Solo Ristorante - Fresh, Clean Taste and Full of Flavours

Imagine my surprise when I first step into Solo Ristorante to find that it is very crowded already on a Monday afternoon. And fifteen minutes later, it's full house. I know the reason why after a dining experience here, where I enjoy awesome food prepared in the open kitchen–one can see the head chef and his team hard at work here–and great service plus some Italian music.

And the set lunch here is pretty kind to the wallet 😉

Gamberi E Radicchio is such a beautiful dish in both taste and looks. The succulent, plump, creamy prawns are packed with the lovely briny sweetness, accentuated by the light spiciness of the seasoning, zest of the tomatoes and hint of bitterness of the onion. This is good that I bite off the base of the prawns' heads to slurp up the super creamy and briny gland in there. This is one of tastiest parts in fresh prawns.

Fluffy bread with olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar. Will be great if served warmer.

Tagliatelle with Marinara Squid, Oregano and Smoked Garlic Cream tastes so unique yet familiar at the same time, just like the restaurant's slogan. I love this paste dish so much because of the myriad of  harmonised flavours, with a bit of spiciness for the kick. The squid rolls, which hold lots of sauce in their cores, is amazingly tender. And I like the flatter shape of tagliatelle to induce the feel of smoother texture when biting into it.

Zuppa D'astice is Lobster Bisque with orange and star anise. Very rich in taste and full of the essence of lobster, I like it very much.

Limone E Meringa has the exact right balance of sourness and sweetness. The sweetness of custard and vanilla meringue is complemented by the zest of strawberry coulis and lemon. What makes this dessert special is the consistency of the lemon curd, which is more like ice-cream than custard. I love this uniqueness, and it gives more texture to the dessert. Also juxtaposes well with the slightly stickiness of the meringue. A sweet, nice dessert to end the meal with.

Lovely white wine recommended by the staff. It becomes really sweet when eaten with the food 👍

The interior of the restaurant is a cross between lovely, quaint, intimate dining space and chic, cool bar. At the same time, there is a certain coziness hanging in the air. Great to feel all comfortable and just enjoy the good food. Sitting at the bar counter entitles one to an unbridled view of the kitchen, where all the heat of the action is. Surprisingly, while seated here, one can feel the passion of the chefs at work and have the hot piping food served straightaway from kitchen by the chefs, but will not feel heat from the stoves, ovens and grills. So one will still look and smell all good after a meal here beside the kitchen.

The service here is very friendly and responsive. A more senior Indian staff is especially thoughtful, advising me on the portions of the food since this is a huge concern for solo diners like me.

I totally love the food here and look forward to come back again.

Thoughts: Super Flavourful Dishes and Energetic Kitchen + Service Crew

45 Amoy Street

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar or Chinatown

Gattopardo Ristorante Di Mare - Awesome Sicilian Cuisine

Note: Temporary closed to be moved to new location

I had always wanted to go to Gattopardo since this is the only place to get Sicilian food, and it is always exciting and sometimes very rewarding to try out a new type of cuisine. Since Sicily is an autonomous island near Italy, the cuisine has noticeable Italian and Mediterranean influences, okay, this looks really promising. After a Sicilian Journey here, I can say I'm now a fan of Sicilian cuisine.

A taste of Sea Scallop Ceviche, Smoked Caviar makes one feels like he or she is dining in a beautiful seaside town. This is such a beautiful dish, in terms of both aesthetic and taste. The fresh, plump, juicy scallops is so full of briny sweetness, accentuated by the intense umami of smoked caviar, zest of the tomato and clear sauce. I love this so much.

Bunny Kombucha of Passion Fruit flavour is very refreshing, slightly sweet and sour. Great for the health of the guts and really whets the appetite. Very good recommendation by the friendly and helpful service staff.

Amuse Bouche of Truffle with Ricotta Cheese has the super creaminess and mild nutty flavour of ricotta cheese paired with the earthy aroma of truffle. The thin wafer adds a nice crunch to the dish. A well-executed starter that explores the combination of various tastes and textures.

Sourdough bread is served warm and has a nice fluffy texture Very wholesome treat, and the olive is very interesting in taste, having a slight astringent bitter taste with planty notes. I like this unique taste.

Sicilian Rice Balls, Fresh Black Truffle, Ragusano Cheese Fondue comes after Scallop Ceviche, and this is like trip from the seaside to the deep woods. More mellow, features the nuanced flavours of the earth and woods, this dish is a nice transition in taste profile. The fluffy, starchy rice packed with molten cheese, peppered with truffle, is so wholesome in taste.

Risone Pasta, Baby Octopus, Bone Marrow Butter is another great surprise served. The baby octopus is springy in texture and yet easy to bite, I definitely prefer this over the regular tough octopus. I love the Risone Pasta. It has the wholesomeness of quality rice, and its grain-like shape allows the rich sauce to fully coat each grain, so each bite of this is bursting with flavours. The texture of this paste is unique and unbelievably good, having smooth exterior with starchy interior. First time to try to kind of pasta, and I'm lovin' it already.

The service staff is very nice to change my mains to Citrus Glazed Iberico Pork Belly, Parsnip, Wild Spinach from the lunch menu since I prefer pork and seafood over beef, lamb and fish. This has nice tender pork with rich gamey flavours, and mustard and special sauce to cut through the gamey flavours for the balance in taste. Very favourful and hearty.

Palate Cleanser of sorbet before the dessert.

Tiramisu, Noto Almonds, Amaretti Crumble is a indulgent treat with lots of creaminess, hints of alcohol and nutty goodness of almonds. This nicely round up the whole exciting trip of a meal.

Nice cute little Petit Fours served.

The place is so beautiful. The exterior looks like a well-furnished bungalow with a courtyard. The first floor is seeped in idyllic theme, like the backyard patio of a mansion, perfect to chill out. The second floor is posh and fancy, like the main dining hall of the very same mansion. Lots of instagram-worthy pictures can be taken of the place. The service is excellent, being friendly, enthusiastic and attentive, and they have very good knowledge of the food. Now I can add another favourite type of cuisine into my Favourites List, and it is Sicilian. Since it is in my Favourites List, of course, I will come back for more.

Thoughts: I love all dishes here. Must-try for foodies.

Otto Ristorante - Buon Appetito!

Buon Appetito! That's what the service staff sometimes said when my food was served. And oh boy, I sure enjoy my meals at this classy, chic dining establishment because the service is so friendly, upbeat, energetic, and the mains and desserts really won me over.

While I find that the salad here to be too plain to my liking which makes me feel like I am eating endless tons of grass, the other dishes managed to gain a lot of points on my scoreboard. The snapper served is so fresh and had no hint of fishy smell at all that I totally love it. For most of the dishes here, I feel that the taste do not wow one over immediately on the first bite, but rather, the aroma of the ingredients slowly build up, making the dishes taste better with each successive bite. It is only through the middle of the dish that makes me go "Woah, this is good!"

Though take note that the restaurant is quite crowded at times and can get quite noisy and the service may become considerably slower.

Definitely the place I like to come back often to if I am in the mood for Italian food!

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Open air car park behind Red Dot Traffic Building

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

28 Maxwell Road
#01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building
Singapore
Contact No: 62276819