Good Eat: Pasta Brava and Porta Porta

Posted by spots (Singapore, Singapore) on 29 August 2005 in Food & Cuisine and Portfolio.

Over the weekend, Husband & I decided to go on a "date". It's not that we dislike little Daniel's company but we felt it might be healthy to have some couple time and try out a restaurant that Cheemo had been raving to us about - Porta Porta. Now I have never really liked Italian food much, probably because my memories of Italian cuisine were limited to Pizza Hut as a teen and even when I started exploring real Italian restaurants, I found the likes of Pasta Fresca, Prego's and Al Dente not very appetising. The food was always quite "jelat" - as in, too much carbo gave me an uneasy feeling in the tummy - and I always walked away from such restaurants regretting paying so much for what seemed rather easy to cook, like spaghetti vongole etc.,

Only recently did I find an Italian restaurant that I truly enjoyed in terms of both ambience and food - Pasta Brava. Nestled in a row of shophouses off Neil Road and owned by a fiesty Italian man who mutters and gesticulates as he scurries around, the little restaurant exudes charm (good for dates!) and the food, especially the homemade pastas, is amazingly flavourful. There's also a quirkiness about the menu - steak with chocolate sauce, ravioli stuffed with pumpkin... and a delightfully alcoholic panna cotta. The food is traditional, yet rather innovative as well. Very nice. Check out the website for pics and the full menu. And do try it out (reservations recommended)!

Anyway, back to our "date night" over the weekend - I am glad to report that I will be adding Porta Porta to my very selective list of Italian restaurants I would return to again and again. The original Porta Porta is located at Upper Changi area, but Husband & I visited the second Porta Porta, located along a row of shophouses at Stanley Street (near Amoy Street), as it was much closer to our home. This Porta Porta was opened by the brother of the owner of the original Porta Porta. Him and his (rather good-looking) son run the restaurant - with the father cooking and the son waiting on tables.

The food was lovely. We ordered calamari for starters and were pleasantly surprised when it came with deep-fried prawns as well. We also had two pasta dishes - the seafood risotto and the pesto dumpling pasta, which in Husband's words, was "mind-blowing". Each dumpling was stuffed with spinach and mushrooms and coated with grated cheese & a very yummy pesto sauce. It was so amazingly flavourful, with just the right balance of taste, and we just couldn't stop eating it. And yes, there was none of that "jelat" feeling that normally accompanies Italian meals. I regret to report that by the time dessert time came round, we were both so stuffed that we just ordered a lemon sorbet to share. Word has it that the tiramisu at Porta Porta is absolutely delish - so Husband & I will definitely be returning to check that out.

Just a word on the patrons of the restaurant - they all seemed to be regular customers. There was a large table of friends in a corner, celebrating a birthday or something festive; a middle-aged couple in another corner, eating silently; a trio of ang-mos looking all dapper in "going out" outfits and a group of cosmopolitan girls, chatting & smoking ata table outdoors. The (rather good-looking) son greeted them all with a warm handshake. I kinda liked that - this restaurant obviously has built up a loyal clientele, which is always a good sign. The ambience of the place was also lovely - quieter than Pasta Brava, which is sometimes filled with people, but not too quiet. It was not too crowded for a Saturday night - after all, Stanley Street, which is in the CBD area, is rather deserted during the weekends. And the decor was warm and inviting. So, it was rather perfect for a date night - we had a good time chatting, relaxing, as well as reflecting on the past week since Daniel entered our lives.