Noti Restaurant and Bar: Must Try Mushroom Risotto!

Posted on August 26, 2013 by missuschewy

Wheeee! I managed to get down to blogging about the birthday treat that misstamchiak gave me. I haven’t had mushroom risotto in a long long time and was suddenly craving for some. Openly declared my craving to Maureen and the ever efficient girl did her research and we agreed on Noti Restaurant & Bar.

As misterchewy was working, I took a bus from Holiday Inn Express at Orchard and met him at Chinatown before walking to Club Street where Noti Restaurant & Bar is located. Owner and chef Toni Rossetti had been brought up in a family of successful restaurateurs in his hometown in the south of Italy and at Noti, he brings to his restaurant a taste of home, tradition and warmth of authentic Italian food from cherished family recipes and the flavors from this bountiful region.

Pretty nice ambience and setting for a intimate date, or double date for our case!

We had a couple of starters to share. The Tasty & spicy calamri fritti served with lemon & garlic mayo ($9) looked promising and sure enough, it did not disappoint. It wasn’t exactly spicy though, just lightly peppered to tease the taste buds. It was crispy on the outside and chewy within, tasted great with a dash of lemon juice.

The Deep Fried Risotto Balls ($9) were quite unusual and they came deep fried, filled with ham and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Of course, I already knew I had to order the Mixed mushroom risotto with walnut and white truffle oil ($28) even before looking at the menu. I did not regret not giving the other dishes a chance because the mushroom risotto surpassed my expectations. It was creamy and al dente, and the addition of white truffle oil really brought the dish up another notch. I loved the thinly sliced parmesan cheese and also the walnut bits that provided that extra texture. The portion was a little huge for me but all in all, the mushroom risotto is highly recommended and I would come back just for this!

The husband ordered the Crab meat linguine with fresh basil tomato sauce ($26) which had generous chunks of crab meat and this dish was just appetite whetting.

I was quite surprised that Maureen chose the Crispy spring chicken with mix salad and patatine fritte ($24) because it looked like it came from the kitchens of Swensen’s but she was full of praises for its moist and not overly dry meat. The chicken skin did look tempting!

Maureen’s fiancé waited really long for his Homemade gnocchi with tiger prawns and pesto “salentino” ($26) because the kitchen staff missed out on his order. We were actually quite worried for him because the portion looked kinda small! The husband and I each tried a piece of gnocchi (yeah even though the portion is already so small LOL), but the taste was not to our liking.

Dear Maureen baked me some red velvet cupcakes! I’m so lucky to always be able to savour her fantastic bakes and she’s also very lucky to always have me as one of her guinea pigs. LOLOLOL just kidding la. Besides Maureen, I also wanna thank her lovely Aunt Angela for accompanying her to buy the ingredients and also her grandpa for helping to bake the cupcakes. Red velvet cupcakes filled with lotsa love yo! 😀

The husband and I love the cupcakes! Very moist and soft! I gave feedback that they were kinda soft but I guess that’s what she wanted to achieve.

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Noti Restaurant and Bar
Address: 54 Club Street
Tel: 6222 0089

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sat
11.30am – 12 midnight

Ristorante PepeNero: Simply Italian, Simply the Best

Posted on January 28, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

Pepenero, meaning black pepper in Italian, refers to the world’s most popular and commonly used spice. As for Ristorante PepeNero, it is a semi-fine dining Italian restaurant located in the CBD area of Singapore that offers a dining experience that excites the senses. I was invited by one of PepeNero’s co-owner, Amy Sim, to try some of the dishes and went there on a Saturday night. This photo was taken after our dinner, which explains the unoccupied tables but it was surprising that the restaurant was almost full on a weekend despite its location. Amy told us that PepeNero is usually very packed on weekdays, both during lunch and dinner. As for the food, they strive to bring freshness and purity to their menu and almost all their quality ingredients are imported fresh. The ambience is relaxed which makes it a perfect place for business meetings, family gatherings, birthday celebrations or that special date.

