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An Entertaining Feast ALTHOUGH al fresco seats facing the river were available, Ristorante Teatro's indoor dining area was my preferred spot on a scorching hot Thursday evening. Not only because of the tempting cool comforts and elegant setting. I was looking forward to the live performance at the restaurant (touted as a one-stop destination for fine dining and theatre). Setting the mood every Thursday evening are David and Daniella, who cover popular easy-listening and jazz songs. Then, on Friday and Saturday nights, Dragon Trio, a three-piece jazz band, takes over the stage. And do look out for the upcoming special performance, On Broadway. The menu features unpretentious and unadulterated Italian flavours, created by Italian chef Gabriele Michelotti, who prior to Singapore, learnt the culinary ropes at London's famed Mosimanns restaurant. What caught my fancy in the menu was the layer of scallops and asparagus with Parmesan crisp and saffron dressing. Triangular pieces of parmesan crisp lend a textural contrast to the fresh, plump scallops. The dish was further jazzed up by cherry tomatoes and a zesty dressing. A rather odd starter was the pan-fried duck liver - a hefty meal in itself. Four enormous slabs of foie gras shared plate space with porcini mushrooms, nestled in a filo pastry case. Although nicely executed, this dish is definitely not for the cholesterol-conscious. The pastas come in either appetiser ($17) or main ($21) portions. Opt for the smaller serving, which is still rather generous in my book. The menu's mainstay is the black ink tonnarelli in spicy seafood sauce. I had enjoyed this dish previously and am glad that it is still as good. The pasta was firm to the bite and the sauce bursting with flavour thanks to the addition of anchovy paste. Roasted rack of lamb, tomatoes and basil juice were partnered with beans and potato gratin, and then garnished with paper-thin brinjal crisp. Unfortunately, the over-salted thyme feta cheese and pinenut crust didn't do justice to the lamb. An alternative red meat dish is the Tuscan-style grilled beef fillet with Chianti wine reduction. The earthy porcini and subtle bitterness of the crunchy arugula helped to cut the richness of the meat cooked in wine and veal stock. The chef's Venetian-style tiramisu was the perfect finale to my meal. This soft and moist version was drizzled with Marsala wine and finished with a layer of chocolate shavings. I also adored the warm chocolate and hazelnut praline with grappa sauce and caramelised pear slices. Address: Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay, 60 Raffles Avenue, #01-14/16 Esplanade Mall, Tel: 6532 1922. Opening hours: Noon to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 11pm daily. |
Gooey
chocolate scented with hazelnut essence was trapped in dual layers
of crushed almond and egg white then deep-fried till crispy and
golden brown.