Italian/French/Pasta/Pizza/Cheese

Hiya guys!! Missed this space!! 😁 & off to a bad start already! Needed to get this off my chest i guess 😂 Recently opened @atmastelsg is a disappointing Italian restaurant using premium quality ingredients but with all round poor execution. The pizzas doesn't justify the price as many fine Italian restaurants charges under $30 for fresh wood-baked and much tastier pizzas too.
>Scroll left for more pics!<
🌈
Rating: 4/10
🌈
Will i return/recommend: No/No
🌈
Pros: Premium quality ingredients for sure. Nice modern space. Portugese egg tarts were yummy though (but not the nicest i've had & extremely sweet)
🌈
Cons: Service was adequete at best, very poorly trained, somewhat "elitist" even. Pizza seemed reheated in the oven, not freshly made upon order. Premium ingredients, but what's the point if it's not tasty? It was so plain & bland. Severely underwhelming, probably overhyped on social media. Not a bad pizza, but very mediocre in taste & expensive.
🌈
Price: S$61.45 - had 1for1 promo in May. Truffle - $48++, Asparagus $36++

6th review! Def one of my FAV restaurants. The cold pasta is undoubtedly one of the best. Friend decided to be greedy & ordered an entire cold pasta for herself so i finally got to try a different pasta!! 😁
Previous: 31Mar
>Scroll left for more pics!<
🗻
Rating: 9/10
🗻
Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes
🗻
Pros: Service improved. Consistently good food. Generous servings. Everything u see in two plates is actually 1 serving. ❤ the cold pasta. Crab meat penne comparable, but still prefer @pastafrescadasalvatore 's version. White asparagus (seasonal) was superb! Very good lamb chops, t-bone beef & pistachio ice cream too.
🗻
Cons: DON'T attempt to finish the cold pasta by yourself, it's extremely jerlat. Apple tart not fantastic.
🗻
Price: S$202.44 - 2pax, finished everything

ITALIAN!! My fav cuisine 😊 Grissini is a restaurant within "Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel" serving Southern Italian cuisine & unique for its use of the Josper grill. Overall food is good quality for sure, but didn't set out to impress.

Rating: 6.9/10

Will i return/recommend: No/No

Pros: Superb service. Cosy relaxing ambience. High quality. Very good texture for both veal cheek & octopus (both were Josper grilled). Large lobster chunks in pasta. Potatoes were the best things, smokey apple flavour. Complimentary bread sticks were awesome. Yummy desserts.

Cons: Not authentic, no complexity in flavours. Overall mains pleasant at best - quite bland & "flat" tasting. Pasta noodles not fresh kinds. Lobster obvious thawed texture. Both Josper dishes not charred & hot enough. They did not absorb much flavours.

Price: S$158.85 - 2pax, could not finish veal & dessert, left with 2 bites each

3rd review! Every time i leave, i’m already planning my next visit. Italian is my fav cuisine & pasta is my fav food, yes because i’m boring like that 😃 I love everything prepared by Chef Luca but unfortunately, this dish which has blown the minds of many, wasn’t doing anything for me. It’s good. But not THAT good. Pretty light on the palette & i like strong flavoured foods so… perhaps i wasn’t feeling the egg yolks right there & then as well (i’m not a fan of egg yolks). See previous 2 posts for in-depth reviews.

Rating: 8.1/10

Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes (not this dish)

Pros: Premium ingredients of fresh burrata cheese, nagayo eggs, black truffles, iberico ham (or chorizo?). The creamy burrata blends well with the eggs and salty cured meat. Very light tasting dish.

Cons: I’ll be honest, it’s expensive for what it is. Pricing didn’t match my expectations for the taste. Black winter truffles are supposedly the best variants but these didn’t carry any aromatic or earthy flavours that i could easily detect.

Price: S$68++ for Eggs Burrata Truffle (portioned out into 2, what's shown is half), it’s usually S$48++ but now is the season for black winter truffles which are pricier

I really love pastas so this was heaven to me 😍 Cold angel hair pasta cooked al dente in a truffle emulsion with sweet raw scallops & uni, served on a chilled plate. What more could i ask for? 😋 Pic is blurry as i was shaking & can't wait to savour it! (haha i kid! just lousy photo skills). See previous posting for more info.

Rating: 9.6/10

Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes

Pros: Quality food, well executed. It is pricey but it’s meant to share as a starter dish. Quantity is definitely sufficient even after portioning into 2. Generous servings of raw scallops which were extremely sweet. This dish is so simple yet mind-blowingly good. If anything, do attempt to try it at least once in your life 😃

Cons: Uni mid-grade type. The flavours doesn’t hold & gets tiresome when you’re mid-way through. But once you’re down to the last spoonful, that’s when you start to ‘panic’ 😂 Throughout the entire meal, nobody came round to check on us nor asked if we would like any desserts/coffee/tea to end our meal with, which is the most standard thing 😕 So we went to other nearby cafes instead 😀

Price: S$88++ for Cold Pasta Uni Scallop (each order portioned out into 2 plates, whats pictured is half). Do not attempt to eat this by yourself, you will get sick of it (very jelat)

This famous restaurant is a long-time favourite of many, and for good reason! Love the casual and unpretentious vibe. Homely family-style trattoria with emphasis on good quality food! Do make reservations prior to going; they run at full-capacity every night, closed on Mon & Tue. I prefer to go late so it's less busy.

