With the long queues (be prepared to wait 30-60 min for a table if you walk-in) and full bookings on weekends (they only allow a certain percentage of tables to be reserved), it was not easy to get a table at Jamie’s Italian Singapore, located at Vivo City. Opened just last year, Jamie’s Italian has proven to be really popular with us Singaporeans. Just a brand name or does it really serve up quality food for the prices?
At Dad’s insistence, we finally made our way to Jamie’s Italian for dinner where Dad went to make a ‘reservation’ by going to the restaurant an hour earlier than the rest of us. Note: they will only seat patrons when almost all have arrived.
Ok…onto the food. My bro had eaten a few times at Jamie’s Italian in London so he recommended the Polenta Chips (S$7.90++) to share.
Fried with rosemary and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese, these little blocks of polenta were delicious! It was a bit like eating creamy moist tacos with a slight twist. Wouldn’t mind having this bowl of chips with a glass of wine or two.
Another starter that we shared was the Fish ‘Plank’ (S$17++/pax). We only ordered 1 person’s portion because we just wanted a nibble of everything.
Why is it called ‘plank’? Well, the food is served on a wooden plank which is elevated by 2 cans of tomato paste. Cute. So, our fish plank contains (from top to bottom) 3 pieces of fried fish, a small bowl of clams and a mussel, a piece of bread topped with various types of olives and pickles, a small bowl of smoked mackerel on ice, a small bowl of shaved root veg salad and a slice of Pecorino with chilli jam.
The fried fish was normal, the yuzu mayo was so-so, the smoked mackeral was yummy, the salad was refreshing and the olives were good. Although I wished that they gave pitted olives. The pecorino cheese was typical and the chilli jam was really sweet. I’d just pay for a full bowl of the smoked mackeral and the salad. Dad ate up the clams and mussels so I can’t comment on that.
Above is my main of Black Angel Spaghetti (S$24.50++) which is squid ink spaghetti with scallops in a light sauce. It was very good and you could tell that the pasta is fresh and if you’re a small eater, you can order the starter portion at S$16++. I was initially hesitating with other dishes such as the Prawn Linguine, Truffle Risotto and the Crab Spaghettini. All sounded yum but I was sold by the word ‘scallop’ as I haven’t eaten scallops in ages.
Mum ordered the Truffle Risotto (S$16++ or S$24.50++) and I didn’t take a photo because it was just white with chopped back truffle sprinkled on the top. It’s a very vegetarian dish as it’s really just risotto with truffle, butter and Parmesan. However, the rice was creamy without being too heavy and I loved how the rice managed to taste fluffy, which is a bit different from the risottos you eat elsewhere or even from the risotto that I’ve cooked. Wish they had a bit more stuff in it though.
Bro ordered the Halibut (S$29.90++) and sorry, no photos as my brother had already started digesting it before I could whip my phone out to snap a shot. I tasted it though, and I love the smokey taste from the panchetta that infused into the fish. However, I felt that the price was a bit steep for this dish.
Dad ordered the Vongole Tagliolini (S$17++/S$25++) and none of us tried it as Dad has a sore throat. He felt that he would have preferred spaghetti over the tagliolini as the pasta and he felt that tastewise, it was alright.
Overall, I would say that the food is a bit of a lighter twist on traditional Italian food but yet it is true to the Italian roots by having the right ingredients and just being well cooked. It’s no Michelin-starred-orchestra-in-your-mouth dishes but it is a place where each dish is interesting enough for you to want to go again to try everything. Is it worth waiting an hour? Probably not but I might do it again. Oh…I was very tempted to buy the small terracotta pans/plates for baking. But I resisted. Wouldn’t know what to cook in them. Maybe my awesome lasagna but the dishes are too shallow for that. Oh, they have lasagna too but I didn’t want to taste competition. HAHAHA.
Jamie’s Italian
1 Harbour Front Walk
Vivo City, #01-165
Tel: +65 6733 5500
Website: http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/singapore
Opening hours:
12-10pm Sunday to Thursday
12-11pm Friday & Saturday
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