A colleague and I had been eyeing Saraceno at 83 Duxton Rd for some time. However, after having read Wong Ah Yoke's review in the Straits Times 2 Sundays ago , we (well, me) thought it would be worth trying to check it out before the crowds started flocking there. I usually tend to disagree with Wong Ah Yoke - I thought Crab Party at Yio Chu Kang was a complete waste of time and money (he loved it), and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Otto at Red Dot (he didn't wax lyrical about it).
The restaurant had 1 table occupied when we arrived, although it started filling up to about half full. They have a weekday set lunch for $28.80, which gives you 3 courses and coffee or tea at the end.
After our orders were taken, the waiter arrived with olives and olive oil...although the olives were pretty salty, they were quite yummy and would have gone well with a glass of red wine (no drinks ordered since it would be suicide to go back to the office with a red face and alcohol breath)
After a short while, the bread arrived. It was nice and warm, with 3 varieties in the basket: herb, onion and plain. Went nicely with the olives and olive oil.
There were a few entree choices: potato/fish soup, cantaloupe with parma ham, char grilled vegetables and breaded squid with rocket salad. My colleague and I both went for the squid. It was cooked to the right texture - firm and supple, with a bite to it - and the herbs and lemon in the breadcrumbs rounded it off nicely.
There were 3 choices for the main course: fusilli pomodoro, chicken breast with breadcrumbs with aubergine, smoken mozeralla and tomato, and linguini with prawns, clams and mussels with a tomato base. I went for the linguini, while my colleague had the chicken.
The chicken was a winner! Cooked just to the right texture, with crispy breadcrumbs and soft melted cheese. There was probably basil in the repice as well.
The linguini was nice, but a bit too oily. The serving was extremely generous though - lots of pasta and seafood (the photo belies the volume), and certainly no complaints of there not being enough seafood. The challenge was to finish it all!
The dessert of the day was tiramisu. I was expecting the usual multi-layered sponge-and-cream in a glass bowl, but was pleasantly surprised to see it come in a case of filo pastry with caramel sauce dribbled around the plate. It was WONDERFUL, and two already-stuffed gluttons licked the plates clean.
To round off the great experience, the coffee came with steamed milk, which makes a world of difference. This place is worth coming back to for multiple reasons: their eye for details, great service and excellent value-for-money food.
Saraceno Ristorante, 83 Duxton Rd, Tel: 64389638
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