Italian

I thought the starters fared way better than the mains that I've tried at iO Osteria, other than this Homemade Tagliolini that was beaming with crustacean flavors and sprinkled with aromatic breadcrumbs. The pasta had great texture with very fresh ingredients — prawns, tomatoes and asparagus. It's a dish that keeps you wanting for more!

Porchetta, Baked Pork Belly, Wild Fennel is a great choice for sharing on the table. The stuffed boneless pork roast has a crackling skin which I liked! The centre was slightly on the dry side but it's easily solved by dipping it with a little mustard sauce, which introduces a tangy and spicy flavor that eases that dryness.

Homemade Scialatielli ($28) with strands of pasta noodles similar to spaghetti but thicker. I love the texture of the pasta as our teeth sink into them and this is tossed with some rich black truffle pesto cream sauce that is pretty addictive. Served in a Cacio cheese bowl, it's recommended to scrap off the inner side of the bowl to enjoy the maximum cheesiness!

Using San Marzano tomatoes specially imported from Italy for the base sauce, the sweet and tangy flavors of the tomatoes tasted almost like pasta but on a pizza ($38)! Love those chilli flakes for the added heat amongst those clams, squid and prawns.

Atmastel is introducing #LoveAtFirstCrust from 2-31 May 2017, where Atmastal members (membership is free and you can sign up on the spot!) get to enjoy 1 for 1 pizzas. Grab your khaki to indulge in an Italian feast!

Unlimited cured meat station — I only had space for the Prosciutto di Parma and Mortadella and both paired so well with the sweetest melon. 🍈
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Basilico has launched the Basilissimo for Her, a Ladies Night special which features the appetizer buffet, 1 main course and dessert buffet ($98) with free flow prosecco (and small bites from Chef Luca!) on every Wednesday.

Cheese galore at Basilico's appetizer buffet ($50) counter that will definitely satisfy all cheese lovers. I liked the Gorgonzola as it was amazingly smooth and creamy.

But that's not all — the Basilissimo for Her, a Ladies Night special is now launched at Basilico, which features the appetizer buffet, 1 main course and dessert buffet ($98) with free flow prosecco (and small bites from Chef Luca!) on every Wednesday.

Now you know where to grab your girlfriends to for that mid-week celebration and there are some real cosy corners in the restaurant to catch up with your girlies!

That feeling of constantly swirling those strands of linguine noodles and sending them straight your belly and before you know it, you've finished all the noodles without noticing the ingredients. I'm simply in love with the pasta (and so are their antipasti and pizza!) at Limoncello, especially with this light bisque sauce. It was rich and tangy at the right amount that coats onto the al dente pasta. Paired with a generous amount of sweet crab meat, this is definitely a gem at Robertson Quay area!

My favorite dish from my meal at Limoncello is definitely the seafood pasta. Beaming with crustacean taste, the tomato based sauce was not too thick yet savoury and appropriately seasoned. I greatly appreciated the generous amount of fresh seafood including mussels, clams, squid and prawns that all contributed to this flavorful plate of delicious pasta!

Thinly sliced octopus served carpaccio style finished with olive oil and lemon dressing. A very simple method to retain the original sweetness of the octopus but I definitely prefer the fried calamari over this!

These deep fried Italian baby squid are specially imported right from Italy to ensure that the freshest squid are served to customers! Lightly coated with a thin layer of batter, I could taste the sweetness of the squid as it wasn't overpowered by the batter.

150g of creamy mozzarella paired with the cured prosciutto ham and complemented by the sweet juicy little cherry tomatoes. The way to start an Italian meal right!

I've always thought that pasta is something that can be easily prepared at home, but this Angus Meat Ragu Pasta made of beef cheek, brisket and pork isn't one of them — the generous amount of well braised and tender meat tossed in meat sauce just won me over.

The menu changes daily so check out their ig page — @ahbongsitalian to find out what pasta they're serving for the day. I definitely need to go back to try their comfort eggs!