3 February 2013, Singapore – Finding this culinary gem in the forgotten corner of the Orchard Road shopping belt was sensational to say the least. Remember watching the advertisements on TV in the 1990s showing the happy Toy R Us Geoffrey the Giraffe ending with the bright smiling Sun of Forum the Shopping Mall? Casa Tartufo is found at #01-17 and you won’t regret discovering the wonders of Italy in this place.
Stepping into the restaurant, the dim lighting whispers romance in the air and the couples dotting around small tables proves this. It’s a place to immerse in the ambience with your partner while having great, obviously and unequivocally Italian food that is made with an finely tuned and exquisite taste palate. The smell of truffles wafts in the air so you won’t have to guess the main ingredient used in this restaurant. Service was superb. There’s this Caucasian waiter whose warm and inviting demeanour just makes you feel comfortable and glad you did not pass this restaurant by. He asks all the right questions that an atas romantic Italian restaurant should. What wine to start with? Is everything alright with the food? Would you like dessert? And the like. When you see the waiter bring over the whole tart tray to ask you if you would like to have dessert at the end of the meal, you will feel the definition of service.
The food. The chef obviously knows what he is doing. I don’t know if he was Italian, but i can safely say i am imagining a moustache man in a chef’s hat cooking in the kitchen. For the true Mediterranean experience, they start you off with warm bread with olive oil and vinegar.
Then the mains were introduced. I have a peeved with restaurants after watching too much Gordon Ramsay documentaries. I always believe that mains for every individual at the table should be served at the same time and not leave anyone without a dish to savour. As expected of a proper restaurant, our mains came together, hot and inviting.
The kitchen. That’s where the best (in my opinion at least) Carbonara is made. Fettuccine is the name and delicious, creamy and mouth-watering Truffle aroma is definitely the game. The pasta tasted homemade and not store bought. The Carbonara cream coated the pasta perfectly well. You know when there’s too much or too little sauce on your pasta? Never. Not in Casa Tartufo. The aroma of truffle wafts up as you enjoy the pasta but never makes the dish overbearing and jelak.
Rigatoni was a Bolognese which exuded tomato beefy charm. The large rolls of pasta allowed the tangy chunks of beef to coat and enter your mouth together in good taste. You’ll be licking the plate if it wasn’t so inappropriate in such a restaurant. It truly is not the Bolognese you get anywhere else.
We also ordered a side dish of Truffle Potato Puree to share. An atas way to name it but I know a good creamy mash potato somewhere else in Great World City (another review for another day). But this place serves mash potatoes that was a perfect balance of potatoes and cream, making it better than the former.
Casa Tartufo
Forum Shopping Mall, #01-17
583 Orchard Rd, Singapore 23884
t: +65 68364647 . f: +65 68364617
restaurant@casatartufo.com
www.casatartufo.com
Note: This is an incognito tasting. (Cost of the meal is paid by the reviewer) Pardon the low quality pictures as we had to be really sneaky about doing this review.