Aptly named. And nothing like it for miles around. Well, at least here in Singapore.
Sparked off by THAT very fact, owners and life-partners Alex and Tammy decided it was high-time that their LOVE for truffles be shared with the population of Singapore. According to their website, all it took was an evening in Italy, dining in a little extablishment that served up the best Truffle sandwiches, and sipping on wine, that inspired them to open Casa Tartufo (if you haven’t already figured it out by now … it’s direct translation IS House of Truffles).
The only reason I write about anything at all … is because everytime I experience something beautiful, I feel it needs to be shared. So case-in-point …. Casa Tartufo MUST be shared.
From the moment you step into the little spot in Forum Galleria (odd location, yes. Does that kill the ambience? Absolutely not.), you’re transported to a little corner in Italy. From the decor, the music, the hospitality to the service, wine and food ….. Casa Tartufo has got it down pat.
It helped that my partner Bobby and I were meeting two new friends of ours, who knew the owner and had been there before (amazing how it takes two newbies to the city, to introduce such a rare gem of an establishment to a couple of locals). Our lunch dates, Oliver and his wife Caroline, just moved to the little red dot barely four months before. Currently a private banker, Oliver had been a sommelier with Sotheby’s some years ago and knew his wines inside out.
We started off our session with a beautiful white, Bramito del Cervo chardonnay, Antinori.
It’s the second wine (if you don’t know what “second wine” means …. neither did I. Think what D&G is to Dolce & Gabbana) from Antinori’s stable of whites and much more reasonably priced than the first wine: Cervaro della Sala, also chardonnay. Produced from the area around Orvieto in Tuscany where the Marchesi Antinori purchased the 14th century castle, Castello della Sala, back in 1940 and have been producing whites since 1994.
We then indulged in some gorgeous, creamy Burrata. It’s a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. The name “burrata” means “buttered” in Italian.
For mains, my partner and Caroline opted for the Ravioli. It was a homemade Mushroom and Truffle Ravioli with 3 Roast jus. I decided to try the Carbonara Fettuccine with Pancetta, Truffle, Egg-yolk cream. I’m a sucker for cream-based pastas, especially when they’re beautifully prepared and not over-heavy. Oliver decided to go with the waiter’s recommendation of the Paccheri tube Pasta with Ox-tail ragout, Taggiasche Olives and dark Cocoa. We were all absolutely satisfied with our choices and there was a single complaint about any of the dishes.
While delighting in our meals … we were served up a second bottle of vino. This time a beautiful red. Dolcetto d’Alba, “Visadi”, Domenico Clerico.
