PUBLISHED September 10th, 2013 02:53 am | UPDATED April 14th, 2016 05:29 pm
Tucked in an obscure corner of the Central Mall (not to be confused with The Central @ Clarke Quay) along Magazine Road, sits one-and-a-half year old Trattoria Gallo D’Oro. You’d wonder how they survive – it being one in the hundreds of Italian joints here in Singapore and in a location that doesn’t get much human traffic. Its secret? Being co-owned and run by Chef Carlo Marengoni. With 18 years of culinary experience in Singapore, helming the Italian kitchens of the Sheraton Hotel and Marina Mandarin, as well as independent restaurants, Chef Carlo is one of the longest running Italian chefs in this country and has gathered a fair amount of loyal followers over the years.
Having arrived in Singapore not knowing a single word of English, Chef Carlo counts himself accomplished – now completely fluent (with an amusing tinge of Singaporean accent to beat) and happily married to a local. Affable as most Italian chefs are, he takes care to make his rounds, engaging his customers and ensuring that they are well taken care of. Which is probably what brings them back too.
Named after a family restaurant that Chef Carlo had fond memories working for back in Italy, Trattoria Gallo D’Oro is all about happy, loud and casual dining. Food prepared is down to earth and homely, presentation unfussy. Diners can choose from sharing menus ($38++ and $68++ per person, minimum 2 to order) that showcases a wide variety of Chef’s northern Italian home-styled cooking. The décor is kept simple and bare minimum, with slightly more than a few hung pictures of Bergamo where Chef hails from. Service staff, though could be more personal and better informed about the menu, were polite and eager to please.
The kitchen here is small, which means that supplies need to be restocked once every two days, a reassuring fact that your food will be fresh. But due to size constraints, their bread and pizza dough is not made in-house but from its sister District 10 – just a 10-minute walk away.
The Deep Fried Fresh Calamari is decently executed, bouncy squid in a light batter that has sufficient crunch. Calamari lovers can safely order this and satisfy their craving. The fresh Buffalo Burratina Cheese Salad I liked. Rule 101 of serving burrata: the cheese jolly well better be fresh. Though not as oozy as I’d have liked, this one does well to pass the Cheese Snob test. Modestly dressed in olive oil, the delicate milky mousse and sweet tomatoes were allowed to shine.
Homemade Pappardelle Pasta, with Italian Sausage and Spinach in Parmigiano Sauce is Chef’s specialty dish. Tastefully seasoned Italian sausage pairs well with blanched spinach. The Parmigiano sauce has just the right touch of cream. Pasta is well made and cooked, like good Mee Hoon Kuay for a lack of better description. For those who love their pork, this is a winner. For those who don’t, stay clear – the pork smell is quite strong – and go for the seafood version instead, though it is not quite as successful as the original.
The Oven Baked Whole Seabass with Leeks and Italian Herbs is surprisingly impressive. Blame it on the one too many disappointing experiences with ‘baked whole sea basses’ that usually turn out very mediocre. This one however comes as a sizeable and fresh fish, its flesh firm and succulent, and has subtle yet flavorful aromas incorporated by the garnishing.
The Chicken Scaloppine with Porcini Mushrooms and Parsley is chicken enveloped in wheat flour and seared, atop a lovely bed of mashed potatoes in a starchy porcini sauce. The first bite is slightly off-putting, as the flour coating on the chicken becomes soggy in the sauce. But strangely, it grows on you. The sauce has a robust mushroom flavor and mash was commendable, smooth and buttery. A very rustic and homely dish.
The portions of this sharing menu are substantial – which means you should be feeling full by now. Which is a good thing too because desserts aren’t their forte here. The Tiramisu Espresso Aroma was unremarkable, turning out too much like a cake with too much sponge and too little rum. The fancy sounding Macedonia of Fresh Fruit Salad is but a simple bowl of sliced fruit, varying to what’s fresh in the kitchen, to give a light and refreshing end to the meal.
With the tasting menus starting from an astounding $38++, it is fantastic value for the amount and quality what you get. With Chef Carlo faithfully manning the kitchen everyday noon to night (closed on Sundays), expect nothing less than food from the heart.
Written by M.
On this occasion the meal was courtesy of Trattoria Gallo D’Oro