Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Monte Risaia @ Duxton - A Contemporary Italian-Japanese Omakase Experience

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Monte Risaia at Duxton is a contemporary Italian-Japanese Omakase restaurant managed by the Marusaya group. The man behind helming the restaurant is Chef Taizo Yamada, who specialises in creating Japanese inspired Italian cuisine using premium and seasonal ingredients from Japan. Monte Risaia started as a dinner only restaurant initially, and is now open for lunch as well.
 
Lunch fare at Monte Risaia is a simpler version of its dinner omakase, offering lunch menus which includes Signature Omakase Course ($79), Omakase Pasta Course ($39) and Omakase Carne Course ($49). I had the Signature Omakase Course which serves up 2 Antipasti, 1 Pasta, 1 Meat and a Dessert.
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Antipasti 4.5/5

We started off with Prawn, Tuna and Scallop in Frutti di Mare Sauce topped with Ikura. I was quite impressed by what this spoonful of ingredients had managed to deliver. The combination of the various seafood resulted in a very meaty mouth-filling texture. The intensity of the sweet and tart Frutti di Mare Sauce did a good job in tying the various ingredients together, and I love how the Ikura lent burst of saltiness to every bite, which brought out the sweetness of the seafood. Served chilled, there was no better way to kick start a meal. 

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Antipasti 4.2/5

Our second antipasti was a hot favourite among the regulars - Uni Chawanmushi (Silky Egg Custard topped with Sea Urchin). It wasn't just the case of topping a regular chawanmushi with uni, but the egg custard itself was enriched with uni, adding an extra oomph factor. 

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Pasta 4/5

For the Pasta dish, we had Tagliatelle with Shiso Leaf. Layered with crab and clam dashi, the bright and punchy tomato based sauce had an added dimension of flavour in the background. Its richness is punctuated with herbaceous notes of the aromatic shiso leaf, and I also appreciate the use of a more intense olive oil that laced the pasta with a tinge of pepperiness.
 
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Meat 3.5/5 

For Carne (Meat) course, we were being served with Iberico Pork and Maple Duck Dolce. The Maple Duck was juicy and plump in blushing pink, while I reckoned the pork needed a to be in the heat for a while more to render off its fats to release its flavours.
 
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Dessert 3.5/5 

The sweet ending to our meal was Chocolate Cake with Caramel Ice Cream with raspberry sauce and cream and accompanied with diced mango. I love that the caramel had been pushed to the edge to attain a slight bitterness, hence the caramel ice cream was a taste of an inviting bitter-sweetness. The presence of the raspberry sauce helped to achieve a sweet tart balance.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting. 


Monte Risaia
59 Duxton Rd
Singapore 089523
Tel:+ 65 69700067
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm – 230pm, 5pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Orchid Hotel. Walk to Tanjong Pagar Road, cross the road. Walk to Craig Road. Turn left onto Craig Road. Walk down Craig Road. Turn right onto Duxton Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

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