This pizzeria needs no further introductions. Simple yet delicious.
It’s been a while since I had freshly hand made pasta that tasted this good. Whilst a trofie is not (meant to be) al dente, it’s delicate and matt texture absorbs all the wonderful pesto keeps you chomping down more.
The garlic cream, basil, olive, pine nut and sundried tomatoes all comes so well together with the trofie pasta from north Italy. Without a doubt, this would be my pasta of choice for a pesto.
I almost forgotten the Queen calamari which my dinner partner found it interesting, but I was too focused on the pasta.
Traditional meatball in basil-ginger tomato sauce. This was certainly not the item in the antipasti menu that I would have gone for if not for the persistent recommendation by the serving staff at Fiamma. It’s a MUST have! And wow aren’t we glad we took the recommendation. Mopped up so quickly with the plush focaccia 😋 Mamamia!
Char-grilled lamb cutlets, done medium rare, in Taggiasca olive jus was non-greasy but full of succulent flavorful meat and right amount of fats. The olive juice was simply delicious and kept me wondering if this would go as well with what other food. The fried gratinated polenta is a tat disappointing.
Not your regular burrata. This changes my impression of pea! The bean-pea salad with pickled guanciale totally stole the show.
Cold crab and jellyfish starter, sashimi (chutoro and sea bream ), grilled prawn with mentaiko, A5 wagyu in paper sachet, and rounding up with mikan jello and musk melon.
Hideyoshi Junmai Daiginjo
If you’ve been to the coastal province of Trat on the border of Cambodia, you’ll doubtless recall its fiery seafood and curries.
At Sri Trat, a Michelin guide restaurant, the owners bring the province’s famed cuisine to Bangkok via their mother’s favourite recipes. They also honour her, not only with a funky mural, but also by expertly crafting eastern dishes like savoury stir-fried tiger prawn with garlic, chilli, and fish sauce and spicy sea bass soup with salacca and shrimp paste.
This is an absolute gem so i’m gonna keep the venue hush for a bit. You can tell not only from the restaurant’s funky name, which sounded modern but actually coined in the Taisho era in Japan (1920s!). Their well concealed exterior, literally ‘a hole in the wall’ , makes it easy to miss even if your Google Map indicates you’ve arrived.
The immediate next challenge is the “door”, which opens into a not so small interior with a fully open kitchen right in the middle of the hall. The wall lights and pendant lights has the aura of stage lighting cast onto the chef and his team of 3 as they perform their well orchestrated preparation of hot and cold izakaya dishes and more.
The chef immediately reminds me of an art or movie director, perhaps his black barret, olive green kimono and dark frame specs exude that artist vibe more than a chef. He works with his team almost without verbal comms - I don’t know how they do it. It’s an exhibition of their tacit understanding to do everything in such coordinated fashion and yet never failing to give attention to its guests. He came round a couple of times despite a full crowd that evening. Yes the chef is certainly an artist! That’s what he is and his food is certainly a glorious work of art.
Pulled beef brisket slow braised, served with crispy potatoes, charred jalapenos, pickled onions, smoked chilli mayo, red pepper relish and a poached egg.
The serving is great for sure if you walked your way to the cafe from CBD hungry, so I was satisfied but left wondering if the bacon Rösti which the manager recommended is a better choice.
Really nice and “sweet”. Refreshing presentation that let you enjoy the feeling of spring in Japan!
Undeniably still the best street hawker oyster omelette I’ve tried so far. The plum oysters are raw whilst the egg + corn starch fritter base is crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
