Al Forno

I first heard about Al Forno from Lorraine of The Hungry-Trotting Couple and since then have always kept it on my "To Go" list. The opportunity came when me and Ms Val were looking for a dinner venue in the East as I had plans to bring her to my favourite BLIC for desserts. Al Forno it is :)


The first thing that I noticed, and with much excitement, was the wood-fired oven. Other than Spizza at Balmoral Plaza, here is one other place in Singapore where you can get really good wood-fired pizzas, fresh and crisp from the oven!

Pizza Costiera


Al Forno definitely scores full marks for its authentic and delicious pizza. The Pizza Costiera was a delightful treat with fresh seafood ingredients and tasty mozzarella cheese. Most importantly, the dough was perfect - thin in the centre, soft and fluffy on the sides, and crisp on the edges.


Every bite transported me back to Italy. Gosh, I miss that place so, so much.

Lasagne


The Lasagne was not bad, but it wasn't entirely good either. There was quite a monotonous feel to it after a couple of forkfuls, and this is not just because we were getting filled up on the pizza. It's been a very long time since I had it, but I think one of the better lasagne in Singapore can be found at Modesto's.

Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia


Sadly, the Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia was worse. Ms Val, an avid fan of squid-ink pasta, gave it the thumbs-down for being overly dry and tasteless. I doubt the fresh seafood ingredients could save the dish at all. One thing worth remembering was how we laughed when I recalled a kid writing in his food blog that he finds it "very arousing to see [his] date blush when she realized there’s a black smudge off the corner of her mouth". The weird things that turn people on these days.


The final verdict? Al Forno serves excellent, authentic Italian pizzas, and this is what you simply must have when you're here. They do takeaways as well, but nothing beats enjoying a pizza straight out from the oven :)


Service
Very good. Expect a longer waiting time for your pizzas in the evenings though, as many people do takeaways.

Price
$22 for the Pizza Costiera
$23 for the Lasagne
$23 for the Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
400 East Coast Road.

Additional Comment
Opening Hours: Lunch: 12 pm - 2 pm, Dinner: 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.