We had a bottle of Prosecco to keep us happy throughout our dinner 😛 I’m not sure how many types are there in the market, probably plenty, but this was really smooth and a little sweet which was easy to drink. Chef Donato planned a degustation menu for us, after making a mental note that we do not eat beef. A degustation menu at PepeNero usually costs between $100 -$120 depending on the number of courses and seasonal ingredients incorporated.

We kicked things off by sampling 3 types of Antipasti dishes, which are normally served individually in a larger portion. I will introduce the dishes from left to right because the photos are arranged as such, even though we started with the lightest tasting dish.

I’m a huge fan of parma ham and the Buffalo Mozzarella from Puglia Cheese with “Pachino” Tomatoes and Parma Ham ($29) certainly exceeded my expectations. The thinly sliced parma ham, when paired with the buffalo mozzarella, was excellent. It was seductively savory enough to whet our appetites. We also had the Deep Fried Seafood “Frittura” with Jumbo Prawn, Calamari, Soft Shell Crab, Wasabi Mayonnaise and Tartar ($24) which was thankfully not overwhelmingly hot enough to make our eyes tear. If you would prefer a light tasting starter, I strongly recommend the Tuna and Swordfish Carpaccio with Orange Salad, Marinated in Sicilian Citrus Dressing ($24) which tasted really refreshing and would not fill you up that quickly if you are planning to try more dishes.

I didn’t manage to find the Pumpkin Soup with Pork Cotechino ($19) in the menu but I reckon that it will be well-received. What is a cotechino, you may wonder. It is a type of cured meat, similar to salami. The fresh sausage is made pork and fat, with pig skin that is ground in with the meat. The sausage had also been heavily spiced, so you can imagine a myraid of delicious flavors – sweet, savory and spicy, all in one dish.

Not surprisingly, PepeNero’s pastas are all made in-house. Both misterchewy and I were full of praises for the Pappardelle Pasta with Slow Cooked Pork Ribs Ragù and Pecorino Cheese ($24) as we savored every mouthful. The pasta was cooked al dente and the pork ribs ragù was extremely tender, and not forgetting, flavorful. This dish was truly exemplary.

There’s something sexy about showing off one’s black stained teeth, but that’s only if you are having PepeNero’s Home made Black Squid Ink Risotto with Calamari and Pan-Seared Scallop ($29). This was another dish that we fell in love with. The rice grains are plump and sticky, which managed to absorb the rich flavors from the squid ink and parmesan cheese. The pan-seared scallop was done just right, but then again, the risotto on its own was really good enough.

I used to proudly profess my love for fatty pork belly and that I have absolutely no qualms about eating its fats. However, this Oven Baked Pork Belly with Au Jus, Eggplant Involtini and New Baby Potatoes ($30) made me eat my words. This pork belly had been cooked for many hours and had a huge layer of soft white fats which I slowly found hard to finish. The skin was also akin to that of cuttlefish, which was difficult to chew. On the other hand, the eggplant involtini, layered with tomatoes and cheese, was pretty brilliant.

The Pan Seared Tuna Goulash with Grilled Leeks and Crustacean Reduction ($30) fell short of our expectations as we were deceived into thinking that it would be delicate and succulent since it was pan-seared. It turned out to be quite hard and dry, and the accompanying sauce failed to salvage it.

Here’s a cross-section of the tuna, shot by misterchewy. We are still puzzled as to why the meat was so tough.

After so many courses, it was finally time for some Italian desserts! The Cream Caramel with Almond Biscotti ($11) had a smooth, silky consistency while taste-wise, it was rich and creamy. I also liked the fact that it tasted a little eggy.

I was happy to spot vanilla bean specks on our Cream Pudding “Pannacotta” with Fresh Strawberry and Forest Berry Compote ($12). This was more refreshing than the cream caramel. If I had to pick a favorite out of the two, I would pick both 😛

Not sure where to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Now you do! PepeNero has already planned its Valentine’s Day dinner menu! 😉

Here’s a shot with Amy, Chef Donato and PepeNero’s restaurant manager. Thank you for the invitation and warm hospitality!

