Bottomless Brunch in Singapore: Forlino’s Free Flow Italian Prosecco Brunch on the Bay
PUBLISHED August 24th, 2018 06:30 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:00 pm
Has it really been 10 years since Forlino opened its doors? With so many new restaurants and bars popping up in Singapore every month, one might be forgiven for neglecting old-timers in favour of new concepts and experiences. Recently, we returned to this fine Italian restaurant at One Fullerton (who moved in way before its more illustrious, Michelin-starred neighbours Saint Pierre and Shoukouwa) for their Viaggio in Italia Weekend Brunch.
Priced at $68++, Forlino’s semi-buffet brunch is an ambitious gastronomical journey through Italy with an antipasti spread, live pasta station, and dessert bar, as well as an a la minute main course. Free-flowing Zardetto Private Cuvee Brut is available at $40++ per person; the blend of Glera, Chardonnay, & Moscato from Veneto is a straightforward and safe choice for brunch. Citrus, a touch of honey with notes of apples and peaches, it complements the majority of Forlino’s food offerings.
That said, the first time you’ll notice at the restaurant is the view, which is pretty prime. On a clear day, the window seats near the waterfront boast a panoramic view of Marina Bay in all its glory; hopefully there’s no construction at Marina Bay Sands to ruin the picture. Natural light also flood the restaurant, which tones down the flamboyant Italian flair of the space – think gold chandeliers and kit-green engraved walls – a little.
Starting off with the cold selection, it was, surprisingly, the Lonza Tonnataand Pesce Spadathat stood out for us. The thinly sliced roasted pork loin was cooked through without being fibrous, and the moreish tuna and capers sauce pull everything together. The cured Atlantic swordfish was firm and flavourful with juicy bursts of acidity from the pickled onions, capers, and pomegranate seeds. We have no complains about the familiar cold cuts either – the aged parma ham, pistachio mortadella, spicy Finocchionasalami, and smoked Tiroler speck were arranged prettily on a platter with pickled vegetables. Though fresh, the Italian tomatoes in the Caprese Classicacould be sweeter to go with the buffalo mozzarella D.O.P.
Moving on to the recently added Tre Formaggi Cheese Wheel Live Station, Chef de Cuisine Matteo Ponti has brought in three large wheels of cheese for the live cooking of pasta and risotto. While the pasta has mostly been pre-boiled, the texture and bite didn’t suffer from the cooking process on the spot.
Our favourite of the day is the Penne alla Arrabbiata. It’s cooked with a sauce of San Marzano tomatoes and Calabrian chili in a pan on the stove before going into the wheel of 18-month aged provolone with a little pasta water to help coat the al dente tubes with cheese. Two years-aged pecorino romano is featured with the Spaghetti Carbonara; this time, the pasta goes into the wheel with pork guanciale and an egg yolk sauce and topped with a dash of black pepper. The last – Risi e Bisi – features plump, al dente grains of Vialone Nano rice and verdant Italian green peas cooked in a three-year aged Parmigiano Reggiano wheel.
Between two out of three main courses, the Branzino alla Puttanescawas the better executed. Well-seasoned and grilled precisely for a crispy skin and wonderfully flaky flesh, the seabass fillet is accompanied by sweet, rich Datterini tomatoes from Sicily, gaeta olives, anchovies, and artichoke puree. The char on the grilled medium rare Argentinian beef sirloin was rather lacking; the porcini mushroom sauce, roasted baby potatoes, and grain mustard that make up the rest of the plate were satisfactory but not outstanding.
Of the different desserts available on the line of sweet treats, we enjoyed the Amalfi lemon cream tartlets topped with Italian meringue and the double chocolate mousse cake. TheTorta di Mele– described as Mamma’s Original Apple Cake – was too moist, almost to the point of being mushy.
Our verdict? When it comes to the main courses, plating and flavor profiles might come across as old-fashioned – and perhaps in the Singapore scene, a little tired. Visit Forlino if you love your cold cuts and pastas; $68++ for unlimited servings of those and an extra $40++ for two and a half hours of bubbly ain’t a bad deal.
Forlino is located at One Fullerton #02-06, 1 Fullerton Road, Singapore 049213, p. 6690 7564. Viaggio in Italia Weekend Brunch is available every Saturday and Sunday 12pm-2.30pm.
All other images where not credited courtesy of Sylvester Fedor.
