Jamie's Italian Singapore
It has finally happened. A chef I admire much, only being able to watch and read about his food, is within reach of my taste buds. Well, his food I meant. Not wanting to have a taste of him, or anything like that. Jamie's Italian Singapore, Jamie's first restaurant within my reach. How can I miss it?
It has always captured my imagination, sometimes even frustration, that what exactly is the standard to a high level of taste and cooking is. I never really had the chance to visit a restaurant of a Michelin stared chef. Being just an average person who's income translates eating Michelin stared chef food, is equivalent to squandering hard-earned money. Just way out of my league.
However, sometimes, it doesn't take a Michelin star chef to point to you what standards really are. Jamie Oliver is exactly that. He could be even more famous and widely received than a Michelin stared chef. I've always loved the way he presents his food, how it looks, and especially how much passion he's put in. Surely, he can't be far off.
Standing right outside the restaurant gave me an almost "dream come true" feeling. I'm about to step in to the restaurant of one of the chefs I may never meet in my life. All the memories of watching him in various TV programmes he's produced started to playback in my mind. Anticipation continued to build. I had in mind the list of what I wanted to experience and remember.
First up, the first contact: Service. I was greeted immediately by a friendly waitress, and was promptly showed to my seat. I've got to say, it's been a while since I had such a good first point of contact service. It's almost non-existent in where I live. The walk through was pleasant. There's a nice pleasant aura in the restaurant. The decorations were very well themed and made sense.
It had a flurry of wooden furniture, with a touch of authenticity, very much like what you'd imagine to see in the good old days of Italy. Not as though I've been to Italy, but reading up magazines and watching documentaries are enough of an idea what it's like right?
After being seated at the table, I was immediately interested in the menu. Why? I saw some chefs preparing pasta, fresh, hand-made, right near the entrance of the restaurant. I never thought I could ever have it. Consider me, not as lucky as some, I never heard of fresh made pasta from where I live. Yes, I live in Johor, Malaysia.
I continued to have a good experience of service from the staff. They are communicative and really know their menu. I say this solely based on the amount of such restaurants I've visited, paying similar prices, and never once had proper service.
I ordered the fish plank where it had breaded fish and cuttlefish, mussels and clams, and I'm sorry I don't quite know what raw fish it was, and other sides.
The breaded fish and cuttle fish was really a standard I would continue to use from now on. I had crispy, fluffy breaded batter on the outside, soft, juicy, sweet fish and cuttlefish inside. The fish and cuttlefish were cooked perfectly, not sacrificing the outer batter. It was a remarkable one for me. Since I'm really there to enlighten myself on what exactly the standards are on taste and cooking, this really got me cracking. I've always only had tasted oily batter, overcooked inside, some outside, some either one and the list goes on.
Then there was the mussels and clams. I've grown up eating rubbery, tastes just like its gravy mussels and clams. This however, was truly enjoyable. The mussels were soft and tasted fresh. The clams were the biggest surprise of taste for me. It was not only soft but creamy as well! I never tasted a clam being creamy, or never knew it should be creamy and sweet! Mind you, it was only prepared with white wine and served with a few chopped chillies. Authentically fresh tasting!
I can't tell you much about the sides as I was trying to figure out what they are. There's, the bread served with a spread, like tuna spread, along with fresh olives and jalapeño was slightly on the salty side. Then the salad had beetroot in it. Perhaps the white bits were radish and the yellow, not entirely sure. I'm too caught unaware of how really fresh ingredients tasted like when they are done the right way.
Then there was the Humble Salad. It was served rather oddly, first time for me again. Half cut lettuce topped with sunflower seeds and sour cream. It was very fresh. The lettuce was still crunchy and sweet, without bruises. Again, another standard to impose next time, elsewhere.
Then came the most anticipated dishes I've been waiting for. I ordered prawn fettuccine and my girlfriend, Spaghetti ala norma, the most basic of spaghetti. A good way to really understand authentic Italian pasta. You didn't think from the beginning I'd be visiting Jamie's restaurant alone did you?
I'll start with the most basic. Freshly made spaghetti in tomato sauce. I have to say the sauce was special. It tasted earthy and loaded with fresh tomatoes. However, sadly, the spaghetti was slightly undercooked. Didn't do the hand-made pasta enough justice. Just that bit more hard and dry in the middle. Nonetheless, it hinted well on what Italian cuisines are renowned for. Freshest ingredients, authentic taste of those ingredients.
Now my prawn fettuccine. This time, the fettuccine was done well. It tasted very different from the dry ones we find in stores, and sadly many other restaurants I've been to. It was springy but really robust in texture. Dense should be the word. It was good for the texture. I could taste enough egg in the pasta, but not overpowering. The pasta blended well with how it was cooked. The prawns, although small, had quite a number of them, enough to eat your pasta every mouth with a few little prawns in it. They were done just right. Springy and fresh. The pasta tasted with a hint of tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper all well put together. The fresh rockets really added a punch into the flavour as you eat it together with the pasta and prawns.