Connect with us at www.facebook.com/missuschewy 🙂

Ristorante PepeNero
14 Stanley Street
Singapore 068733
Tel: 6222 5808
Email: info@pepenero.sg

Opening Hours
Mon to Fri
12pm – 2.30pm (Lunch)
Mon to Sat
6.30pm -11pm (Dinner)
Bar Hours: 12pm – 12 midnight
(Closed on Sundays)

Senso Ristorante & Bar: Romantic Italian Restaurant at Chinatown

Posted on August 23, 2012 by missuschewy

It has been briefly mentioned in our staycation at Wanderlust Hotel blog post that misterchewy took me to Senso Ristorante & Bar for my advanced birthday dinner, after our terrarium workshop. Ok correction. I had suggested to the husband beforehand that we could use the dining vouchers that we acquired from the Standard Chartered event. I mean, he was already spending a bomb on the staycation, so it’s my duty to be a thoughtful and understanding wife right? Your money is my money and my money is my money, dearest hubby. *Ahem.. Cough cough..*

Anyway, Senso was also a perfect location given that it was situated fairly near Wanderlust Hotel. When we arrived, we checked with the staff if there were any terms and conditions if we wanted to utilize our vouchers. There was no minimum spending whatsoever and we could order what we wanted. Awesome! She suggested dining at the courtyard as it would be romantic for the sun was about to set. Not that we could see sunset, but the transition of the skies was actually quite lovely!

Hubby Chewy eating breadsticks. Like a boss! 😛

We had a glass of white wine each to celebration the occasion. Hehehe. 😛

Amuse Bouche. Oops I can’t remember what this was.

The photo above depicts half a serving of the Swordfish Carpaccio ($30) because they very kindly split it up for us upon knowing that we wanted to share this starter. The swordfish carpaccio proved to be too fishy for misterchewy but I didn’t think that way. The thinly sliced summer black truffles lent a subtle earthy flavor and I quite liked this dish. It’s surprising how our taste buds can sometimes be very similar, yet different.

We didn’t exactly order a lot to share because we weren’t exactly very hungry. The husband went for the Spaghetti Pasta with Sea Urchin, Red Shallots Comfit and Italian Herbs ($38). The sea urchin had a sea saltish taste and a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

After trying both mains, I’m very sure that I prefer the Carnaroli Risotto with Saffron, pan-roasted Duck Liver and home-marinated Port Wine Cherries ($36). The foie gras was extremely well-executed but I did not really like the addition of port wine cherries.

We will be back to try some of the other dishes on the menu. Service was excellent which made our dining experience a lovely one.

Senso Ristorante & Bar
21 Club Street
Singapore 069410
Tel: 6224 3534

Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri
12pm – 3pm
6pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun
6pm – 10.30pm
Sun
11am – 3pm (Brunch)

Covelli Italian Bistro & Wine Bar: A Touch of Luxury In Every Bite

Posted on July 16, 2012 by missuschewy

Conveniently located in the heart of Orchard Road, Covelli Italian Bistro & Wine Bar has been serving up rustic Italian favorites with a touch of luxury since October 2011. Chef Dean Ng has put together an innovative menu – simple yet contemporary, with creations filled with such delectable flavors leading you wanting more after each bite. This modern bistro and wine bar combines unrivalled freshness and impeccable plating for every dish. If food presentation does matter a lot to you, you will be impressed over at Covelli!

Occupying a sprawling 3000 square feet with a total seating capacity of 80, Covelli is great for intimate meals as well as events. The restaurant’s simple white and black themed décor, soft lighting and tables decorated with bright fresh flowers, accompanied by classic love songs really set the atmosphere for a romantic dinner!

My dinner date <3 <3 <3

Wine connoisseurs will be heartened to know that Covelli boasts one of the most well-stocked cellars in Singapore, featuring more than 60 different types of wines from Italy, Australia, France and Spain.

Our dinner took off on a positive note with the Baby Spinach Salad ($16). Served on a bed of baby spinach, the sauteed tiger prawns had a nice pinkish color and was extremely firm in texture. The prawns were dressed in garlic-devon cream which tasted rich and heavenly!

