Bottomless Brunch of the Month: Seasonal Italian Fare at Prego

PUBLISHED November 16th, 2016 07:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:01 pm

Italian food and sparkling wine go together like bath and (pun totally intended) bubbles. So when the folks at Fairmont Singapore switched out their previous communal-feast styled Sunday brunch to one with a heavier emphasis on seasonal produce, we hauled our asses down as soon as possible to check it out.

Previous meals at Prego have been nothing short of delightful, and we’re glad to report that it’s the same this time around. Priced at $128++ per adult, it includes free-flow Berlucchi ‘61 Brut Franciacorta DOCG, Italian cocktails, house wines, draught Tiger beer, juices, and soft drinks. With a delicate nose of apricot and peaches, and a persistent finish, the sparkling wine is food-friendly and robust enough to stand up to even the creamy dishes. Sober October might be over, but if you’re cutting back on the booze before the festive season, you can still opt for the soft beverages package ($98++ per adult, $49++ per child) or with just one glass of Berlucchi ($108++ per person).

When you’re walking in to be shown your table, your eyes are probably already taking stock of the lavish spread. We hit the cold seafood counter first, where freshly shucked oysters, poached Alaskan crab leg, and marinated tiger prawns amongst other shellfish await. Everything was fresh and not overcooked, and the oysters retained most of their liquor so no complains here.

A selection of rustic Italian bread and antipasti accompanied our pickings of Caprese Corner, stocked with ricotta, burrata, mozzarella, and loads of heirloom tomatoes. This is one of the seasonal stations, so unfortunately, it might not be there when you go.

Another seasonal counter hosted lovely black truffles and mushrooms – though we hear that it’ll be featuring white truffles in November – that were used in dishes like Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Truffle Breadcrums. And next to that, a chef was whipping up a risotto of al dente Carnaroli rice creamed with Tuscany Pecorino and topped with truffle shavings – yum!

The live pasta crafting station and pasta bar was, logically, next. Watch chefs make veal ravioli – or whichever fresh pasta they’re dishing out that day – before your eyes and mix and match your choices of pasta. Try the squid ink pasta with the seafood sauce, and the truffle sauce with anything.

For meats and more seafood, look forward to Lamb Rack with Garlic & Thyme, Salmon with Dill & Lemon, and Beef Sirloin with Rosemary grilled a la minute at the meat and seafood grill. Rotating meat specials include Slow Baked Plum Stuffed Porchetta and Wood-Fired Roast Angus Beef Rump.

For meats and more seafood, look forward to Lamb Rack with Garlic & Thyme, Salmon with Dill & Lemon, and Beef Sirloin with Rosemary grilled a la minute at the meat and seafood grill. You can also expect rotating meat specials include Slow Baked Plum Stuffed Porchetta and Wood-Fired Roast Angus Beef Rump. Other must-tries on the buffet line include Prego’s signature Beef Lasagna and wood-fired pizzas of the day (if you have the space).

At this point, we were happily loaded up with carbs and bubbly – but we dragged our food babies along to the dessert counter piled with all sorts of Italian sweets. The panna cotta could afford to be a little more jiggly, but we don’t have to tell you to go for the tiramisu and the cannoli. Finish up with some Italian farm cheeses for extra satisfaction.

For the price you’re paying, Prego’s Sunday brunch is more than worth it. The cocktails aren’t the best (my Negroni came overdosed on Campari) but the servers are on the ball about topping up the bubbly and clearing your empty plates so you can carry on. We approve.

Prego is located at Level 1, Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189560, p. +65 6431 6156. Sunday brunch is available every Sunday, 12pm-3pm.

Liked this post? Check out more at Bottomless Brunch of the Month: Senso Ristorante & Bar’s Winter Black Truffle Brunch and MONTI: Contemporary Italian Fare at the Fullerton Pavilion