A new Italian establishment along Bukit Timah Road, well just slightly off it at Binjai Park. New kid on the block that is already packing a full crowd on a Saturday dinner shift. Homely ambience that may be a bit too cramped, with a small (3 tables) outdoor seating. Too much use of halogen light, coupled with the open wood/brick-oven, and it can get at bit warm-ish the nearer you are to the kitchen. 4 wait staffs, with very good, polite service, but still a tad under-staffed (another 1 or 2 will be better). The Italian boss himself stood behind the counter, making the coffee, and settling the bills. only very occasionally does he step out to serve or chat. Food wise was good. Hearty Italian meals with generous portions. The house Prosecco was light and tasty. The starters of sautéed squid served in its own ink and seafood soup were fresh and promptly served. The former went very well with the table bread but had more of a stir-fried chinese tze-char taste than Mediterranean; the latter's seafood (clams and prawns) were stir-fried/sautéed with garlic before adding the soup and the heat was clearly too high, such that the garlic were burnt, and the soup ended up with a charred-undertone. In addition, the soup volume was just too minimal to fully appreciate the taste. The mixed pork (ribs, sausage, mince, belly "siew bar") pappardelle was very generous. The tomato base and the porcine taste were not over-bearing, but again, still feels Chinese. Strangely, the soup and pasta was served at the same time. The highlight was the pizza. Now, this is where I was impressed. The pizza was the kind that I liked the most: thin crust yet chewy not crunchy. I had the truffle cream with mixed mushroom (including porcini) which was yummy. The truffle-smell was not overpowering and the cheese/cream combo was just right. Well done! Desserts was the ricotta with pear and lemon tart. Both were good, but not knock-your-socks-off. The ricotta was slightly heavier but balanced off with the pear and crust. The lemon tart was light and fluffy, and served with a side of ? cream. Good to slowly nibble off with a cuppa after dinner. Very filling, reasonably priced for the amount of food. Valet provided.
Updated (9 Sept 2012): The Boston lobster fettucine was excellent. Large generous portion, that was reasonably priced for a restaurant, however, it was a tad too salty. The cherry tomatoes lent a sweetness to it that complement the natural freshness and sweetness of the crustacean, but the number of tomatoes could be cut down bout 10%. The suckling piglet was a winner! They do not have it often, but if they do have it, order it! Crispy skin that was lightly salted, but importantly, the meat was soft and tender, and peeled off the bones beautifully. Not for the health conscious though, the lard just ooze...Excellent!
Verdict: Will definitely go again. Not only for convenience, but also for my kind of pizza.
Capri Trattoria & Pizzeria
No. 3 Binjai Park
Singapore 589819
tel: 6468 4886
Opening Hours: to be determined
I had tried the one in London about a year ago, and left without a very good impression of the food. Therefore, I came in with rather low expectations. Service was alright, but I could barely understood what the wait staff was rambling on about the specials. Also, if the mobile credit card machine does not work, wouldn't it be better to just take the customer's card and proceed to the cashier to make payment rather than look for another machine? Anyways, I ordered the same thing that I had in London: the squid ink pasta with scallop, chilli and scallops. The food came quite fast, however, the sure were not kidding when they say "small". I could have eaten up that bowl in 2 bites! It was a lot smaller than the one in London. Taste wise, it was equally pedestrian. The pathetic scallops were not the freshest and the pasta, although al dente, did not blend in with the sauce/broth that it was sitting in. For the price that it is charged, this, like its London's branch, was not worth the time or calories.
