Da Laura: Italian hospitality at its finest!
PUBLISHED August 7th, 2013 04:46 am | UPDATED April 14th, 2016 04:55 pm
Just when you thought there wasn’t possibly room for another Italian restaurant in Singapore…another one has popped right up. But rather than being a flash in the pan, catering to the current trend, style-over-substance sort of establishment, Da Laura looks and feels as if it’s been in business for years, but has just been teleported to Singapore from a quaint cobbled street in Florence or Venice for our culinary pleasure. Everything from the decor to the food is authentic, but also, most notably…there’s a palpable confidence there which one doesn’t always find with newly-opened restaurants. No fussing or flapping staff who don’t know the menu, stammer over the specials and apologise nervously that they’re new. No…it’s a smooth operation with certified Sommelier and experienced restauranteur Laura Forlino at the helm and there’s something so soothing and comforting about being in her capable hands.
On arrival, she greets you personally, throughout the meal she’s on the floor, at tables, serving and chatting to patrons, when we left she bid us farewell and invited me back for more Cannoncini, and this isn’t ‘media treatment’; this is the Da Laura treatment which leaves you feeling that you visited a friend for dinner and can’t wait to return. Unlike other restaurants in Singapore that have mysterious investors or managers who you never see, there’s no doubting that the heart of this restaurant is Laura and her presence and obvious passion will ensure that standards remain high and Da Laura becomes a permanent fixture in Singapore’s dining scene.
The decor does much to lend itself to that ‘just popped round to a friend’s house for dinner’ feeling. It’s definite granny-chic with mismatched rugs, paintings of herbs and floral arrangements, fresh flowers and sweet touches like the Grissini (slim sticks of crisp, dry bread) served in a crochet doily. But it doesn’t stray in to nursing-home territory, instead, sitting on just the right side of stylish.
We opted for starters from the specials board, Deep friend Zucchini Flower with Ricotta ($28) which was light and creamy on the inside and complimented nicely by the delicately crispy zucchini flower casing. My grandmother used to cook something very similar and waves of nostalgia enhanced for me, what was already a delicious starter. We also went for the Stracciatella ($35) which is the stuffing for the burrata from the Puglia region. It is so unbelievably hedonistic, creamy and light that even while eagerly spooning mouthfuls, I’m imagining my weighing scales weeping in despair, but cheese in all its forms is dangerously delicious, this dish of Stracciatella with a small salad of balsamic cherry tomatoes, is a notable example.
On to our mains and I opted for the Risotto with Pumpkin, Talleggio and Thyme ($26), while the Mr went for the Homemade Tagliatelle with Bolognese style hand-chopped Meat Ragout ($26), both of which had us coo-ing but for very different reasons. The Risotto was creamy with just the right amount of bite, the flavour of pumpkin coming through first, followed by the mild but fruity tang of the talleggio, and then the lingering aromatic thyme. The Bolognese Tagliatelle was almost smokey, with strong meaty robust flavours that left the Mr absolutely satisfied.
What came next was nothing but an absolute indulgence, but when asked…would we like to try the home-made Cannoncini ($16), we thought it would be rude not to! Cannoncini are light, airy puff pastry horns filled with silky, flavourful cream, not the easiest thing to make and quite a labour of love for Executive Chef Michele Blasi, but wow o wow o wow!
There’s no denying that the food at Da Laura is flavourful and delicious, its unfussy, more traditional approach of focusing on no more than three or four ingredients so that the natural flavours of each will be at their fullest, works exceptionally well. But it’s the little touches which set Da Laura apart from the already excellent standard of Italian food available in the neighbourhood. Receiving an extra serving of complimentary Grissini because “Laura noticed that you enjoyed them”, the homemade Focaccia delivered to your table warm which seems to balance crispy and fluffy perfectly, the excellent wine selection, the fresh flowers, and finally the arrival of Michelle Blasi at the end of our meal, who worked the room like an absolute star chatting to each table with his warm, bubbly, hearty persona shining through. I feel like I just enjoyed hospitality at its best, and I cannot wait to return.
Written by Heh Zee