I really enjoyed my lunch there. Surely it has made me more aware of how fresh ingredients should taste like when put together. Sorry I couldn't provide a food blogger-esque review as I was there on a mission of enlightenment. Thus, I could really use more information on the next visit. I was just there, really hungry and really excited to put the food into my mouth!
It has always captured my imagination, sometimes even frustration, that what exactly is the standard to a high level of taste and cooking is. I never really had the chance to visit a restaurant of a Michelin stared chef. Being just an average person who's income translates eating Michelin stared chef food, is equivalent to squandering hard-earned money. Just way out of my league.
However, sometimes, it doesn't take a Michelin star chef to point to you what standards really are. Jamie Oliver is exactly that. He could be even more famous and widely received than a Michelin stared chef. I've always loved the way he presents his food, how it looks, and especially how much passion he's put in. Surely, he can't be far off.
Standing right outside the restaurant gave me an almost "dream come true" feeling. I'm about to step in to the restaurant of one of the chefs I may never meet in my life. All the memories of watching him in various TV programmes he's produced started to playback in my mind. Anticipation continued to build. I had in mind the list of what I wanted to experience and remember.
First up, the first contact: Service. I was greeted immediately by a friendly waitress, and was promptly showed to my seat. I've got to say, it's been a while since I had such a good first point of contact service. It's almost non-existent in where I live. The walk through was pleasant. There's a nice pleasant aura in the restaurant. The decorations were very well themed and made sense.
It had a flurry of wooden furniture, with a touch of authenticity, very much like what you'd imagine to see in the good old days of Italy. Not as though I've been to Italy, but reading up magazines and watching documentaries are enough of an idea what it's like right?
After being seated at the table, I was immediately interested in the menu. Why? I saw some chefs preparing pasta, fresh, hand-made, right near the entrance of the restaurant. I never thought I could ever have it. Consider me, not as lucky as some, I never heard of fresh made pasta from where I live. Yes, I live in Johor, Malaysia.
I continued to have a good experience of service from the staff. They are communicative and really know their menu. I say this solely based on the amount of such restaurants I've visited, paying similar prices, and never once had proper service.
I ordered the fish plank where it had breaded fish and cuttlefish, mussels and clams, and I'm sorry I don't quite know what raw fish it was, and other sides.
The breaded fish and cuttle fish was really a standard I would continue to use from now on. I had crispy, fluffy breaded batter on the outside, soft, juicy, sweet fish and cuttlefish inside. The fish and cuttlefish were cooked perfectly, not sacrificing the outer batter. It was a remarkable one for me. Since I'm really there to enlighten myself on what exactly the standards are on taste and cooking, this really got me cracking. I've always only had tasted oily batter, overcooked inside, some outside, some either one and the list goes on.
Then there was the mussels and clams. I've grown up eating rubbery, tastes just like its gravy mussels and clams. This however, was truly enjoyable. The mussels were soft and tasted fresh. The clams were the biggest surprise of taste for me. It was not only soft but creamy as well! I never tasted a clam being creamy, or never knew it should be creamy and sweet! Mind you, it was only prepared with white wine and served with a few chopped chillies. Authentically fresh tasting!
I can't tell you much about the sides as I was trying to figure out what they are. There's, the bread served with a spread, like tuna spread, along with fresh olives and jalapeño was slightly on the salty side. Then the salad had beetroot in it. Perhaps the white bits were radish and the yellow, not entirely sure. I'm too caught unaware of how really fresh ingredients tasted like when they are done the right way.
Then there was the Humble Salad. It was served rather oddly, first time for me again. Half cut lettuce topped with sunflower seeds and sour cream. It was very fresh. The lettuce was still crunchy and sweet, without bruises. Again, another standard to impose next time, elsewhere.
I'll start with the most basic. Freshly made spaghetti in tomato sauce. I have to say the sauce was special. It tasted earthy and loaded with fresh tomatoes. However, sadly, the spaghetti was slightly undercooked. Didn't do the hand-made pasta enough justice. Just that bit more hard and dry in the middle. Nonetheless, it hinted well on what Italian cuisines are renowned for. Freshest ingredients, authentic taste of those ingredients.
Now my prawn fettuccine. This time, the fettuccine was done well. It tasted very different from the dry ones we find in stores, and sadly many other restaurants I've been to. It was springy but really robust in texture. Dense should be the word. It was good for the texture. I could taste enough egg in the pasta, but not overpowering. The pasta blended well with how it was cooked. The prawns, although small, had quite a number of them, enough to eat your pasta every mouth with a few little prawns in it. They were done just right. Springy and fresh. The pasta tasted with a hint of tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper all well put together. The fresh rockets really added a punch into the flavour as you eat it together with the pasta and prawns.
I really enjoyed my lunch there. Surely it has made me more aware of how fresh ingredients should taste like when put together. Sorry I couldn't provide a food blogger-esque review as I was there on a mission of enlightenment. Thus, I could really use more information on the next visit. I was just there, really hungry and really excited to put the food into my mouth!
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