Monday, May 27, 2019

Trattoria Amanda, Stanley Street


Their (14 Stanley Street, tel : +65 6222 5808) bread was hard, didn't have any smell and didn't have much taste. Don't know why the restaurant felt it was suitable for bread gratis. I'm not sure that these could even be used for panzanella. They might have been good for croutons at best but I couldn't even tell if they would actually absorb anything. Strike one.


Tried a foie gras with brandied apples and oranges from their specials menu. The sautéed fruits were delicious. There was a problem with the foie. It looked nicely seared with a crusty browning on the surface but the inside was slightly chilled; with a texture like the terrine variety rather than the soft quivery ones with rendered fat. That meant it wasn't defrosted properly. Strike two.


Scallops were the frozen variety. Had a nice aroma from the sear but didn't have the natural sweetness of fresh ones. But I wouldn't blame them for using those since it was meant to be paired with Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma. Each scallop in a single bite made very good chewing with the prosciutto. Saffron sauce was nice and creamy.


This was their cacio e pepe. Google 'cacio e pepe', click Images, examine them and then come back. Menu said 'rich blend of 4 quality cheeses'. Didn't taste very cheesy. It was creamy though. Much too creamy for just cheese and pepper. There was quite a bit of pepper but nothing beyond what one could achieve with a pepper mill. Not sure if that Kampot pepper made any difference. Strike three.


That's their pistachio and mortadella pizza. Menu mentioned 'buttery pistachio puree'. There were some crushed pistachio on the pizza; not nearly enough for aroma or even texture. No puree of any sort to be found. The flavour was mostly mozzarella, tomato and the mortadella. Strike four. 

No comments: