BTO: Adding an Italian touch to Arab Street

Business Times - 02 Mar 2009

Adding an Italian touch to Arab Street

NEW RESTAURANT

Mietta's
126 Arab Street
Tel: 6396-5493

IT'S a Friday evening and Mietta's is nearly empty. A pony-tailed man in a chef's uniform sits on a bench outside the month-old restaurant, staring out onto the street in front of him.

 

There's nothing unusual about the sight, particularly for a new business in the current economic climate - save for the fact that the chef is Angelo Sanelli, former frontman of one of Singapore's more popular Italian restaurants, Michel-angelo's.

 

The 55-year-old has parted ways with his business partner and set up Mietta's, an eclectically-

decorated eatery that shares some of Michelangelo's warm, intimate ambience and whose kitchen is mainly helmed by former Zambuca executive chef, Dennis Sim (because of health issues, Mr Sanelli himself doesn't cook often).

 

Problem is, unlike Michelangelo's at Chip Bee Gardens, Mietta's takes up three shophouses at a rather quiet end of Arab Street, opposite the Golden Landmark Hotel - not exactly an area that's known for swish dining joints. Parking is also a predicament, although the restaurant is planning to introduce a valet service soon.

 

Still, you've got to hand it to Mr Sanelli for being gutsy enough to start over, especially at an age when he could just hang up his apron. And Mietta's is an interesting addition to the Kampong Glam area. Its two-page menu focuses on Italian dishes with a French spin, such as a porcini and foie gras risotto. Sanelli signatures like penne vodka in two styles and a vongole di Angelo also make an appearance here.

 

What's good about this place is that the menu doesn't lie - so when it says lobster bisque ($14), for instance, you really do get quite a rich briny broth swirled around a large chunk of lobster, with fresh lumps of crabmeat to boot. Also decent was the pan-seared foie gras on raisin brioche ($24), accompanied by a really sharp, home-made raspberry jam.

 

By and large though, the dishes could do with a bit of fine-tuning. There were just too many flavours in a trio of small, pan-seared scallops ($24), which was plated with green pea mash, saffron oil and caviar. It didn't help that the scallops themselves were rather fishy.

 

The squid ink tagliatelle with escargot ($28) was also off the mark, the thick pasta, squid ink and snails making for a stodgy, salty combination. And the grain-fed tenderloin with porcini in red wine jus ($38) was dry, though the meat itself was flavourful.

 

Dessert - which is off the menu because the selection is left to the chefs' discretion - fared better though. What was available when we were there included a cheese platter, a pear tartine and a chocolate fondant. We tried the latter two, which turned out to be rather good - the cooked sweet slices of pear on crisp, buttery pastry; the cake warm and rich with a molten middle.

 

Later this month, Mietta's will open a cozy lounge (called Hugo's) on its second floor, which will house a full bar and a wine cellar. The restaurant's kitchen should have better settled in by then, so it will be a good time to reacquaint yourself with Angelo Sanelli.

 

Rating: 6.5/10
By Audrey Phoon