of the pizza was quite blend & almost plasticky.also had their tagliatelle with sausage & truffle creamThe pasta was smooth,silky & paper thin, the cream sauce w
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        It was recommended by my friends
        we booked 2 week ago,when we went they gave us outdoor seat
        Luckily the courtyard was quite pleasant & it was a cool evening.
        We start off with bread basket & oilve oil,it was very tasty
        We ordered four cheese pizza ,this was a bit of a disappointment. Besides the tiny areas which had blue cheese , the rest of the pizza was quite blend & almost plasticky.
        also had their tagliatelle with sausage & truffle cream
        The pasta was smooth,silky & paper thin, the cream sauce was just rich enough not to be overly creamy or cloying. The flavours of the sausage & truffle went very well together
        Overall i rate 7/10

        (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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        3
        Awesome Place
        2011-10-26 23 views
        Threw a surprise party for a good friend for his 40th Birthday and I asked for the alfresco area behind the restaurant. This is so the kids have a safe place to run around after they are done eating. We had a long table for 15 and we ordered their pizzas to start and then we also ordered some mains: Most of their pizzas were great, nice wood-flamed crusts and tasty fillings. Their Seafood Marinara was very good too. I went round to eat almost everybody's plate and my verdict is that they have ve
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        Threw a surprise party for a good friend for his 40th Birthday and I asked for the alfresco area behind the restaurant. This is so the kids have a safe place to run around after they are done eating.

        We had a long table for 15 and we ordered their pizzas to start and then we also ordered some mains:
        Most of their pizzas were great, nice wood-flamed crusts and tasty fillings. Their Seafood Marinara was very good too. I went round to eat almost everybody's plate and my verdict is that they have very tasty food in general.

        Another plus point is the wait staff. They are professional and very fair. They treat both locals and foreigners with the same outstanding attitude and service. Kudos to the staff!!

        This place has a wonderful mix of good food, nice ambience and attentive wait staff, what more reason do you need to make your way here?!?
        (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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        14
        Good Italian cuisine
        2011-09-05 37 views
        This is a very homely type of italian restaurant nestled at wessex estate along portsdown road. Started off with Insalata con Pere e Pecorino which is a mixed salad with pecorino cheese, pear and toasted pine nuts. Acceptable salad. The pear added makes the salad quite refreshing, but i would prefer more balsamic vinegar on it though..Next come the Quattro Formaggi which is the four cheese pizza! Cheese used : Italian Mozzarella, Parmesan Cheese, Emmenthal Cheese and Blue Cheese. Not too salty a
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        This is a very homely type of italian restaurant nestled at wessex estate along portsdown road.

        Started off with
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         Insalata con Pere e Pecorino which is a mixed salad with pecorino cheese, pear and toasted pine nuts. Acceptable salad. The pear added makes the salad quite refreshing, but i would prefer more balsamic vinegar on it though..

        Next come the
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         Quattro Formaggi which is the four cheese pizza! Cheese used : Italian Mozzarella, Parmesan Cheese, Emmenthal Cheese and Blue Cheese. Not too salty and just nice. The dough base is very crispy and soft too!

        Our main courses:
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         Coscia D'anatra in Dolce e Forte- Traditional duck leg recipe from south of Tuscany. The duck is stewed with red wine, vinegar, raisins and dark chocolate. This dish by itself is normal in taste. However after i drank the italian red wine below( bring our own and not ordered from the restaurant), it really brings out the duck flavour and certainly enhanced the flavour and fragrance of the duck! What a surprise.
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         Italian red wine
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         Costolette di Agnello Stufate- Stewed lamb rack with wine, fresh tomatoes and black olives. Is definitely one of their specialty and must try! Lamb was stewed to perfection and the meat is juicy and succulent!

        To complete the meal with desserts is a must!
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         La Torta di Pistocchi- Highly recommended by the waiter for chocolate lovers! Proven to be good as it really melts in mouth with a lingering effect to crave for more!
        According to them it's imported direct from Florence and the cake is made only from chocolate, cocoa and a little cream! Without any sugar added, flour, MGOs etc which normally is used to make cakes ...so it's quite healthy to eat i guess! haha...
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         Cannoli- One of the most famous italian desserts is a must try too! It's actually a Sicilian pastry with a tube-shape pastry dough with sweet fillings inside.

        (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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          Date of Visit
          2011-09-04
          Spending Per Head
          $70 (Dinner)
          Celebration
          Birthday
          Recommended Dishes
          • Stewed lamb shank
          • cannoli
          • la torto di pistocchi
          Level3
          49
          6
          Rustic Tuscan Cuisine
          2011-08-22 15 views
          Oooh...Where do I begin...?The rustic and hideaway location of this Italian restaurant makes it a real gem and a rare fiind indeed. The long, green drive into Portsdown makes you feel that you are driving into the country with nary a tall building in sight. Great way to excape the hustle and bustle of the city.We were welcomed in chorus by the Italian manager and the team of wait staff as we entered into the restaurant.Each table was set with small cups of homemade tomato salsa to dip bread in
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          Oooh...Where do I begin...?

          The rustic and hideaway location of this Italian restaurant makes it a real gem and a rare fiind indeed. The long, green drive into Portsdown makes you feel that you are driving into the country with nary a tall building in sight. Great way to excape the hustle and bustle of the city.

          We were welcomed in chorus by the Italian manager and the team of wait staff as we entered into the restaurant.

          Each table was set with small cups of homemade tomato salsa to dip bread in and it was delicious.

          Starters were quite standard but I could not stop dipping my bread and spoon into the flavourful White Wine Vongole appetiser which was the Special of the day..

          The other Specials of the Day when we went were not too unusual with Halibut and Sole Fish as Mains and the Lobster Linguine which was a bit dry and so-so.
          However, when I went there about a year ago, they had Pasta with Wild Boar sauce and a Quail dish - all very unsual but lovely in a earthy sort of way.

          One dish to die for is the Coscia D’anatra in Dolce e Forte which is on their Main Menu. It is a Traditional Duck Leg recipe from south of Tuscany. Stewed with Red Wine, Vinegar, Raisins and Dark Chocolate, it was tender and succulent as the meat just fell from its bone. All the flavours were infused into the meat and it was HEAVENLY.

          Pizzas were flavourful with thin crusts. I found filling of the Calzone a tad watery.

          Enjoyed our meal throughly except that we had to leave by a certain time as the restaurant was fully booked that night.

          But we were off next door to another culinary delight - Laurent Bernard Chocolate Cafe


          (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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          Date of Visit
          2011-08-12
          Spending Per Head
          $70 (Dinner)
          Recommended Dishes
          • Specials of the day