inITALY: Homely Italian Food at Decent Prices
PUBLISHED March 15th, 2016 04:00 pm | UPDATED May 23rd, 2017 06:38 pm
Since its launch in mid-2012, inITALY has been serving up Tuscan cuisine with outstanding quality and value, nurturing a stellar reputation and loyal customer base.
InITALY is the brainchild of Chef Mario Caramella, whose impressive 30-year career spans Italy, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. His previous stint was Chef Patron at the award-winning Forlino.
With full culinary and creative control, Chef Mario has imparted his own personality (in a good way, of course) to every aspect of the restaurant. Besides Chef’s brand of homely, comforting Tuscan food, the space is kitted out with pictures painted by his family; stone tiles adorn the walls, and comfy leather seats complement the marble-top dining tables.
We started off with the complimentary Bread Basket, containing two types of bread; one of which is beer-fried (gnocco frotto). This was a nice alternative to the usual bread rolls, especially when eaten with an accompanying pot of delicious salsa verde. The bread came piping hot and fresh, another huge plus for us.
While we enjoyed another signature dish, the Crudo di Pesce ($38++), this is not for everyone. Pretty much everything on this place – scallop carpaccio, Mazara red prawns, Boston lobster, and red tuna tartare – is raw. The sweet, raw flavours are hidden by the various dressings; which is a good and a bad thing for different folks.
Homemade pasta is an absolute pleasure when done well, and Chef Mario nails it with his Chitarra ($38++), freshly made spaghetti with a perfectly al dente bite, meaty Canadian lobster, and a flavourful sauce of tomatoes and chili. Nicely spicy, this dish required no adulteration on our part.
The star of our meal is perhaps what InITALY is best known for – the Maialino da Latte (quarter at $70++, half at $130++, whole at $250++). A roasted crispy skin boneless suckling pig packed full of juice and amazing flavour; you’re taken to another level of culinary bliss when each crispy piece is consumed with the glazed shallots, balsamic syrup, and truffle honey accompaniments.
For dessert, the Limoncello Souffle ($20++) didn’t deflate very quickly. That said, it was too heavy on the egg for our taste. The Tiramisu Classic ($14++) fared much better with a good balance between the cocoa, cheese, and liquor.
In ITALY has a fine selection of reds, whites, and dessert wines, but if you prefer to BYO (bring your own), the restaurant offers free corkage during lunch service daily.
Thanks to Chef Mario’s charismatic and welcoming nature, a trip to inITALY is sure to be an enjoyable experience . If the kitchen’s not too busy, expect him to pop out onto the floor to chat with you. After all, isn’t the heart of Italian dining about the convivial spirit?
IN ITALY Bar Ristorante is located at 38 Craig Road, Singapore 089676, p. 6423 0918. Open Sun-Fri 12pm – 2.30pm (closed for Sat lunch), Sun-Thu 6pm – 10.30pm, Fri-Sat 6pm – 12mn.
Read more at A Weekend Feast at Osteria Mozza: Review and Bottomless Brunch of the Month: Seasonal Italian Fare at Prego
