Saraceno Ristorante

Pretty new place at Tanjong Pagar (83 Duxton Road, Berjaya Hotel Singapore, tel : 6438-9638) that was opened about 3 months or so ago with a Czech chef that has done a stint in Italy and was also formerly under Gordon Ramsey. I don't know if the latter situation made any difference but the food was not bad. In a way that it wasn't overly complicated and that the individual wasn't overwhelmed by the sum of its part if you catch my drift. Much cooking transforms a dish into a form where the original ingredients are often lost in translation (lol!) but it didn't look like it was that way here.

There was a generously portion Parma ham with juicy pieces of porcini on bruschetta to start. The truffle oil added a very nice accent to the rockets and mushrooms with neither of the flavours overpowering one another. In fact, what was really nice about it was that every ingredient could be distinctly tasted.

The pan roasted tenderloin featured also porcini and truffle oil. I'm wondering if it was the same batch of mushrooms that was done with the starter. Again, it was another item where both fungal aromas were in harmony even with the red wine reduction. The beef was a medium-rare, nicely browned on the outside and a juicy red on the interior. No complains except for the size. We enjoyed the grilled calf liver and hoped that they were here to stay as a permanent item on the menu. Done medium with a very nice char grill on a bed of exquisitely soft gnocchi.

Loved the freshly made baked apples on puff pastry. They appeared unassuming. Turned out awesome served hot with a good measure of drizzled caramel. Even though the base of the pastry was soggy, it was saved by how buttery it tasted. Almost like bread pudding. I liked the pineapple raviolis as well which seemed to be their signature dessert. Those were basically thinly sliced frozen pineapples folded across a lime sorbet. Along with chopped bits of strawberries in balsamic vinegar. Found them refreshingly sour for an interesting change.

Prosciutto di Parma con Bruschetta ai Porcini e scaglie di grana
Parma ham with Porcini on toasted bread, parmesan shavings and truffle oil

how does black pearls of vinegar in olive oil sound?

bread basket

amuse bouche (steak tartare)

Filetto di Manzo con Porcini e salsa al vino rosso
Fillet of Beef tenderloin with Porcini, Potatoe purée and red wine sauce

Fegato di Vitello alla griglia con gnocchi, burro, salvia e cipolle croccanti
Grilled Calves liver with gnocchi, butter and sage, crispy onions aged balsamic vinegar

Torta di mele
Peeled apples slowly baked on puff pastry

Ravioli di Ananas