Gattopardo is back! Bringing flavours of Southern Italy & the sea to Tanjong Pagar
PUBLISHED March 10th, 2014 02:30 am | UPDATED May 30th, 2016 03:23 pm
Finally, the Italian cuisine hotshot that has been eluding diners amid the god-forsaken verdure of Fort Canning is now sporting a more mainstream address, at gentrified Tras Street no less. In fact, Gattopardo has shed its previously stuffy character, streamlined its focus toward a more seafood-centric menu, and gotten down to basics by returning to Executive Chef Lino Sauro’s South Italian roots.
The charming two-storey shophouse space is a treasure trove of lovely nooks. An elegant private dining room perfect for tai-tai get-togethers has its own balcony; an alfresco, street-side nightcap would be awesome for de-compressing, especially with cigars that rival the wine selection; a terrace of communal tables is a secret beer garden in the making; two outdoor balcony tables make for an intimate rendezvous and are predictably the restaurant’s most coveted; the seafood bar gives you front row seats to an action-packed kitchen wrapped with rustic brickwalls. Having said that, all these make the main dining room all the more un-sexy – a flood of fluorescent light should be reserved for places like the hospital.
To be fair, Gattopardo does a finessed job of conjuring a mental stopover in Mediterranean Sicily, matched with a more-than-obliging crew of multi-cultural staff. Chef Lino’s spirited Italian hospitality translates on the plate too.
A starter of Calamari ($28) escapes the deep-fryer and gets a gentle sear on a sauté pan, set atop a curry-like prawn sauce that exudes brightness and richness both at once. The squid is tender and well-seasoned, though a crispy garnish might have lent the dish some needed textural contrast – soft pearls of barley and a mild tarragon oil are both somewhat lost in the well-conceived sauce.
A colourful square of Tasmanian Trout Carpaccio ($32) is fashioned like a garden, planted with caramelised leek, cubes of persimmon, and watered with zigzags of house-made mayonnaise. Simple, yet multi-layered, only that the use of ripe, sweet persimmon harbours the danger of stealing from the main show.
The entrees manage to further push the envelope in flavours, and sadly, in price too. Just do some research before visiting so that you make a reasonably-informed choice. Make no mistake about the ‘Risone’ with Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow ($34). The raindrop-shaped pasta looks like a cross between Arborio rice and orzo, and provides an interesting textural interplay with its accompaniments. Its braised octopus brims with umami, soaking up all the goodness from what seems to be a really meaty stock. A smidge of bone marrow enlivens the dish with a buttery finish – like how a little roe goes a long way in mentaiko pasta.
While Gattopardo’s Signature Seafood Stew ($40) fails to etch an impression, the Cote du Boeuf ($188, serves 2 pax) is a classic hit that cleaves to tradition but dodges datedness. A concentrated red wine sauce is finger-lickin’ good with the medium slices of rib steak, whilst slick, tart radicchio and soft, skin-on potatoes both come out smoky and more-ish from a long dance in the oven.
To pull off a ‘Ristorante di Mare’ where fresh seafood speaks for itself, less is indeed more. That’s where the challenge lies – what more and better can a chef do? Some occasional creative re-interpretations of seafood, without departing too far from tradition, could provide steady frissons of buzz amongst Gattopardo regulars to get them coming back.
Well, even then, we’re really splitting hairs.
Written by Mr Nom Nom
On this occasion the meal and photos are compliments of Gattopardo
