Alkaff Mansion goes Sardinian
PUBLISHED September 4th, 2014 10:00 pm | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 04:40 am
I’ve loved Alkaff Mansion ever since I laid my eyes upon this gorgeous site of architecture. The fact that it also houses one of Singapore’s best restaurants is just an added incentive to visit. So it was with great excitement that I discovered that Sardinian Chef Simone Depalmas, formally from Sopra Cocina had been invited to head up their kitchen.
Not only is Simone a very amicable and humble Chef, he’s also a very good one! Sardinia, an Island halfway between Italy and Tunisia is a source of wonderful cuisine – Italian delicacies with slight Maghreb twist. And of course, expect A LOT OF SEAFOOD!
If the idea of the perfect meal involved a plethora of fresh fish – both cooked and raw – with endless sides of fresh, fragrant salads and veggies, accompanied by delectable wine, then Sardinian cuisine is something you can get your chops around easily.
And with that as an introduction, let’s get straight to presenting Alkaff’s new Seafood platter ($68).
This impressive plate of all things fish comes with half a lobster, seabass carpaccio, tuna tartar, fresh prawns and more. Very simply done, the portions are perfect for sharing or as a meal in itself! Chef Simone also shows his stuff in their Fresh Octopus Carpaccio ($24). Although I’m not usually a fan of the tentacled sea-critters, I had to admit that only was the flavour subtle and well balanced, the texture was excellent making for a very tasty dish.
If pasta is more your bag, then you might want to try their signature Sardinian Pasta with Assorted Seafood ($28). With the strong paprika and spicy notes on the giant couscous, you can definitely see the Tunisian influence in this dish.
For something a bit more ‘traditional’, the Porcini Mushroom Risotto Superfino Acquerello with Thyme ($28) is a thick, creamy bonanza of gooey goodness, though I would definitely recommend this dish for sharing as it is rather rich.
Of course, no Sardinian meal would be complete without an elaborate fish dish, and the Oven Baked Sea Bass in Salt (600g/$48, 700g/$56, 800g/$64), served table-side by Chef Simone himself, did not disappoint. Totally caked in a salt cast, Chef Simone delicately removed the cover to reveal a perfectly cooked whole fish ready to be filleted and served up.
If you are, however, inclined to a bit of meat, the Oven Baked Lamb Rack ($45) is as good as it gets when it comes to perfectly cooked lamb rack. Definitely a must for the lamb-lovers.
Having existed at the top of that hill for many years now, the restaurant at Alkaff Mansion is something of a stalwart, and after today’s meal I foresee that under Chef Simone, they will only go from strength to strength.
What do you think of Alkaff Mansion?
