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| Burrata E "Datterini" |
Roots
Mediterranean opens its door to the public in August 2019 at Greenwood Avenue.
The Roots experience offers an epicurean journey which starts from the origin,
the roots of the Mediterranean culinary culture. Roots Mediterranean (“RM”)
provides the quality and experience of an Italian “Osteria”, a Greek “Ouzeri”
and a Spanish “Tasca”.
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| Roots Mediterranean |
RM
tagline belief that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, the culinary
concept is simple and elegant. Using only fresh, premium ingredients and
original recipes, delivering a hearty and flavourful dish to the diners.
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| Roots Mediterranean |
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| Outdoor facing Bar |
Dinner
at RM normally starts with a basket of bread. Consist of different type of
bread including sourdough, grissini, flatbread and others. The bread is served
with olive oil dip. Following it, we have a feast on entrée and small bites.
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| Basket of Bread |
Burrata E
"Datterini" (S$24) - Imported Burrata with cherry tomatoes, capers
and olives. The burrata is firm and creamy, but not the oozing type. The cherry
tomatoes provided a sweet and savoury burst of flavour, while the capers and
olives add the mini twist to the dish. One of our favourite starters in any Italian
restaurants.
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| Burrata E "Datterini" |
Dips are the heart of
starters in Mediterranean cuisine. We had Tzatziki ($8) - The most loved Greek
dip, Yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and extra virgin olive oil; Tirokafteri ($10) - A
spicy and cheesy dip. A spread with yoghurt, feta cheese and chilli; Hummus (S$8)
- The most iconic Middle Eastern dip: chickpeas cream with sesame paste; and Melinzano
Salata ($8) - Roasted eggplant dip with lemon, extra virgin olive oil and
parsley.
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| Dips from Top Tirokafteri, Hummus, Tzatziki & Melinzano Salata Hand Model: The Food Chapter |
Tzatziki and Hummus are two of the most common dips found in Mediterranean cuisine. Surprisingly, the roasted eggplant catches my attention here. I normally avoid eggplant because of its sticky and mushy texture, however, the Melinzano Salata was tasty, bursting with flavour and nicely complemented the crispy bread.
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| Dips from Bottom Tirokafteri, Hummus, Tzatziki & Melinzano Salata |
Tortillas de Papas Y Queso
Fundido ($8). Spanish Omelette which includes potatoes and melted cheese is
just irresistible. Although it can be eaten on its own, I like it as a dip or
topping for the bread.
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| Tortillas de Papas Y Queso Fundido |
Spanako Tiropita ($8). Greek Entrée.
A crispy phyllo dough pie with spinach and feta cheese. Crisp exterior followed
with creamy spinach blend with slightly salty feta cheese.
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| Spanako Tiropita |
Gambas Ajillo (S$15) - Sauté prawns
with smoked paprika, fried garlic and parsley. The version here is on the dry side compared to some that
I tried before. The prawn is crunchy, pack with a bit for fiery flavour from
the paprika. Missing from the dish is the flavourful olive oil at the bottom to
dip the bread with.
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| Gambas Ajillo |
Croquettas
de Jamon Y Queso ($8).
Very tasty and delicious croquette. The exterior is crispy, followed with
cheesy and salty fillings.
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| Croquettas de Jamon Y Queso |
Next up are the heart of
Italian dishes, pasta. Spaghetti Carbonara ($20). Al-dente spaghetti, coated
with delicious strong creamy pecorino cheese. The flavour of the bacon-infused
well into the dish; you can taste it in each bite of pasta.
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| Spaghetti Carbonara |
Tortelli
with Ricotta Spinach
($20) and Tortelli Crab Lobster ($24). The Italian
version of dumpling. Both dumplings are bursting with flavour. The ricotta
spinach fillings with tomato sauce have a nice balance between creaminess with
the tangy tomato sauce.
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| Tortelli with Ricotta Spinach |
Meanwhile, the crab and
lobster tortelli are filled with natural sweetness from the crab and bouncy
texture from the lobster. The butter and sage sauce accentuates the crab and lobster
flavours and we can’t stop scooping it into our mouth.
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| Tortelli Crab Lobster |
Lunette
Truffle ($24).
Lunette is round shape pasta filled with four types of delicious cheese, topped
with black truffle sauce. Kind of reminds me of quattro formaggi pizza, instead,
it is in pasta form and topped with the exquisite black truffle. Not for
everyone, but a must-have for a cheese lover.
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| Lunette Truffle |
The intermission between the
pasta and pizza is Paidakia ($35). Greek style Lamb Chop. The lamb is tender,
succulent lightly marinated with oregano, garlic and lemon. Unlike most lamb
chop, the is almost no gaminess in this lamb. It is served with grilled
vegetables, mixed salad and tzatziki sauce.
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| Paidakia |
Finally, we meet the star dish of the restaurant. Roots are famed for “pizza in teglia alla romana”, a special pizza which is rectangular and extremely trendy in Italy at the moment. The dough is slightly thicker, but it is extremely light, airy, crispy due to high hydration with a long fermentation time of 48 hours. The pizza comes in different sizes, namely 25cm, 50cm and 1 metre.
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| Roots' famous “pizza in teglia alla romana” |
We tried 4 different flavours
in the 1-metre plank pizza: Parma and Burrata, Sausage, Salami and Truffle, and
Prawn Arrabbiata. The price for each one is 25cm - $18, 50cm - $26 & 1
metre - $50). I like the Parma and Burrata plus the sausage and for LD, she
loved the spicy kick from the prawn arrabbiata. The pizza dough is so light, I
still manage to try the four different flavour of the pizza. It tasted like fresh-baked ciabatta bread.
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| Parma and Burrata |
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| Sausage |
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| Salami and Truffle |
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| Prawn Arrabbiata |
Due to no alcohol for me and
no coffee for LD, we swap out desserts a bit. I tried Frozen Pistachio Profiteroles, Hot Chocolate and Cherries; Tiramisu;
and Crème Catalana. All of them are delicious, however, our taste buds are a
bit numb due to the savoury food that we had earlier.
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| Desserts Platter |
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| Desserts Platter |
The décor of the restaurant
is simple, almost like dining in the traditional dining room of an Italian home
or Spanish home. The atmosphere is very much family orientated and lively. It
seems that everyone is enjoying themselves including the kids as well.
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| Part of the Dining Area |
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| Part of the Dining Area, The Kitchen Pass and Entrance to the Shop |
Overall, dining in Roots
Mediterranean is like having a gastronomic culinary exhibition in Italy, Greek
and Spain. The food is based on fresh and premium ingredients cooked using
traditional recipe. My personal pick is their pasta (spaghetti and tortelli),
pizza in teglia alla romana, and anything with burrata. For awesome
Mediterranean food, visit Roots. Saluti! Salud! Cheers!!
Thank you very much to
Jennifer and Roots Mediterranean team for hosting us.
Food & Drink: 8.5/10
Value: 7.75/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $26 -
$50,
Roots Mediterranean
2 Greenwood Avenue
Singapore 289189
T: +65 6463 4206
IG: @Rootsmediterranean
OH:
11.00 – 23.00 Daily
Sunday Brunch: 11.00 – 16.00
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