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2012-03-23
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Whoever came up with the concept of Restaurant Week is a genius. The combination of an affordable 3-course meal, an element of surprise in the mystery menu and the discovery of new taste sensations is a sure winner. This time around, we went to Capricci. When we entered the restaurant at 6.30pm, it was decently half-filled, definitely a good sign. Plus, we realised that the entire restaurant was only serving the Restaurant Week menu, another very good sign as it reflected the popularity of the r
The combination of an affordable 3-course meal, an element of surprise in the mystery menu and the discovery of new taste sensations is a sure winner.
This time around, we went to Capricci.
When we entered the restaurant at 6.30pm, it was decently half-filled, definitely a good sign. Plus, we realised that the entire restaurant was only serving the Restaurant Week menu, another very good sign as it reflected the popularity of the restaurant.
Here's their selection of Restaurant Week items:
We sat down and were greeted with their complimentary bread basket.
Not too sure what type of bread it was but I'm guessing it was Focaccia. I hate to start off as a wet blanket but the bread came disappointingly cold and bland. Thank goodness for quality olive oil and balsamic that saved the lackluster bread cubes. For our 1st course, we choose the Broccoli and Yogurt Soufflé with Cheese Sauce Fondue for him, and the Orange Perfumed Maguro Tuna Tartare with Avocado Purée for her.
The soufflé was quite good - airy and dotted with fresh green broccoli bits throughout. The cheese sauce was a bit salty and heavy but worked well with the light soufflé.
I thoroughly enjoyed my maguro tuna tartare. The fish was fresh and paired well with the creamy avocado purée. I couldn't really detect the "orange perfume" but it really didn't matter - the dish was already a winner as declared by my taste buds. Moving on to the 2nd course, we ordered the Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Mix Green Salad for him, and the Homemade Paccheri with Homemade Italian Sausage, Portobello Mushroom and Parmesan Cheese Sauce for her.
Juicy and tender, the grilled rib eye steak was delicious. Done perfectly medium-rare, even I, a non-steak eater, thought it was well-prepared and delectable. It was, however, a tad on the oily side but the mixed green salad below did a great job of soaking up the oil and balsamic vinegar, turning it into a luscious vinaigrette.
The word "homemade" in an Italian restaurant is always a good thing. This dish also came highly recommended by the waitress and chef who described the pasta as a "sleeve pasta". I knew I was in for a treat when this arrived. It smelled sinfully cheesy and had a good amount of sausage and mushroom over the pasta that was cooked just al dente. It may look like a small portion, but with a dish this rich (I overheard the chef telling another table that the sausage is made of pork belly), a little goes a long way!
At this point, I should add that the husband actually ordered a second helping of rib eye steak. Reason 1: the portion was a little small for him. Reason 2: It was a damn good steak. Reason 3: It would only cost a reasonable $15++.
The second steak that came was good, but not great. The husband commented that the steak seemed to be smaller and thinner, while the vegetable heap was larger. Some parts were a bit too rare as well. Oh bummer.
Now on to dessert!
The Crème Caramel was as it should be - creamy yet not too dense. The almonds and crumbled amaretti cookies on top added a nice contrasting crunch.
I'm partial towards the heavier desserts so I'm going to say the Panna Cotta was better. Cold, smooth, creamy and rich, what else could you want in a dessert? The menu was a bit misleading though - the only semblance of strawberry I got was the 3 slices on top of the panna cotta. The sauce tasted more like chocolate to me. But as with the missing orange perfume, it really didn't matter. It's thanks to Restaurant Week that I had the chance to visit Capricci. We took a greedy look at their a la carte menu and I'm pretty sure we'll be back. (:
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