Alfresco Gusto

Facing Wheelock Place along Scotts Road is Ion Orchard's new Alfresco Gusto, previously known as Gusttimo di Roma and now back with a revamped menu. On the side Gusttimo's gelato bar is still up and running, but I was here for one reason alone and that was to satisfy that crazy, fortnightly craving of mine - pizza.

Bolognese-fresca Mozzarella, Salsa di Ragù


While Alfresco Gusto prides itself for wood-fired grills for its steaks, pizzas on the other hand are not from a wood-fired oven but electric oven-baked. Nevertheless, the Bolognese-fresca Mozzarella, Salsa di Ragù was quite good, especially the melted cheese and minced beef parts.


The pizza here is on the thinner side and would satisfy those who like their pizzas much less fluffy (but certainly not wafer-thin like those from Skinny Pizza). Good enough for lunch :)

Tiramisu


The classic Tiramisu was a hit and a miss. The soaked saviordi, topped with cocoa powder, was worthy of praise as it had the good balance of sweet and bitter.


The coffee gelato on the top however was too icy and bland. Perhaps a purer scoop of vanilla gelato would have sealed the deal perfectly.

Service
Excellent. Friendly and helpful.

Price
$20 for the Bolognese-fresca Mozzarella, Salsa di Ragù pizza
$14 for the Tiramisu

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

Place
Ion Orchard, #01-15.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Sole Pomodoro

It's true, wood-fired pizzas are really starting to make their presence felt here in Singapore. I don't think anyone is complaining of course, save for the main pizza chains who are now given a huge run for their money. I'm glad to announce that one of the new kids on the block - Sole Pomodoro - happens to be the pizzeria offshoot of the original Cugini at Club Street, which I must say already does quite a fantastic seafood pizza with an electric oven mind you.

I can't claim to be a pizza expert and I won't bore you with pizza jargon either (not that I know many anyway), but what opinions I can try to share with you are from my experiences with pizzas in Italy, particularly in its birthplace in Naples.

Provinciale
Tomato Sauce, mozzarella, olives, onions and toasted chicken


Having had the seafood pizza previously at Cugini, I ventured for its poultry counterpart in the Provinciale pizza. The pizzas here at Sole Pomodoro are fairly close to the real deal in Italy in terms of the puffy and crisp sides and smoky flavour, but the dough in general seems to be lacking quite a bit. It was too moist near the centre (an inevitable outcome given its thinness), making each slice appear pretty limp and sloppy when you hold it from the top. But all that aside, still very good pizza, though I'm sure a seafood-based one would satisfy more.

Salcciaccia e Peperoni
Mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers and sausage


Random thought: Do you know the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (named after the four Italian Renaissance artists) loved peperoni pizzas (anchovies too I think)? Not sure what they would have thought about this Salcciaccia e Peperoni pizza, but we had the same little grouse that it could do with just a tiny bit more dough in the middle.

Sole Pomodoro
Mozzarella, sundried fried tomatoes, cream, potatoes, sausage and onions


With a pizza taking the name of the restaurant, you would think that the Sole Pomodoro has to be the house special. I don't think this impressed much though, but I would leave it to the person who ate this to make a comment later (Glenn, that's your cue).

All-in-all, we may not have been blown away, but I must reiterate that the pizzas here are good and amongst some of the best that I've tasted in Singapore. So quit waiting, pay this restaurant a visit soon and let me know what YOU think! :)

Service
Service was very good up till the point when I wanted to pay and mentioned this 20% discount tie-up that IeatIshootIpost has with Sole Pomodoro (just mention the blog or flash your mobile with the website on it; promo till Feb 2011). It didn't mean a big deal to me, but she was visibly irritated and told me I should have told her before I ordered. Wonder what difference that would have made - smaller pizza, or less ingredients perhaps? I've often asked if there was any credit card promotions at the point of payment and wait staffs have always been happy to oblige. Probably a slightly different system here.

