Pasta & Pizza...

Fun and lively place just a short walk away from Hillview MRT, we decided to celebrate a birthday here as the birthday girl was craving italian food and this had been getting lots of social media buzz lately.

Started off with the Porchetta ($9 for small) which was sooo delicious - luxuriously fatty with a decently crackling skin, with fennel rub inbetween for a mild sweetness. Dip it in the accompanying sharp mustard sauce to cut through the greasiness! Small portion was just nice for 3 pax surprisingly, and you wouldn't want to eat too much of this fattiness.

Next was the Traditional Stuffed Roman Schiacciata ($10 for small) which looked assuming on first glance but was sooo addictive and I couldn't taking bite after bite of it. Think a simple cheese sandwich but with a rich truffle layer inside. The crustiness of the bread paired with the earthy gooeyness of the truffle cheese was just heavenly.

Of course, Burrata has to be a staple whenever we visit an italian restaurant, and the simple Burrata ($19) with parma ham, rucola, and cherry tomatoes didn't fail to disappoint. My only gripe would be that the burrata portion could have been larger for its price.

Couldn't resist more carbs so we ordered the Bruschetta ($8) with Sicilian fresh tomatoes and italian basil. A simple italian classic, but done so well here. Tomatoes were especially sweet and tart, and were what made this dish so delicious. However, birthday girl didn't really enjoy the sharpness of the garlic cubes, but she made do by mashing them up and spreading it onto the bread. Improvise, adapt, overcome!

At this point, we realised we didn't have a vege dish so we settled on the Baked Eggplant Parmigiana ($14) which was layers of eggplant in a hearty tomato stew. Loved the sweet nuttiness of the eggplant, and the tomato stew was equally rich and packed with umami. Wished we had saved some of the Schiaciatta to dip in the sauce.

Loaded with the small bites and starters, onto our one pasta main - the Cacio e Pepe ($20). Pretty decent, creamy sauce that wasn't stringy, but I would've chosen a more exciting pasta on a return trip.

Finally, we've reached the end of our meal and what better way to finish with the italian classic desserts - Pistachio Tiramisu ($14) and Cannoli ($12). The tiramisu was a banger; can't think of any other words to describe it. Loved it, you got to try it for yourself. As for the Cannoli, it was my first time trying it and I liked the sweet ricotta filling with chocolate chips and pistachio crumbs to give it a pop of nuttiness and sweetness. I thought the pastry shells were going to be crisp but they were more flaky, but I also liked it.

Overall, loved the vibes of the restaurant but it was pretty packed on a Tuesday night and I thought the service staff could be a little bit more friendly and attentive. Would have been nice to be shown some welcoming gestures, and we were disappointed that there was no birthday surprise even though we specified it in our reservation (another table got a cake with a candle). Still, loved the food and prices are pretty value-for-money as well. Would return!

Quite a unique combi and while the butter chicken couldn't replicate the creamy goodness of the authentic ones, it still passed muster. Loved the addition of the pickled onions as well, giving every bite a nice crunch and a slight tang.

A medley of colourful veges adorned over a beautiful tomato sauce atop a delicious sourdough base. Think semi-dried tomatoes, huge black olives, slices of grilled eggplant and zucchini, slivers of mushrooms and bell peppers and artichokes. Lovely variety and all coming together so well. The accompanying chilli oil was pure goodness as well - drizzle it onto your pizza and also the crust for an added oomph.

We love going to Wine & Kitchen whenever were in the area for their delicious pastas and worth-it Happy Hour! A very cosy establishment tucked in a corner of 111 Somerset perfect for casual lunches to quiet dates.

Their Risotto ($25) never fails to let us down, with rich and creamy risotto paired with chunks of earthy mushrooms. Three stalks of crunchy asparagus crown the dish together with a drizzle of chilli oil. Wow. We also had the Truffle Mushroom Aglio Olio ($25) which was addictively garlicky with a touch of heat. The drizzle of truffle oil really elevated this dish and left me wanting more after the last strand of pasta. Completing the meal was a glass of Happy Hour Osmanthus G&T at $11. With the Burpple 1 for 1 deal for pastas, the total came up to about $42. Perfect!

Drawn by the numerous tiktoks/ig on this Cheesewheel Pasta, we dropped by Saporita on a sweltering, busy, Saturday night. The outdoor foodcourt was packed with tourists and we felt out of place being there. This was the first time I've eaten here!

Now, on the the pasta. Creamy and suitable cheesy, there was a hint of truffle from the scoop of Truffle Pate they finished off the dish with. Overall, tasted pretty normal and thought there could have been a more robust flavour other than just cream and cheese. Worth a try if you pass by when it's less busy.

This was pretty creamy and delicious. Chock full of chicken chunks, turkey bacon, and mushrooms too.

Prawn Aglio Olio ($16.90), BYO Pink Sauce w/ Mushrooms ($12.40), Royal Ragu ($14.40). Taste-wise was alright, but the pasta was slightly overcooked and royal Ragu had some strange hard grits in it. Portion was also small for its price.

Started off our meal with Lemon Bitter ($15) and Smoked Negroni ($18). Waitstaff were very friendly and welcoming. Space might be abit small and I could see some tables so close to one another, would think that it'll be awkward for dates.

Pretty hefty price for beef Bolognese pasta, but this didn't really deliver in my opinion. Sauce was rich, bordering on overly salty. I know alot of effort goes into stewing the beef sauce, but overall felt like a miss. Smoked Burrata was interesting, but perhaps we should've tried it on a simple salad for the depth of flavour to shine through better.

First time I've had this dish and the closest I can describe this is 'lasagna, but eggplant' - loved it! Eggplant was creamy and still retained its distinct eggplant taste amidst the (wonderfully creamy) tomato sauce. Scraped the sauce clean.

Great rendition of a staple Burrata salad, one can never go wrong with rocket salad topped with tomatoes and olives, with fresh and creamy Burrata, and balsamic dressing bringing everything together into a perfect harmony.

Aglio e Olio ($13.50) - Savoury and slightly spicy with fresh crunchy shrimps, this was the favourite dish! Might be quite oily for some that's part of the aglio olio experience!

Carbonara ($13.50) - Sauce was too dry and the pasta was all clumpy :( Taste was heavy and guanciale was too tough for our liking.

Ragu alla Bolognese ($15) - Wasn't as tomato-ey as I thought, more sweet than savoury. Was up my alley but others might not like it.

Overall, with no gst or service charge, this was quite affordable overall.