March 1, 2009
Sweet Italian
The former chef and co-owner of Michelangelo's has opened new eatery Mietta's in Arab Street
By Wong Ah Yoke
When Michelangelo's opened in Chip Bee Gardens in Holland Village 14 years ago, the Italian restaurant was such a hit that it helped to turn the quiet row of shops there into a thriving dining enclave.
Now, former chef and co-owner Angelo Sanelli, who left the restaurant group recently, is banking on his new venture being just as successful.
The Australian of Italian descent opened his own Italian restaurant, Mietta's, about a month ago in Arab Street, opposite the Golden Landmark Hotel.
Compared to his old place, it is an improvement in many ways. The new eatery is much bigger, taking up three units of shop space, and there is a chill-out bar on the second floor called Hugo's which will open later this month.
Tables in the dining room are not packed as closely together, and the combination of wooden furniture and brown walls decorated with brightly coloured paintings has a homely, comfortable feel.
The location is more accessible too. The Bugis MRT station is a short walk away, many bus services ply the area and there is adequate parking both on the road as well as in the basement of Golden Landmark.
Until the Circle Line opens, Chip Bee Gardens has no nearby MRT station and few bus services, and is a parking nightmare.
The only thing going against Mietta's is that Arab Street is not trendy like Holland Village. But it has a bohemian vibe of its own and who knows, the restaurant may jumpstart a similar flourishing of hip eateries there.
After all, if you like the food at Michelangelo's, you are just as likely to like Mietta's.
Sanelli has brought over some familiar faces, and among them is executive chef Dennis Sim.
Together, they have come up with a menu of Italian staples. The only difference is that there is no pork because of the restaurant's location in a primarily Muslim area, so prosciutto is out.
The menu is not big but there are enough choices among the starters, pastas, main courses and desserts. Also, the restaurant plans to come up with a few set menus to supplement the a la carte offerings.
As with Michelangelo's cooking, there are few surprises here but the food is fresh and the chef has a knack for bringing out its natural flavours.
Pastas are the star attraction here. From the vongole to the risotto, they are tasty and comforting classics that you will want to eat again and again.
The vongole with angel-hair pasta ($22) is enjoyable for its fresh clams swimming in a white wine sauce sweet with shellfish juices.
Or for something heavier, order the penne with vodka and prawns ($26), which comes with a slightly creamy sauce and large crunchy prawns.
If you are really hungry, however, go for the foie gras risotto ($32), which has lumps of duck liver roughly mashed into the rice.
All three dishes boast excellent flavours.
Starters are simple affairs, such as a beetroot salad ($18) with chunks of grilled pumpkin tossed into it to add colour and sweetness.
Something fancier would be the pan-fried scallops topped with caviar ($24). My scallops were a tad overcooked but the seasoning was just right.
The pan-fried duck breast ($34) I had for my main course, too, would have been better if it had spent less time on the fire. But though not as juicy as I would have liked it, it was still tender. And the serving was a generous one.
Desserts, however, needed some working on.
Out of four that I tried over two visits, I only liked the tiramisu ($12). It was a well-balanced concoction of cheese, sponge, coffee, cocoa powder and Amaretto, and the sponge layer was soft and fluffy without being wet.
The berries zabaglione ($14) was rather flat, however, and the pear tartin ($12) was tough. The chocolate fondant ($14) was decent but did not stand out.
In case you are wondering, Mietta's is an expression meaning 'sweet, young thing', which is how Sanelli sees his latest baby.
'Obviously, it doesn't refer to me,' adds the rotund chef.
MIETTA'S
126 Arab Street, tel: 6396-5493
Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm (Mondays to Fridays), 6 to 10.30pm (Mondays to Saturdays), closed on Sundays
Food: *** 1/2
Service: *** 1/2
Ambience: *** 1/2
Price: Budget from $60 a person
MUST TRY
FOIE GRAS RISOTTO ($32)
Yummy comfort food that is worth all the calories
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