I really enjoyed the Antipasto Frutti di Mare ($18) although it was slightly on the salty side. A winning combination of seared tataki tuna, cured salmon, crabmeat and avocado topped with avruga caviar and balsamic reduction is definitely something that I would order again on my revisit! There is a myriad of exciting tastes and textures in this one.

And the “cherry” on top would be the caviar! Can I have more please? 😛

The husband and I have a habit of posting photos of our food on Instagram! Add us @missuschewy and @misterchewy! 😛

We were given two pieces of Black Truffle Ravioli ($20) to sample. This makes up to about 20g as told by the waiter. The standard serving would be about 180g. You do the math. The subtle earthy flavor of black truffle is hard to miss as one bites into the al dente ravioli.

While I found that the brown butter cream sauce a tad heavy, I liked that the ravioli was topped with grated hazelnuts. Two pieces of black truffle ravioli was more than enough for me and I cannot imagine having to finish a standard serving. This is probably best for sharing.

We were caught by surprise when the Barramundi e Astice ($30) was served. The ‘black stuff’ was actually charcoal lobster, which in my opinion, tasted like fried fish with a slightly chewy texture within. The pan roasted barramundi was very well executed and the sweetness of the flesh was magnified with the addition of Gewurztraminer cream.

Out of all the dishes, I loved the presentation of the Kurobuta Pork Belly ($28) the most. While the chocolate spiced US pork belly was not the most tender kurobuta pork that I have tried, its unique taste more than made up for it. The porcini mushroom tortelli in hazelnut butter cream and blackberries complemented the pork belly really well and made this dish a very exquisite one.

We concluded the dinner with Lychee Champagne Panna Cotta ($10) which was silky smooth. I’m not a particularly huge fan of lychee but the hint of champagne was much appreciated.

Please note that the above dishes that we had were served in tasting portions. Despite this, we were really full by the end of the meal because of all dishes we sampled were cream-based! 😛

Thank you Covelli and Publicist PR for the invitation.

Covelli Italian Bistro & Wine Bar
181 Orchard Road
B2-13/22
Orchard Central
Singapore 198785
Tel: 6238 6400 / 8181 8023

Opening Hours:
Daily
11am – 11pm (Last order at 10.00pm)

Pietro Ristorante Italiano: Creative Fusion Italian Cuisine by Celebrity Chef Peter Neo

Posted on June 15, 2012 by missuschewy

The official launch of semi fine dining Italian restaurant Pietro Ristorante Italiano has recently been announced by celebrity chef Peter Neo. If you are wondering what ‘Pietro’ means, it is Italian for ‘Peter’! Well-known for his superb culinary skills, witty and innovative creations for fusion Italian food, Chef Peter Neo is widely sought after for food demonstrations, interviews for events, radio and TV programmes. I met Chef Peter for myself and clearly, creativity is the key to his success as he demonstrates quick wit and innovation in creating new dishes, blending European tastes with local preferences that are surprisingly palatable.

Pietro Ristorante Italiano is located along 12 Jalan Kelulut off Yio Chu Kang Road. No doubt it is slightly off the beaten track but at least Pietro offers valet parking to customers who drive. Definitely a very nice place to unwind and chill after work or during the weekend, over a glass of wine!

Featuring a total seating capacity of 88 seats, Pietro has an alfresco dining for 32 pax and indoor seating for 56 pax. Pietro has a luxurious touch to its interior decor as well, with a beautiful feature wall (more photos at the end of this post) that blends into the alfresco dining area and it really made me want to fly to Europe there and then!

Pietro uses only the freshest, top quality ingredients and original homemade sauces in their dishes. The open area around the Pietro red wood fired oven allows customers to witness how their pizzas are being made by the chefs!

It was a delight to start our dinner with the Prosciutto & Melone ($18). Paper thin, pinkish red Parma ham wrapped with rock melon proved to be a refreshing starter. The intense and lightly salty taste of the parma ham was masked to a good extent by the sweet rock melon slices.

I strongly recommend the Zuppa di Mare ($12) which was a very flavorful and full-bodied seafood soup concocted with prawn, clams, mussels, squids in tomato sauce, white wine, basil leaves and chilli. Had to resist the urge to lick the bowl clean! True story.

