Brunetti Oro (6 Battery Road)

Brunetti should be one of those names in the local dining scene that should not be too much of a stranger for foodies or those whom have been going around Tanglin Mall before its recent revamp — previously an establishment located within Tanglin Mall itself, Brunetti had been moving around in the past couple of years; this includes having been situated at the second level of CT Hub 2 at one point of time though lacking of that opulent vibe that it used to have in Tanglin Mall. They had since moved out of the CT Hub 2 location, and the brand is now known as Brunetti Oro 1956 — now located at the office lobby of Six Battery Road (not to be confused with the galleria area where Surrey Hills Deli and an outlet of MP Thai are located). Despite occupying a space in an office lobby, Brunetti Oro 1956 does have a fully- kitchen that serves up proper hot food; the dining space is also surprisingly large with the eatery spanning almost 3/4 of the length of the building at the side that it occupies. The entire establishment looks like refined and polished, but not in a way that is as exaggerated as what it was when they were still located in Tanglin Mall. It does seem that Brunetti Oro 1956 has trimmed down its menu offerings a little since their days of being a full-service establishment at Tanglin Mall — the hot food selection includes mostly Italian-inspired dishes like Aracini, Pasta and Pizza, though they also do carry a salad line-up as well. At Brunetti Oro 1956, patrons can also opt for the various cakes, macarons, entremets and danishes which are all displayed prominently at the display case / chiller located at the counter area. Beverages that are served at Brunetti Oro 1956 includes specialty coffee roasted specifically for Brunetti by Lavazza, as well as canned drinks, teas and fruit juices as well.

We dropped by Brunetti Oro 1956 on a weekday evening — this also meant that we were looking for some hot food to go for alongside cakes that would eventually become our dinner. Having skimmed through the various hot food options which they have to offer, we found ourselves sticking to a rather are and conventional choice that would be the Linguini Pasta with Portobello Mushroom Ragout. The Linguini Pasta with Portobello Mushroom Ragout is described on the menu to come with elements such as linguini pasta, portobello mushroom, black truffle ragout and freshly-shaved parmigiana. It is very apparent from the get-go that the Linguini Pasta with Portobello Mushroom Ragout is an item that would offer no surprises; the combination can be best described as being predictable to say the least. Giving the pasta a go, this was one pasta dish that would probably suit those with a lighter palate — the pasta used here does seem to be of a sort that is thinner than what we are used to getting at most other places; whilst this also meant that the pasta would not be particularly jelat, we also felt that the texture of the pasta was a little bit off for our liking since it just felt brittle. The mushroom ragout was earthy with a slight saltish note coming from the shaved parmigiana, though we did not quite detect the notes coming from the black truffle somehow.

Where it came to the cakes, our choice was the San Remo that features a light cheesecake mousse, strawberry jelly centre and a flourless pistachio sponge base. The flavours were interesting, with the nuttiness of the pistachio sponge base fronting that of the entire cake; the strawberry jelly giving a contrasting tanginess with the cheesecake providing just the right level of richness that binds everything together. That being said, the entremet’s texture was a little sticky a compared to what we have had from artisanal patisseries; the consistency being just a bit off from desired. One thing to note about Brunetti is that it does attempt to be an establishment that seems to be a little bit more upscale than that of the usual specialty coffee joints that often find themselves opening in the fringe of town or in some “posh” neighbourhoods — this is also pretty evident in the way where the food items are priced. Main courses are priced in the range of $13.90 all the way up to $25.90; the most affordable item being the Schiacciata; a Tuscan flatbread with wilted spinach, garlic, chili, cheese and confit tomatoes, while the priciest would be the Lasagne. Our order of the San Remo also set us back by another $12.90. Despite all that, one thing worth commending during our experience at Brunetti Oro 1956 was the service; the service staff were attentive, friendly and welcoming despite us being one of the last customers having walked in to make an order for a hot food item for the day — there was never a moment that we felt rushed to make an order, nor felt our late presence was a bother to them. Given the circumstances, Brunetti Oro 1956 is a spot that probably works best for business lunches without having to go all too fancy; a spot that would be formal enough without being all overwhelming while at it — probably also a reason why it found itself being situated in the heart of the Central Business District as well. Otherwise, a spot to hit for some good vibes and visually-attractive entremets if one works around the area and isn’t looking to head too far out to satisfy their cravings for fancy cakes too.