Restaurant Review: Zafferano’s New Head Chef Andrea de Paola Puts Asian Twists On Italian Classics
PUBLISHED September 7th, 2020 04:00 am | UPDATED September 11th, 2020 09:26 am
Zafferano is a household name for Italian fine dining by now, but its sky-high views never get old – and neither do its menus. This snazzy, 43rd-floor restaurant welcomed a new head chef earlier this year, and with him comes a refreshed repertoire of classic plates woven through with imaginative touches.
Formerly Chef de Cuisine at one-Michelin-starred Braci, Andrea de Paola brings with him the rich experiences of his Naples childhood and six years with the ilLido Group. Besides a chef’s tasting menu, his Degustation Menu (S$88 for 3 courses, S$108 for 4 courses) offers a chance to curate your own lineup of pastas, mains, and dessert from the à la carte selection.
Chef de Paola has a penchant for exploring the many faces of a single produce, and nowhere is that more evident than in his Fegato d’Oca (S$28). This starter features rich, orange-cured foie gras pâté alongside beetroot in many guises – pickled and artfully arranged in rosettes, sous vide with white wine vinegar and made into a gel, juiced and infused in crostinis. Mix and match this medley of sweet, tangy, and savoury flavours with each bite of your crostini – there’s a lot of experimental fun to be had.
Having called Singapore home for seven years, it’s perhaps no surprise that Asian influences sneak their way into Chef de Paola’s plates. Another starter, the Scampi (S$34), sees lusciously tender charcoal-grilled langoustine covered with colourful Japanese sesame seeds. Swimming in a pool of white miso sauce and musky-sweet dots of bagna cauda, this crustacean boldly melds Japanese and Italian flavours.
Meanwhile, the Spaghetti (S$30++) is an elevated take on the bottarga-sprinkled classic. Instead of the traditional cured fish roe, this umami-rich dish glistens with fresh razor clams and Oscietra caviar. Long after we’d polished off the pasta, we couldn’t stop scraping up the rich, creamy razor clam velouté, brightened with just a dash of bergamot zest.
If you’re feeling the carb coma at this point, the Branzino (S$48) makes a lighter option for mains. Italian seabass is seared till its skin turns crisp, then brushed with tangy tarragon salmoriglio. The clean, sweet flesh goes nicely with a refreshing dollop of zucchini-and-mint cream. For meatier fare, there’s the Agnello (S$55) – roast rack of lamb coated with Sicilian pistachio crumble and paired with crunchy borettane onions.
Dessert is a showstopper in its own right. A riff on Japanese cheesecake, the Mozzarella (S$16) is an irresistibly smooth dome of buffalo mozzarella and whipped cream, sitting pretty on a bed of sliced strawberries. Finished with sea salt flakes and extra virgin olive oil, it hides a soft heart of housemade strawberry jam. It’s inventive and divine – much like most of the menu.
Zafferano is located at Ocean Financial Centre, Level 43, 10 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049315, p. +65 6509 1488. Open Tues-Fri 11.30am–3pm and 5.30pm–11pm, Sat-Sun 12pm–3pm and 6pm–11pm. Closed Mon.
Top Image: Spaghetti
