Mitzo (Valentine's Day Feature)
POSTED ON Saturday, March 17, 2018 AT 9:49 PM \ leave a comment (0)
We always had a good impression of this restaurant whenever we thought of good Cantonese food. never quite got around to trying it until recently, when it seemed like a unique choice for Valentine's day. while much of these combinations may no longer be available at the restaurant, this introductory note gives everyone a glimpse of what this contemporary fusion of Cantonese food with cocktails is all about.



Mitzo is located on the 4th storey of Grand Park Orchard hotel. the restaurant prides itself for delivering good quality Cantonese cuisine with a twist of modern flavours and curation of traditional dishes. Kinda thought it would be a unique Valentine's date experience for 2 people of the same dialect group and to see what menu they could conjure to fit the theme of a largely Western celebration. Great first impressions with friendly and knowledgeable staff, who would engage guests with light hearted conversation. They would also pain-stakingly introduce every dish, including giving suggestions on the best ways to enjoy their taste.



true to its roots, this trio of Cantonese starters came with tea-infused char siew, prawns in sesame mayonnaise and scallops with chicken floss. a good blend of taste and the quality of the barbecued pork was telling of their authenticity. a nod of approval from both of us was probably a good start for the evening. Cantonese folk always would have soup for a complete meal. the next serving of double boiled sea cucumber, served with abalone, mushroom and ham consomme was abundant with ingredients and rich is flavour. another thumbs up.



then comes the more fusion variants, with this cod fish marinated in beetroot sauce and served with a crispy home-made egg tofu that was interesting and tasty. good texture for the cod fish and a creative blend of sauces which mixed well with the tofu. fine-dining portions no doubt, but a good build-on for a 5 course meal. the final savoury dish of chilled duck with poached Hong Kong noodles in Bonito sauce may only be a spoonful, it was nonetheless a good taster for their capability to whip up good egg noodle dishes.



dessert was really interesting, passion fruit Granitas topped with lychee sorbet and paired with a chocolate-lava dumpling. we loved the colours and the sweetness of the dish. not to mention, the full course came with a pairing of two artisanal cocktails that were both refreshing and creatively presented. in all, a very pleasantly surprising experience, and certainly made us resolve to come back for the full menu and dim sum lunch sometime in the future. Mitzo now ranks amongst one of the favourites, for good Cantonese cuisine..



Mitzo
Level 4 Grand Park Orchard
270 Orchard Road
Singapore 238857

Opening Hours
Daily: 12 pm to 2.30 pm (lunch); 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm (dinner)
Thursday to Saturdays & Eve of Public Holidays: 6.30 pm to 1 am (supper)

reinvents the Chinese dining experience and brings with it a fresh approach and energy...

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In Piazza
POSTED ON Sunday, March 04, 2018 AT 7:36 PM \ leave a comment (0)
with many restaurants in Singapore staking claim to produce authentic Italian fare, one would really need to be "in the industry" to know who is for real. a new series of F&B outlets opened up at The Pines, an extension of the new Hotel Mercure Singapore on Stevens, of which this restaurant opened up by a group of Italians seemed serious about getting their Italian cuisine right.



located within a glass-house with the hotel as its backdrop, the interior boasts a spartan setting with high ceiling and spacious seating. Operations manager Daniele is often present to greet all patrons and introduce the signatures of the place. together with two Italian chefs, the team enjoy vast experience cooking Italian food across Europe before deciding to bring their interpretation of the dishes to Asia and Singapore.



The signature of this restaurant comes from their oven grilled pizzas, and even more so by show-casing the most simplistic pizza of all, the Margherita pizza. named after the historic queen consort of Italy, the simple dish garnished with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce is a specialty here. nonetheless, we found that a tad too simple and went to try the recommended Diavola pizza instead. This pizza comes with Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pork salame. we added anchovies for good measure which the Chef readily agreed to and true to good authentic pizza, the dishes is extremely flavourful despite its ordinary outlook.



we have always said that good Italian food is tested through its Risotto (most places can whip up decent pasta). we tried the Risotto Allo Scoglio which is essentially Arborio rice served with fresh mussels, prawns, clams and squids. there was good aroma all round and every bite was rich with the taste of spices, herbs and a generous serving of seafood. It is notable to also share that In Piazza has a wide selection of Antipasti (starters) to choose from and a good range of pastas, including vegetarian options. the dishes are often introduced by the town in Italy that it originated from and it gave further context to the food that was being served.



it was somewhat impressive (and also amusing) that the service staff are trained to memorize the wide selection of wines and desserts, having them share the options with us was somewhat of an incredible recital. We ordered an Aperol Spitz, an orange based soda cocktail and a glass of red wine, after receiving good advice from the crew, certainly good choices to wash down the mains. some sorbet ice cream to cap off the first experience there encapsulated the Italian experience. As we share our visit to In Piazza, we hope that this largely undiscovered restaurant gains further popularity as we think it is authentic enough to stand amongst the local institutions. we wish Daniele and his team all the best as they make their way into the Singapore food scene.



In Piazza
The Pines
30 Stevens Road #01-04/05
Singapore 257840

Opening Hours
Daily: 10.30 am to 10.30 pm

a touch of Italy to your neighbourhood..

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