Price
$24.90 for the Provinciale
$22.90 for the Salcciaccia e Peperoni
$24.90 for the Sole Pomodoro

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

Place
12/21 Mackenzie Road #01-01
Opposite the old (but now quite funky haha!) Rex Cinema

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

Da Paolo Pizza Bar

Naturally, I saved the best of the three for the last. Da Paolo Pizza Bar along Chip Bee Gardens can almost be classified as a hidden find in Holland Village, though it shouldn't be really because any self-proclaimed pizza lover ought to pay this place a visit. Make it a pilgrimage if you must if you're living on the other side of the island, this is certainly one of the best pizzas in Singapore that I've had the honour of tasting.

Pizza Bolognese


The meat-lover made an obvious choice - the Pizza Bolognese. I loved the way everything weaved together so beautifully that each bite was so simple yet so truly satisfying.


I'm sure it had something to do with the cheese, which was rich, thick and flowing, yet all without being overwhelming. The pizza dough was just right too, and wasn't too thin like those pathetic "skinny" or "thin crust" pizzas. It isn't truly Italiano, but it sure hit the notes right enough.

Pizza Salmone


I dubbed Jaslyn's Pizza Salmone "the healthier pizza" because compared to mine this was lacking in cheese and had fresh smoked salmon covering up for it. She seemed to like it, which is a good thing because I had made her come all the way for this.


It didn't win me over as much though because it had a slightly salty aftertaste. Or, as I tried to explain, it was just too healthy for me - I like my food sinful and comforting you know. Pizza bread dough was really good though, as you can probably tell from the picture here.

So this wraps up a mini three-part series of what I would call a good wood-fired pizza in Singapore. For another amazing find earlier in the year, I would suggest you hop on down to Al Forno at East Coast, guaranteed to delight as well!

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WAIT! There's one more post coming up this weekend! For those who have been following me on Twitter you would probably know where this next pizzeria is; for the rest, just hang in there and you'll know soon enough :)

Price
$21 for the Pizza Bolognese
$20 for the Pizza Salmone

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

Place
44 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-46.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Spizza for Friends

Pizzeria number two out of three for the pizza-filled weekend was at Spizza for Friends' main branch at Club Street, featuring some of the freshest and crispiest pizzas from a - you guessed it! - wood-fired oven. While Spizza has a delivery service going on for quite some time now, nothing beats eating it straight out from the oven really, when it's all hot and with the cheese melting at the right places. Sounds good? Probably good enough for some kid to start doing up a list of best (wood-fired) pizzas in Singapore, and then to put them down nicely as though he has even been to all of these places. Don't be too surprised, some people actually do it, for whatever sad reasons they have!

Moving on...

Sofia


My choice pizza, the Sofia delighted as a seafood pizza with a fairly generous serving of fresh seafood spread across the 10-inch wonder. I should add though that while it was adequately crisp on the right spots, I do wish there could have been just a little bit more dough on the sides to make up for its thinness. Since the Sofia scores on the ingredients, just a little tweaking of sorts could perfect the pizza - a little lesson could be taken from this Florentine osteria.

Parma Ham and Bacon


A special for the month, the Parma Ham and Bacon pizza drew praise from the best friend, not least because she liked the smoky flavour that surrounded it. It is quite clear that she feels and shares the lurveee for wood-fired pizzas.


Still one more pizzeria left to go for this mini three-part pizza series. It's crazy I know, but it's really one of the things I do frequently to give some meaning to my weekend(s). It's my form of therapy :)

Price
$17++ each for a medium 10-inch pizza.

Place
29 Club Street

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

La Strada

Not too long ago a massive pizza craving struck and I was hard-pressed to find at least three pizza places in Singapore to satiate this sudden craving within a weekend. You see, ever since my trip to Italy, I've been very much turned into a pizza snob and have only looked favourably towards wood-fired pizzas. There are admittedly some amazing oven-cooked pizzas (Cugini is definitely one of them) but my basic rule-of-thumb stays - wood-fired please. So when I heard La Strada continues to be one of the few in Singapore who has remained faithful to the tradition, I made a beeline for it.

