I’ve been wanting to try out Jamie’s Italian for a while now but never got around to it until last week.
My mom was in town, too, so she happily accompanied me to lunch. Not long after we were seated at a comfy booth, the restaurant
started filling up on both floors.
While I’m sure the novelty of eating at the celebrity TV chef’s restaurant is most appealing, the food and attention to detail certainly enhances the experience.
Inside Jamie’s Italian restaurant.
The antipasti menu boasts many vegetarian options that can be enjoyed by everyone.
For those carbo-loading there are plenty of breads on offer. We tried two of their popular dishes: Crunchy Italian Nachos, stuffed with mozzarella, ricotta and veggie Parmesan and served with Sicilian tomato sauce and the Mushroom Fritti, which is basically portobello and oyster mushrooms covered in a herb infused breadcrumbs with garlic mayo dip.
The freshly made bite-sized nachos had a yummy cheesiness and wonderful crunchy texture. I would have preferred a bit
more of a bite to my dip, but this one worked all the same.
The nachos at Jamie's Italian.
The thinly sliced mushrooms had a beautiful crispiness to them and were beautifully complemented by the dip.
We shared a main dish from the pasta, secondi as well as the pizza menu. First up was the Chicken Al Mattone. For the health conscious, the menu informs the diner that the chicken is free-range. It’s a succulent piece of meat, served on crostini and a bed of creamy wild mushroom sauce. It’s topped with parmesan and lemony rocket. At first bite, the taste buds are seduced by different flavours. There is the chargrill taste of the chicken. Then there is the wonderfully creamy texture of the perfectly seasoned sauce. And I loved the crispiness of the crostini.
One of the specials of the day was a beautifully baked lasagne – slow-cooked beef in a tomato sauce. It had small chunks of butternut thrown in and was topped with mozzarella which had browned to a nice crisp at the edges. In tucking in, you get that wonderful gooeyness and it makes for the perfect comfort cuisine in winter.
Of course, I had to taste the pizzas. A lover of fiery food, I opted for the Chilli Freak pizza. Sadly, the waiter got my order wrong
and so I ended up sampling the Gennaro’s Italian Sausage option first. The latter option was topped with beef and fennel sausage,
balsamic onions, black olives (not a favourite hence I didn’t order it) and rosemary.
One of the delicious pizzas on offer.
The base is light and crispy. There is no heaviness after tucking into it. The toppings were most generous and it really was a burst
of flavour. When the pizza that I initially wanted arrived, I was not complaining, more so with the base covered in a secret chilli sauce and the sprinkling of Thai bird’s eye chili and fresh mint.
After a much-needed break, we tried the Molten Chocolate Praline Pudding. The warm chocolate cake had a liquid praline centre that just hit the sweet spot. The sweetness was cut by a salted caramel ice-cream. When it comes to the beverages on offer, you have a range of cocktails for any mood, wines, and non-alcoholic hot and cold choices, too.
Overall, the attention to detail, especially with the plating and flavours, gets a thumbs up from me. Eating here is a memorable
experience best enjoyed with great company. The price is not bad either.