Latteria Mozzarella Bar - Say "Cheese" with Gusto and Joy!

Unlike most diners, I actually went to Latteria's Mediterranean sister restaurant Thirty9 first before coming to here. On my way to Thirty9 and enjoying the feel of walking down the rarely seen cobblestone pavement, I took a look at Latteria al fresco dining area, I love the idyllic European vibe of the place, and I made a goal to come here before Chinese New Year. And I did, right on CNY eve and got a nice surprise here 😉

Since at a Mozzarella Bar, I know I got to order some wet cheese balls, which are this place's speciality–can hardly get them elsewhere in Singapore. I opt for Burratina Affumicata, which is Smoked Burrata with Porcini Mushrooms and Basil Pesto.

I want to try this since I have never eaten burratina or burrata in its entirety before. This is mozzarella cheese wrapping around a creamy filling of curb and fresh cream. I love this at first bite because it is so creamy and buttery with an iota of milky, grassy flavour plus stretchy texture from the mozzarella. The smoked surface of the burratina adds an extra dimension to the taste. The creaminess of the cheese goes excellently well with the strong flavours of tangy tomatoes, earthy taste of mushrooms and the pungent basil pesto. A dish full of zest and flavours.

Nice fluffy bread with special olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

For pasta, I get Linguine al Granchio since I like its ingredients of Crab Meat and Mascarpone. This is fresh Tomato Sauce added too for the zest in taste. Rich in taste due to the mascarpone, this is pure comfort food. I actually prefer linguine over spaghetti since the flat surface of the linguine yield a smoother feel when eating it. Personal preference, of course. The restaurant is pretty generous with the shredded crab meat. And besides the shredded meat, I can actually find morsels of sweet briny crab meat, which is a delight to savour.

Despite being pretty full–due to the generous portions of food, I still make some space in my tummy for Latteria’s Cheesecake. This is an awesome combination of Buffalo Ricotta Cheese for creaminess and light nutty flavour, Lemon for zest, Strawberry Compote for tangy taste, Basil-Coulis for extra kick and Strawberry Sorbetto for floral notes in frozen form. Just right in the sweetness and sourness of taste profile, I enjoy this dessert so much.

This is the surprise I'm talking about. I'm so glad that I visit this restaurant before CNY to get this special message. This nice little gesture is so thoughtful.

The al fresco area is perfect for lounging around and enjoying the lush greenery lining the perimeter. Majority of the patrons actually opt for al fresco dining.

The interior of the restaurant is classy and cozy. Great for romantic dates and family gatherings.

The Cobblestone pavement that makes one feel like he/she is in a nice quaint place out of Singapore.

I like both the al fresco area and the interior dining area. Both have distinctive styles to make for a very conducive place to enjoy good food. Service is great too, especially the lady staff, who is very friendly and takes the effort to advise me on the portions of the food, which is a huge concern for solo diners like me.

I really like the food here, and it is great place to hang out at to just enjoy good things in life.

Thoughts: Cool place to enjoy Italian fare and specialty of mozzarella

40 Duxton Hill

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Nicholas Le Restaurant - Amazing and Authentic French Cuisine

Of all the French Restaurants in my wishlist, Nicholas Le Restaurant is on the top of list. There's Something About Nicholas that appeals to my gastronomic senses. I guess it's the menu, the charm of an intimate setting of the place and the passion the chef has for in his restaurant. And these gastronomic senses of mine directs me to here to savour amazingly good and authentic French food at this restaurant.

I love every dish of the Tasting Menu that is cooked to perfection, holds a myriad of subtle flavours and has dimension in textures. And Chef Nicholas even goes the extra mile to search through his stash of wines in the walk-in wine cellar and wine cooler to get one to pair with my meal. In fact, he does this for every wine-ordering patron in the restaurant. Now that is passion. So if here, order some wines for the personalised service of wine selection.

Organic Hen Egg 'A La Coque' is perfect match with Iberico Ham. The smooth, half-boiled, jelly-like egg white, the runny, creamy egg yolk, the paper thin, slightly chewy, flavourful Iberico ham and the broth create a delicious juxtapose of complex flavours and textures.

Clos de Jaug from Margaux is the wine specially selected for me.

Even the bread here has that variation in textures, distinctive in the dishes here. The exterior is baked until super crispy while the interior is super fluffy. I enjoy munching on them, paired with the creamy French butter, of course.

Vichyssoise Soup and Crunchy Pastilla of Obsiblue Prawns both blow me away with how delicious they are. The soup is creamy yet light at the same time, packed with lots of wholesome flavours. The prawn is firm and full of briny sweetness, accentuated by the slightly zesty creamy sauce. And an excellent play on textures to wrap the thin crunchy pastilla over the juicy prawn.

I add on the optional dish of Scallop since I like scallops. Very plump and succulent, the taste of ocean contained within the scallop  goes so well with the seared surface of the scallop, the foamy broth and the secret hidden beneath the broth: beans. The different textures featured here also works wonderfully together.

Pan Seared Otoro with Linguine and Clam Sauce looks simple, but the taste is complex and full of umami. I'm so surprised by how good it tastes. In addition, the linguine is al dente 👍.

Iberico Pork is so tender that it is unbelievable for pork steak. I love the variety of sauces, plus pan fried chopped garlic, to go with the pork. All are so good. I also try dipping the mashed potato into the sauces, and my verdict is "Go for it!"