The Funghi Portobello ($20) was baked with crabmeat, ebiko and prawn. Tasted absolutely brilliant when dressed up with the rich and creamy gorgonzola sauce!

If i had to point out one dish that failed to impress me, it had to be the Gnocchi alla Marinara ($22). Ok honestly, I’m not sure what exactly makes up a perfect gnocchi in terms of texture but I found it quite mushy instead of being chewy. The marinara sauce was perfect though.

Chef Peter’s roasted pork belly was one of the most highly sought after dishes at his former restaurants and I was really looking forward to his Pancetta Arrosto ($26). The roasted pork belly was served with porcini, kidney beans and apple sauce. Chef Peter was able to create a magnificent roasted pork belly that was remarkably tender on the inside and crispy on the outside because the pork was steamed before it was roasted. The tangy apple sauce served at the side was made from scratch and was indeed a wonderful accompaniment for the roasted pork belly.

I bet misterchewy’s favorite dish for the night was the Costolette di Agnello ($42). The Australian lamb rack in gorgonzola sauce was grilled to perfection and it was fall off the bone tender. We couldn’t fault this one!

After tasting Chef Peter’s Spaghetti alle Vongole ($18), I must say that he has certainly raised the bar for what seems to be the perfect Vongole. The pasta was al dente and the Vongole sauce had a beautiful creamy texture even without the addition of cream and also had the rich flavors of the sea.

Surely, a pizza named after Chef Peter had to be at least good, if not fantastic. The Pizza Pietro ($26) was topped with Chef Peter’s homemade pork sausage which had a nice hint of herbs and spices. I love a chewy pizza base and its crust was crispy with some parts slighly chewy due to the presence of air bubbles in the crust.

Chef Peter has a secret method for these Calamari Fritti ($18). The squid body rings were lightly coated with homemade batter and deep fried to a beautiful golden crisp, while retaining a slight chewy texture within.

Even though we were pretty full by then, we couldn’t wait to try the desserts!

We thought we were too full and could only stomach a mouthful or two of the Tortino di Lava con Rum ($15) but it appeared otherwise. The warm luxurious molten chocolate lava with rum was simply exquisite beyond words!

Newly released in Pietro’s menu, the Tortino alla Frutta ($14.80) is a slight variation from the chocolate lava with rum. Deliciously sweet and tart frutti lava made this an amazing dessert as well!

Seems like this oozing molten phenomenon is a consistency at Pietro. Thumbs up!

Chef Peter was eager to let us try his Tiramisu ($12) even though we had raised the white flag. It was moist and slightly spongy soft, so I suppose it had the right amount of coffee liquer in it. The mascarpone was surprisingly light and creamy. There was one thing for sure though, the tiramisu was a little too bitter than what I would have liked it to be.

And this is the beautiful feature wall at the alfresco dining area! It was kinda cold indoors, so my lens fogged almost instantly. So here’s a tip, take all the photos you want first!

Pietro is offering a very sweet deal! There is a 1-for-1 promotion for lunch from 11.30 am to 2.30pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays. Be sure to drop by!

Thank you AT Marketing Consultancy and Chef Peter for the invitation and for hosting us.

Pietro Ristorante Italiano
12 Jalan Kelulut
Singapore 809030
Tel: 6484 5528

Opening Hours:
11.30am – 2.30pm (Lunch)
6pm – 11pm (Dinner) Close on Mondays temporary till further notice (except public holidays and eve of public holidays, close on the day after public holiday).

missuschewy

Singapore Lifestyle and Travel Blog

Tag Archives: Italian restaurant in Singapore

Noti Restaurant and Bar: Must Try Mushroom Risotto!

Ristorante PepeNero: Simply Italian, Simply the Best

Senso Ristorante & Bar: Romantic Italian Restaurant at Chinatown

Covelli Italian Bistro & Wine Bar: A Touch of Luxury In Every Bite

Pietro Ristorante Italiano: Creative Fusion Italian Cuisine by Celebrity Chef Peter Neo

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