Many Italian restaurants do not make their sauces and pasta from scratch nowadays due to the increasing cost of food ingredient as well as the number of manhours required.
I am glad that PerBacco restaurant, located at 20 Craig Road, #01-03 Craig Place, makes its pasta and sauces from scratch, the true italian style, according to the restaurant owner.
PerBacco's decor has a very simple rustic feel, with its high ceiling, brownish touches and warm lighting, giving it a cozy inviting feel.
A lovely drink bar greeted me when i walked into the restaurant. There were many different types of Italian wines, prosecco, alcohol, aperitifs etc on the display hence diners have many choices when it comes to drinks. The bar also serves non-alcoholic drinks, if you do not touch alcohol.
I tried a total of three antipasti that evening and this was my favourite... Strudel di Verdure e Fonduta di Formaggio (Grilled Vegetables & Mozzarella Strudel with Cheese Fondue) which cost S$18. I am a big cheese lover and the soft eggplants and vegetable against the crispy baked pastry provided an excellent contrast to the texture of this dish.
Frittelle Soffici e Involtini al Prosciutto e Scamorza or better known as Smoked Scamorza Cheese Wrapped with Italian ham and soft Fritters was also pretty interesting. It is best to cut a bit of the Italian ham cheese wrapped together with a bit of the soft fritter and eat them together. This dish costs S$18.
Another antipasti which I tried was Crocchette al Granchio ($12) which is Crab Meat Crocchette with Spicy Tuna Sauce. I was pleasantly surprised that crab and tuna could go well together. The crocchette was breaded and deep fried yet they didn't taste oily.
After three antipasti, it was time to proceed with pasta tasting.
This has got to be my favourite of the two pasta which were served. Linguine alla Carbonara di Astice(Linguine with Lobster and Egg Yolk Cream Sauce) which costs $28. The restaurant owner mentioned that real authentic carbonara sauce is made of eye yolk , instead of those sauce made from cream which you find in other restaurants. The Boston lobster tasted so fresh that you would still have that lingering seafood taste in your mouth long after you chewed on it. The lobster flesh was crunchy and sweet, creating a good contrast to the linguine done in close to 'al dente' style. Al Dente is Italian for 'to the teeth' and it refers to pasta that is cooked just long enough that it is neither crunchy nor too soft, and its texture appeals to the teeth. The restaurant owner mentioned that locals are not quite used to true Italian 'al dente' style and some customers thought that the pasta wasn't cooked and requested for the kitchen to cook it longer. However, 'Al Dente' is the best way to cook pasta, giving it the best texture, in my own opinion.
A glass of white Italian wine to go with the food anytime!
This dish was pretty interesting as the gnocchi soaked up the oxtail sauce to give it some flavour. It is pretty similar to Korean spicy fried rice cakes just that this is not spicy at all.
Here come the main courses. First up was Dentice al Forno con Sugo di Pomodorini e Burrata(Oven Baked Red Snapper Fillet, Cherry Tomato Sauce and Fresh Burrata) which costs S$32. I was surprised that burrata cheese was paired with fish as normally burrito cheese usually appears as an antipasti together with ham.
The fish was tender and succulent even though it was pan fried. The cheery tomato sauce gave it a sweet and sour flavour and that worked well with the burrata cheese so that it does not taste overly overwhelming.
Guanciale di Vitello Brasato al Vino Rosso(Braised Veal Cheek in red wine with Cannellini Beans) was next in the menu. This was priced at S$34. The veal cheek was so soft that the meat just tore off when you sunk the fork into the meat.
After the main course, the desserts were served. By then, I was extremely full but I couldn't resist but try this dessert, cheesecake alla Ricotta e Pesche Sciroppate(Ricotta Cheese Tart with Peach Compote) S$14.
The peach compote was made from scratch and it wasn't overly sweet like those readily available in cans. It proved to be a great add-on to the cheesecake, with a good balance of creamy cheese and sweetness.
The last dessert of the day was Pannacotta alle Nocciole Caramellate(Caramelized Hazelnuts Pannacotta) priced at S$12. The smoothness of the pannacotta against the crunchness of the hazelnuts was a perfect match in heaven.
Love,
Elaine Heng
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