Complimentary Bread Basket


The Complimentary Bread Basket was nothing to shout about, there wasn't even my favourite focaccia in its midst, but then I was wary of piling on the breads anyway since I was going to have a pizza all to myself. Chomped on the breadsticks, which were simple and nice.

Margherita Pizza


The Margherita Pizza was named after Queen Margherita of Italy, who visited Naples in 1889 and was served a pizza resembling the Italian flag - red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). Don't we love Wiki (it might not even be true haha!) It's the perfect pizza for purists who just want to indulge in good mozzarella cheese and pizza dough.


The Margherita Pizza from La Strada was quite good, though I would have preferred it to be more "doughy" on the sides as it was relatively thin. Good enough cheese and tomato base for me to finish this up on my own.

Affogato


Since the theme was Italian, why not have some Affogato as well? A little piece of trivia that I found on Wiki: "affogato" means "drowned", very much the way you would pour the coffee into that cup of gelato.


I liked how the strong and bitter espresso blended with the milky vanilla gelato. I would still prefer a Tiramisu over this but after a whole pizza I only wanted some coffee to keep me awake for the rest of the work day!

Service
Very good.

Price
$23 for the Margherita Pizza
$8 for the Affogato

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

Place
Shaw Centre, #02-10.
Facing Pacific Plaza.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

Cugini Trattoria Pizzeria

After watching Julia Roberts stuff her face with pizza in Naples in the movie "Eat, Pray, Love", an enormous craving for a close-to-authentic (I'm in Singapore, I have to be realistic) pizza gripped me like a wild animal. Naturally, I found it cause to pamper myself, even more so when it was one of those weekends where I didn't have much work to be preoccupied with and had quite a bit of time to spare. I was looking for some place relatively quiet so that I could pour through my travel guides (where to? find out next post!), but at the same time needed the assurance that the food would be good - for all that I chose a familiar favourite - Cugini.


The pizza was wonderful. I was so surprised that this was baked with an electric oven that I had to ask the waitresses twice if this was really true. It sure tasted like it was fresh out of a wood-fired oven, with the pizza charred à la Italiano on its sides and a rustic-like aroma seducing senses. More amazing gastronomic memories of Italy came flooding back...


I had wanted to do a Julia and get the plain and simple Margherita pizza, as I did as well in Naples, but my love for the seafood pizza got the better of me. Squids, prawns and fish slices adorned the Mareggiata Pizza dutifully, but I thought it was delicious even on its own with the lovely melted cheese.


If this is the first time that you've heard of Cugini, well, here's something else that would charm you for sure - the Seafood Pasta. A signature and a crowd favourite, it's amazing that this remains off the menu. Read the full review here.


Craving well-satsfied. Now, it's time to build up a recent love for something... Asian. Stay tuned, that's coming up next!

Service
Excellent.

Price
$24++

Place
87 Club Street.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

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.

Pizza Hut Goal Splitzza

For those of you free/crazy/energised/passionate enough to watch the late night World Cup matches, here's something for you to chew on (literally so) if you hadn't known by now. Pizza Hut's Goal Splitzza features the spicy mayo team on one end and the thousand island sauce team on the other, and on match days you can actually get this to be delivered to your home up till 3am (it's not free of course). Not many matches left by the time you are reading this, but here's an idea on what you can enjoy for the finals if you're cosying up at home rather than rubbing shoulders with the boisterous mob out there.


My verdict? I was a bit disappointed with the aesthetics because I honestly wanted to see the mayo delineating the "pitch" on the pizza. That would have been quite adorable. On taste, I thought it was quite good actually, with adequate crisp edges, tender chicken pieces and distinct sauces. Granted that this is not exactly authentic Italian pizza, but for its "type" I think Pizza Hut still fares pretty well compared to its counterparts in the (mainstream) pizza business.