Lots of different French Cheese to choose from and enjoy.

Since I prefer soft cheeses, the service staff recommend two types of cheeses to me. Both are good choices. One is a bit like Brie, with nuttier flavour. Another is Mont d'Or Lait de Cru, a type of winter cheese, which is very creamy. The sweet accompanying homemade eggplant jam goes very well with the cheeses.

Complimentary Petite Fours of Caramel Chocolate.

Dessert is another fine example of good balance of flavours, such as sweetness and tanginess, nice play on textures between the chewiness, creaminess and fluffiness. A nice one to end the meal with.

The interior of restaurant is of classic French style with red plush sofa, dark wooden furniture and hanging lamps. The place feels very intimate and cozy, perfect for a romantic date or a nice gathering with friends to enjoy good food. The open kitchen shows the chefs in action, which is cool. Service is outstanding: very professional, polite and knowledgeable about the food.

The food here is really amazing, where the focus is on skilful preparation and right combination to bring out the best of the ingredients. I can't wait to be back again to enjoy authentic French food prepared with lots of passion.

Thoughts: My favourite French Restaurant

10 Teck Lim Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park

Give myself a pat on the back

My German results! I was aiming for 100% on lesen, meaning reading, actually.

Chao Yue Xuan Dim Sum 潮粤轩 - Fancy some fancy Dim Sum or Old School Type?

It is by pure coincidence that I decided to try out the food at a humble little restaurant in the faraway land of Yishun. I wasn't even looking for something to eat (was buying a cheap pot to dye clothes actually). But my stomach growled a bit and I passed by Chao Yue Xuan Dim Sum to take a look at the menu. Upon seeing Deep Fired Lobster with Cheese on the menu, I stepped into the restaurant. This is possible because it was ten plus in the morning, so it was not as crowded. Usually, it is full house at noon.

One good point about this place is it also offers traditional dim sum too, but adventurous me decided to try the fancy ones instead.

Surprisingly, Steamed Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp and Scallop is my favourite. Very light and clean in taste, it is yet full of subtle flavours due to the combination of umami shrimp, briny sweet scallop and fresh green notes of the spinach.

While I can't really find any foie gras in Steamed Goose Liver Dumpling with Black Garlic, the taste of these siew mai does carry light hints of the earthy flavour of foie gras. Interesting twist.

Deep Fried Lobster Roll with Cheese is the one that got me in here. These are lighter in taste as compared to the typical Prawn Roll but good nonetheless. Super crispy too. I do wonder about where's the cheese though.

Charcoal Pastry with Salted Egg Yolk Custard & Logan has a nice, crispy, unique exterior that is good on the bite. These cute little black bowls hold custard and a logan each in their centres. Pretty yummy. But I wish there is more custard in there.

Update: The true stars here are the old school dim sum! They are delicious! 

Especially the Deep Fried Mango Prawn Roll with crispy thin soufflé-like rice skin wrapped around mango puree and fresh prawns. This is a must-try. Deep Fried Shrimp Dumplings pack lots of fresh succulent prawns.

Chilli Dumplings, which is full of juicy prawns, are very flavourful with the vinegar and the chilli. One of the best besides the one at Yan Ting. But the price here is way more attractive.

Steamed Mixed Vegetables Dumplings with Truffle features translucent smooth dumpling skin wrapped around a generous portion of finely chopped vegetables peppered with the lovely woody aroma of truffle. This is very good!

Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Mixed Pork and Shrimp is very well-presented, but is kind of the weak link among the old-school dim sum here. The beancurd skin is kind of crispy only, holding a flat piece of filling.

Deep Fried Crispy Prawn Roll with Cheong Fun is very interesting in texture, where the crispy deep fried vermicelli contrasts with the super smooth cheong fun and the springy prawns. Nice!

The place is like your typical Hong Kong Tea House, just think Tim Ho Wan, just more spacious here and yes, I do prefer the ambience and food here over that of Tim Ho Wan. Service is okay and efficient. The taste is lighter than that of typical Cantonese fare, focusing on subtle flavours, and I like it. I enjoy eating the dim sum here, and the plating here is surprisingly good, with a touch of class. My only gripe is it seems very little of the premium ingredients are added to the dim sum. But considering the nice price of $4.80~$5.80 only for 3 pcs of premium dim sum, I guess I can't complain too much on this department. And I saw on one wall that displays lots of awards won by the chef of this place.

This is a nice place to pop in to have some good dim sum that look pretty atas at wallet friendly price. Best of all, the food has no MSG! Cool!

Thoughts: Nice Dim Sum House

Shifted to Capitol Piazza

Online Shopping for Japanese Food Stuff at Umamill

I was looking for other stuff online when I chanced upon Umamill. And remembering that mothership had recommended this site before, I decided to take a peek around here. So here is my stash after a "peek".

Minona Natsu Hakuto Ice & Outo & White Chocolate (Peach Mochi) is so good that I'm going to buy at 6 pcs next time! Strong sweet aroma of peach in the smooth ice-cream with white chocolate, plus glutinous rice cracker to balance the sweetness and add extra texture to ice-cream, ah, I finish this in two minutes.

Sanrei Kanitsume Claw Fry (Crab Claw Croquette) is super creamy and flavourful. There is a bit of crab claw meat in there. By the way, I put butter on top of these delights and bake them in the oven instead.

Country of Origin: Japan

Umamill Website