Mark
you calendar food lovers, from 27 April to 16 May 2015,
Oscar's will bring you gastronomic journey to around Italy. Be
prepared to be bring your palate to travel around Italy with flavours
by Executive Chef Michele Mingozzi. This born and bred Italian who
discovered his passion for cooking from the kitchen of his beloved
grandmother and mother in Ferrara, Northern Italy.
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| Assorted salami and parma hams (from Ferrara region) |
From watching the food and travel channels and visiting lots of
Italian restaurants during my study time down under, I can conclude
the following sequences of Italian dinner procession. Start with
Appetizers / Antipasti, followed by pasta dishes, then proteins (meat
or fish) and desserts. Of course the wine with the meal and
afterwards is a must.
 |
| Mozzarella / Burrata Bar (from Campania region) |
We
started our dinner with antipasto (appetizers) which include assorted
salami and parma hams with Pinzini (from Ferrara region) and
Mozzarella / Burrata Bar (from Campania region). Pinzini is a pillow
shaped fried pizza dough. It is light and fluffy, which goes well
with the fresh and creamy burrata and parma ham. For the firmer
cheese such as mozzarella and cheery mozzarella, I had mine with the
fresh cherry tomatoes and deep fried stuffed olives also known as
Olives all'Ascolana (Marche region). I am not an olive person
as I find it too salty, however I can accept this fried stuffed
olive. It seems the stuffing reduce the saltiness of the olive. But I
still can't have too much of it.
 |
| Pinzini (from Ferrara region) |
 |
| Olives all'Ascolana (Marche region) |
While Ciabatta and Foccacia are served with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, I learned a new lesson today. In Italy, they do not eat the bread for appetizer, instead use it to polish off the left over of the sauce from the pasta dish or main meal. However, since we are in Singapore, you just do what the Roman do (in this case, it will be the Uniquely Singaporean way). Dip it in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and eat it whenever you like.
 |
| Ciabatta and Assorted Foccacia |
In the typical Italian culture, we continue with the pasta. The three
selections of pasta that I tried on that night is Home Made Truffle
Tagliatelle with Quails Ragout (Emilia Romagna region), Ravioli of
Prawns with Cherry Tomato sauce (Emilia Romagna region) and Fried
stuffed rice ball (Aracini di Riso – Sicilia region). If you like
truffle, the tagliatelle with black truffle here is a must try. For
me, it is the case of too much truffle, but some people might like
it.
 |
| Fried stuffed rice ball (Aracini di Riso – Sicilia region) |
This is the first time that I tried the rice ball. Using Arborio rice
and pre cooked in the same style as risotto, the rice absorbs the
robust stock well. The rice is al dente and packs of flavour. My pick
of the night is Prawns ravioli. The prawns fillings between the pasta
sheets are fresh and springy. It is well complemented by the cherry
tomato sauce. While the dish is Italian, I can't help to fantasize
that this dish is of equivalent to our local prawn dumplings.
 |
| From left: Fried stuffed rice ball (Aracini di Riso – Sicilia region), Home Made Truffle Tagliatelle with Quails Ragout (Emilia Romagna region), Ravioli of Prawns with Cherry Tomato sauce (Emilia Romagna region). |
Now for the proteins. From the four legged, we had Braised Venison
Mountain Style with Polenta and Sautéed Mushrooms (Trentino region);
and Braised Veal Tongue (Ferrara region). For the venison, it was
well braised, however as the meat of venison lacks of fats, I find
the meat slightly tough. For those who never tried polenta before, it
actually look and feel like mashed potatoes, creamy but with more
grit and earthy flavours to it.
 |
| Braised Venison Mountain Style (Trentino region) |
 |
| Polenta |
 |
| Sautéed Mushrooms |
The braised veal tongue are to die for. One of Chef Michele's comfort
food where it looks like it was simply boiled for long hours with
simple seasoning, however it just melts on your mouth. Best of all,
no gamey smell in it. For beef tongue lovers, you will like this even
more. This dish is serve with Italian version of chimichurri sauce,
which was refreshing and good to balance out this heavy dish. I had 3
big slices and I have to stopped myself in anticipation for next
dishes to come. Kudos to the Chef.
 |
| Braised Veal Tongue with Chimichurri sauce |
From the sea, we have Baked Sea Bass Fillet (Campania region) and
Fritto Misto (Emilia Romagna region). The seabass baked in
mediteranean style had simple seasoning. It has a slighly firm
texture, yet buttery feels to it. Meanwhile Fritto Misto (deep fried
mixed fish and seafood) is just a winner. Lightly battered and
seasoned, it gives the mixed fish and seafood a crispy and light
texture. It is a good side dish and suitable for all ages.
 |
| Baked Sea Bass Fillet (Campania region) |
 |
| Fritto Misto (Emilia Romagna region) |
Come
to desserts, we are treated to Chiacchiere (Emilia Romagna region),
Balsamic Ice Cream (Lombardia region) and Italian Meringue with
Chocolate (Lombardia region). According to Chef Michele, Chiacchiere
is one of the most common food eaten during carnival in Italy. Also
known as Angel Wings, it made from dough, deep fried and sprinkled
with powdered sugar. It is crispy outer part, yet moist and slightly
chewy inside. With powdered sugar, it is just hard to resist. It
reminds me of our Chinese twisted pretzel called ma hua (麻花).
 |
| Chiacchiere (Emilia Romagna region) |
Meanwhile
the Balsamic Ice Cream is definitely something unique and a must try.
Served with fresh strawberries in syrup, it has a good balance
between sweet and sour. Yum Yum. For the Meringue with chocolate
sauce, it is sweet with crispy crumbling texture. However, it can be
better if they use darker chocolate, so the bitterness can balance
the sweetness of the meringue.
 |
| Balsamic Ice Cream (Lombardia region) |
 |
| Italian Meringue with Chocolate (Lombardia region) |
Overall,
A Taste of Italy edition in Oscar's definitely worth to try. From
what I tasted, some of the dishes are unique and not commonly found
in Singapore. Combining this with the renowned buffet spread in
Oscar's, it is definitely worth your trip here. A taste of Italy will
run from 27 April to 16 May 2015
for lunch and dinner in Oscar's. Please note A Taste of Italy dishes
available on top of the Oscar's ever popular seafood, cooked food and
desserts offerings. Salute and Buon Appetito!!
Thank you to Chef Michele Mingozzi, Oscar's F&B Team and Conrad
Centennial Singapore for the wonderful evening.
Food
& Drinks: 8.5/10
Value:
9/10
Service:
N/A
Ambiance:
8.5/10
Budget per Person: $51 – $80; $81 &
Above
Oscar's
2 Temasek Boulevard
Lobby Level, Conrad Centennial Singapore
Singapore 038982
T: +65 6432 7481
OH:
Open 24
Hours for A la carte menu
Buffet
Breakfast: 06.00 – 10.30
Buffet
Lunch: 12.00 – 14.30
Buffet
Dinner: 18.00 – 22.00
Sunday
Amazing Graze Lunch: 12.00 – 15.00
Prices
Mon
– Sat Lunch: $59++
Sun
– Thu Dinner: $69++
Fri
– Sat Dinner: $80++
Sun
Brunch: $80++ (food only), $158++ (with free flow of champagne, wine
and beer)
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