Hungry? Order soon and eat it while watching the Uruguay vs Netherlands match!

Price
$19.50 for a regular, $25.50 for a large.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Milan, Italy: Pizzeria Di Gennaro

Pizzeria Di Gennaro was a recommendation by the travel buoctopusesddy's Italian friend, who interestingly had described himself as quite a foodie too. The pizzas here turned out quite alright and definitely worth a try if you're clueless on where or what to eat whilst around Milan's busy shopping district. Straight from the wood-fired oven, the sides are crisp and lightly burnt, just the way I like it to be, with a slightly fluffier middle.


My Pizza Frutti di Mare (surprise, surprise) was delicious, though I spent a considerable amount of time observing the baby octopus perched on my pizza. No, it wasn't moving or dancing around, but what I thought was a baby squid turned out to be a baby octopus after all once the travel buddy pointed out its eight legs. It just stuck out, calling for some attention.


A close-up of the baby octopus before it got eaten up. Chewy.

Service
Very good.

Price
€10 frutti di mare pizza
€9 regina mozza pizza (ham and mushroom pizza, not reviewed)

Place
Via S. Radegonda, 14,
Milan, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Florence, Italy: Osteria de' Peccatori

If you ask me what's one of my most memorable and well-liked eateries in Italy, I would say for certainty that Osteria de' Peccatori in Florence is definitely one of them. The food here is simple, unpretentious and most importantly, delicious. I should add too that prices here are relatively affordable, cheap even if you compare it with some of the other restaurants. Sounds good eh? :)


The interior of Osteria de' Peccatori is warm and inviting, and to some extent has a countryside feel to it as well. With the cool weather of early May, having an early dinner in here was a cosy and comfortable affair.


Perhaps the people here have a sense of humour or masculine pride too, and I know I just have to put this picture up for good measure (pun intended?). A copy of Michaelangelo's famous David finds itself "upsized" in the right place (go figure, I've been quite obvious haha!) here, quite unlike the original.

Bruschetta ai Rigatino e Porcini


The travel buddy loves his bruschettas, and had fairly good things to say about this one in particular. You can't see much of the bread in the picture, but the highlight anyway is the tender Tuscany bacon and porcini mushrooms.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese


Probably the best al dente pasta that I've had in this entire trip in Italy. Homemade pasta that was firm to the bite, and with an impeccable meaty bolognese sauce that I doubt any restaurants in Singapore can come close. Sizeable portion too, but for such a delectable dish I could order seconds or thirds if I wasn't aiming other things on the menu. Full marks, if not more.

Cream Caramel


Firm panna cotta with not too bad caramel sauce. I think I would have enjoyed the tiramisu more though!

Tiramisu


And in case you're wondering, what tiramisu, here it is. This is very good tiramisu with a good balance of flavours - liquer, coffee and chocolate, and the type of moisture that I personally like. Anything with too much sponge doesn't score well with me, so this was really quite good.

Pizza Frutti di Mare


I'm not done yet, not by a mile. I really, really wanted to try the pizza here, and so, much to the amusement of the travel buddy, I ordered a whole pizza for takeaway. And because he had his fill for the night, this was going to be mine, mine, and only mine.


No regrets at all. This is fantastic seafood pizza, with a good assortment of ingredients - mussels, clams, shellfish, prawns and squids. Thin and crisp pizza, but not necessarily wafer-like like the joke that you see with skinny pizzas in Singapore. This is very good pizza, yums.

Service
Very good. Menu had English descriptions so the language barrier wasn't too much of a problem. They were staring at me (and my DSLR) with some bit of amusement though.

Price
€6.90 for the bruschetta ai rigatino e porcini
€7.90 for the tagliatelle alla bolognese
€3.90 for the cream caramel
€4.10 for the tiramisu
€7.90 for the pizza frutti di mare
€2.60 for a cup of caffe latte
€2.60 for a 1-litre bottle of mineral water

Place
Piazza San Firenze, 14r,
Florence, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.