Rating: 9.1/10

Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes

Pros: Food is truly wonderful. Service staffs not well-trained but friendly & polite. They offer good value lunch sets as well. Octopus is extremely tender 😃 but would prefer less tomato in my sauce though (personal preference as i don’t like sour foods). Free bread basket.

Cons: Super cramped & noisy. Not really romantic or anything. The hostess/boss flittering around was legit causing me anxiety just from her movements. It’s not very pleasant to have people zooming about in a frenzy the entire time, while i'm trying to enjoy my meal. Very distracting. Dishes were slow to serve. The moment you get seated they ask if you want still/sparkling & smack you with a bottle of Acqua Panna for $8++. Can reject and ask for 'normal' water. Glass-ware had specks of stuff inside.

Price: S$40++ for Spanish Octopus (portioned out into 2 plates as shown)

Siglap branch: My fav food is actually pasta, coz i'm boring like that 😁 I really love Italian cuisine and have been returning to @pastafrescadasalvatore for a good many years! Honestly, i've tried many dishes which have disappointed, so i only go back when there's a craving for that one pasta - polpa di granchio (crab meat tomato)

Rating: 7.5/10

Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes (Siglap)

Pros: Pasta's are handmade! Quality is pretty consistent (but for the 1st time in 7yrs, my pasta kindda failed me). Love the casual relaxing vibe, and i always choose to sit al fresco. Closes late at 11pm, and can continue sitting after they lock up & leave, no stress to finish your food. Friendly service staffs. Crab meat pasta is awesome as it not only tastes good, there are generous amounts of crab meat. Fav dishes: Mozzarella w tomato, Polpa di Granchio w linguine, Mascarpone pizza w tomato base (on request), Tiramisu (to share)

Cons: Dishes are hits & miss. Honestly, i don't have high confidence for this place anymore as i keep getting disappointed👎 Strictly sticking to only the usuals as those are worth returning for! Don't like Boat Quay's branch. Dislikes: Seafood soup, Cannelloni ricotta e spinachi, Alla bolognese, Gnocchi pasta, Chocolate mousse.

Price: S$23.80 - polpa di granchio pasta (avg spending for two with starters or dessert $60-80)

Siglap outlet: Yet another very authentic place for Italian but just here for desserts tonight 😊 oh & what's up with Italian restaurants & bad lighting 😒

@Etnaitalianrestaurant is awarded the Ospitalita Italiana Gold Seal Award - certification given to recognized Italian restaurants all over the world by the Italian Government, embassies & Chambers of Commerce worldwide. The Gold Deal guarantees every customer true & high quality authentic Italian food and service provided.
🐯
Rating: 8/10
🐯
Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes
🐯
Pros: Cozy quiet corner at East Coast area. Good quality. Yummy desserts. Great pasta's here too. Pistachio ice-cream is awesome. Desserts not sickly sweet.
🐯
Cons: Crampy and uncomfortable seatings. Will not reorder tiramisu - too small for $14++ & not the best
🐯
Price: S$23.54 - tiramisu, pistachio ice cream

Cosy homely cafe! Really love pastas but this was a little "too much" for me. I can see myself eating this again, but only to share. See previous posting for more info about @sun_ray_cafe

Rating: 6.9/10 (food)

Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes

Pros: Generous portions, quality food, well executed.

Cons: Not my thing, difficult to finish this dish. Too much pasta and spicy sauce, with a greasy chunk of soft shell crab oozing with oil. For the price, there are way better pastas out there

Price: S$22 Seafood pasta. Avg spending S$60 for two diners & a dog.

My go-to pasta place for a quick casual bite before a movie at Cineleisure. Homely mom-and-pop concept (somewhat like Pastamania). Indoor dining but it's not a restaurant.

Rating: 7/10

Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes

Pros: Very affordable prices at town. Look at the portions! Simple & nice food. Friendly staff. I've tried the Tom Yum pasta and it was good! So was the aglio olio. Mushroom soup 👍

Cons: Fish was bland, the cheese didn't really do anything for it. Go for the pasta's.

Price: S$10.90 Cheesy Affair, change fries to pasta +S$2, meal combo +S$3.90. Scape outlet cheaper than Simpang Bedok (restaurant concept)

Absolutely ❤ pasta's, my idea of comfort food! 😁 Enjoyed myself at this cozy little French/Italian restaurant arnd Siglap area! Does not have WOW-factor but it's simple, good & authentic, flavours has depth without being too salty. Do ask for their tablet picture menu as some dishes are not in the menu book.
🍝
Rating: 7.8/10
🍝
Will i return/recommend: Yes/Yes
🍝
Pros: Really gd service here 👍💗 Serving well-paced. Relaxing unpretentious place, homely feel. Humongous generous portions. Tastes very authentic - if it helps, over 50% of diners were Italians too. Crab meat pasta has an awesome "smokey burnt" flavour & a good splashing of white wine ❤ Seafood in risotto was huge 😊 Glad they served burratina 125gm - just nice for 2
🍝
Cons: Food a tad bit pricier compared to similar "neighbourhood" mid-tier places & not the best in that range. Understaffed.
🍝
Price: S$84.21 (2pax, too much food! Packed half the risotto; didn't finish bread)