Jamie’s Italian @ VivoCity Singapore

Jamie’s Italian. Heard so much about it, and finally got around to visiting it. Located in VivoCity Singapore by the riverfront, it makes for pretty dining indeed.

And Jamie’s is definitely a perennial favorite, attracting everyone from local yuppies to people who work in the area of VivoCity. The dining room has a brightly lit, cheery contemporary feel to it, not unlike that of the personality of Jamie himself, and the food is strictly Italian, with first-rate pastas and expertly executed dishes. Main courses are gargantuan.

Jamie’s own Prosecco label – now this we had to try! Fruity and not too dry, it drank really easy

Jamie’s Ultimate Sharing Plank – we opted for the Fish Plank, and it was perfect for a party of 4! It consisted of, (from left to right), some:

Mini Fritto Misto – A selection of white fish and squid coated in a Panko breadcrumb crunch served with yuzu mayonnaise and a sprinkle of hot paprika, which was piping hot and still crispy when we sank our teeth into it. Next to this was the Shellfish – Steamed manila clams and blue/black mussels with chili, garlic, white wine and parsley, which were sweet, succulent and dripping in its own juices. Then there was the Smoked mackerel and ricotta pate – smooth, rich and bursting with mackerel flavour.

Next to this were the Pickles – Lombardi Pickled Chillies with a slight twang of heat and pickled caper berries and Olives – Gaeta black olives & mammoth natural green olives with no preservatives from Puglia. I particularly loved the Beetroot Cured Salmon – cured with sugar, salt and dill, served on ice topped with crème fraiche, it had a delicious sweetness about it, imparted by the beetroot, and a lovely bouncy salmon texture. And to keep stimulating the appetite, a Crunchy Salad – grated salad of assorted carrots, heritage beetroots, mouli (white radish), butternut squash and celeriac. Dressed in lemon, olive oil and mint dressing

Fans of cheese would love the Pecorino Toscana DOP, made with whole milk from sheep, raised predominantly on pasture grass and hay, topped with hot chili jam from Jules & Sharpie and slapped on to crunchy wafers of music bread (a Sardinian cracker-like bread so called as it resembles thin sheets of music). Wow, we were definitely off the a good start!

The big kid ,checking out Jamie’s kid’s menu

Love this – so old school.. and I doubt many places have it anymore!

Cauliflower & Parmesan Fritters with a fiery arrabbiata dip

Here’s one healthy vegetable snack that’s hard to resist. Whole heads of cauliflower boiled until semi-soft and mixed with breadcrumbs, eggs and Parmesan, then deep fried till crisp and golden. Garnished with Parmesan, crispy sage & lemon zest, served with spicy arrabbiata sauce, these golden nuggets were totally irresistible.

Wild Mushroom and Smoked Mozzarella Risotto

This lush risotto was just bursting with earthy mushroom flavour and sweetness. Acquerello rice, produced just outside Turin by a family run business by a husband and wife team was what gave this dish a lovely creaminess about it. This particular risotto was delicious with the aroma of onions, dried porcini, chestnut mushrooms, white wine, Portobello mushrooms, parmesan and parsley. Served with smoked mozzarella scattered over the risotto and fried mushrooms piled onto the centre, finished with more Parmesan, baby watercress and olive oil. Loved the way the smokey scamorza flavour perfectly balanced the earthy flavours of the mushrooms.

Pasta Nero daily special, also known as the Octopus & Mussel Spaghetti. This is not on the menu currently, but will be next month..

This pasta dish was the bomb! If there’s one thing to order here, this is it. Braised octopus, flash fried squid and mussels served with black angel spaghettini. You could tell that the Octopus had been braised for a good amount of time, as all the flavours of garlic, chilli, cherry tomatoes, parsley, white wine, capers and anchovies had infused into it.  The squid ink spaghettini was cooked perfectly al dente.

Pink Snapper Acqua Pazza

A celebration of freshness, served whole & deeply scored, the flavour that penetrated in to the flesh of this Snapper fish was remarkable. Parsley, capers, heirloom cherry tomatoes, Gaeta olives and white wine flavours were intoxicating and had us drinking up the juices too.

Funky Chips – Hand cut & triple cooked with rosemary & garlic; Posh Chips – With truffle oil & Parmesan and Polenta Chips -With rosemary salt & Parmesan

 Grilled Pork Chop

Heart-stopping meats, meanwhile, include this winner – a massive slab of well grilled pork, with crisp, crackling skin, served with a choice of either Funky Chips – Hand cut & triple cooked with rosemary & garlic; Posh Chips – With truffle oil & Parmesan and Polenta Chips -With rosemary salt & Parmesan, or ALL of the above!

This pork chop, brined for 24 hours before cooking, was super moist and tender. Served with a bagna cauda sauce (bread, milk, garlic, anchovy, capers, lemon, oil and parsley), crunchy crackling and a salad of white radish, apple, celery leaf and parsley dressed with lemon and olive oil, this one is definitely for the carnivores. To die for!

White Wines  – Bidibi Bianco Briganze, Maculan -Intensely aromatic with refreshing notes of ripe tropical fruit, citrus & freshly cut grass and the Soave Classico Cantina di Monteforte – Great depth with ripe fruit. These wines paired well with both the starters as well as pasta and fish dishes.

 The dessert plank was a combination of the Epic Brownie, Gennaro’s Tiramisu & Chocolate Profiteroles

Finally an incredibly pretty and well plated plank arrived and on it, our dessert of Brownies, Gennaro’s Tiramisu & Chocolate Profiteroles. Loved the brownie that was served warm and fudgy with amaretto ice cream, caramel popcorn and warm chocolate sauce. The Tiramisu was equally addictive with its multi layers of light sponge soaked with kahlua and coffee and topped with mascarpone cheese flavoured with sugar and orange zest.

And who could resist a nice round, plump Chocolate Profiterole? Not me!

Ah yes, lovely round Profiteroles filled to bursting point with Chantilly cream and dipped in chocolate sauce, topped with a rasp of orange zest.. oh my, words cannot describe this near orgasmic experience of biting into one.

Wash it all down with a shot of Grappa Cividina and be happy to be alive. What a great lunch. Jamie’s Italian is a must visit – the experience of dining here is well worth it, for sure!