Catalunya @ The Fullerton Pavilion

Having a long week at work? Why not pamper yourself with a great weekend brunch with either friends or family. The weekend brunch at Catalunya  ($98++) is one its kind with a eclectic selection of antipasti, mains and desserts. Besides good food, there is also live DJ spinning in the house, giving the whole atmosphere a party vibe.

One advice to diner is to pace yourself at Catalunya. There is really a lot of food that was actually in a lost where and which to start with. In the end, I hit for the bar area where there is a spread of charcuterie, cheese, seafood (raw, marinated and pickled) and salad.

Scrambled Egg with Mushrooms 4.5/5

Besides the extensive spread of antipasti along the buffet line, Catalunya also offers an a la minute brunch menu with a condensed menu of Egg, Omelette and Sandwiches. The egg section comes with a choice of fried or scrambled egg on a bed of potato with choices of ham, chorizo and mushrooms.

Bikini 4.5/5

Vegetarian Bikini 4.2/5

One of the group's favourite is the Bikini, made of of Iberico Ham, Cheese and Truffle. This is also brought to the brunch menu from the restaurant's lunch/dinner menu. It also has a vegetarian version which mada of zucchini, cheese and pesto.

Spanish Omelette 3.5/5

No matter how you look at the glass, it does not look like a Spanish Omelette at all. The modern twist of the traditional spanish omelette comes with three different layers of potato form, egg yolk and onion.

Seafood Paella 4.8/5

When I said earlier that you need to pace youself earlier, I am not joking as we have not even reached the mains yet. Between 130pm to 330pm, the music in the restaurant will be pumped up with the staff dancing out with the mains. First out was the Seafood Paella. The rice was well infused with the robust stock that reminds me of their lobster rice dish in their dinner menu.

Salted Baked Catch of the Day 4.2/5

The next main dish to be up is the Salted Baked Catch of the Day. The fish covered with salted is brought to the main dining hall, flambeed on the spot, portioned and served to the guests. The fish is cooked to a beautiful moist texture.

Suckling Pig 4.5/5

Last of the main to be danced out of the kitchen is the Suckling Pig. This is probably the highlight of the whole brunch experience. Crackling skin and fork tender. there is nothing more perfect for a great Spanish feast.

Dessert 4.2/5

Not forgetting a delicious selection of yummilicious cakes and pastries to bring the whole brunch experience to a finale.

Besides the whole vibe and delicious spread of food at the weekend brunch, the other value for money reason is that one gets to try most of the items in Catalunya's dinner menu.


Catalunya
The Fullerton Pavilion
82 Collyer Quay
Singapore 049327
Tel: +65 65340886
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatalunyaSingapore
Website: http://www.catalunya.sg/
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm
Dinner:
Mon-Sun: 6pm - 1030pm
Weekend Brunch
Sat-Sun: 1230pm - 330pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT. Take Exit A or B. Walk to Clifford Centre and then Change Alley. Take escalator to level 2. Cross the road using the OUE Link. Turn left towards Fullerton Bay Hotel. Walk to towards the bay and destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Capri Trattoria & Pizzeria @ Binjai Park (Bukit Timah)

Capri Trattoria at Binjai Park which opened in 2011, was taken over by the current owner Milan-born Fabrizio Anzolin in Feb 2014 and together with Executive Chef Domenico Truglia gave the restaurant a complete menu revamp. To share the passion of their food heritage with their customers, the dual recently launched a new Monthly Regional Specials Menu from April 2015, featuring three distinct dishes and new creations from different provinces in Italy.

Tagliere Casereccio 4.5/5

Dining like an Italian, we started with some antipasti, the Tagliere Casereccio ($28). This is a selection from Calabria, Southern Italy which comes with a platter of home-cured cold cuts such as pancetta (pork belly), capocollo (pork neck) and bresaola (air-dried beef) served atop a bed of rocket salad and accompanied by cheese, olives, cured chillies and sundried tomatoes, finished with a light drizzle of olive oil.

Gamberi e cappesante alle erbe 4.2/5

The other antipasti on the menu that seafood lovers will rejoice is the Camberi e cappesante alle erbe ($20). The beautiful plate from the ocean comes with prawns and scallops seasoned in a Mediterranean herbs are pan-seared in olive oil and served on a bed of mesclun, sundried tomatoes and olives.

Pasta riccia all'nduja 4/5

Accordingly to the owner, the Southern Italians like fiery-style dishes as compared to their northern counterparts. I was quite surprised. All this while, I only thought Italian is about tomatoes and olive. I never knew they like spicy food too. In fact, the used of fiery chillies is not uncommon both in preparation and curing process in the southern part of Italy. Pasta riccia all'nduja ($25) is one such dish on the menu that uniquely showcases the spicy side of Italian food. The wide and flat handmade pasta is tossed in a housemade nduja. Nduja is a fiery sauce that consists of a fine blend of pork, olive oil, silvers of garlic, ground black pepper, chilli flakes and ricotta. I think this will be a hit with Singaporean as we like spicy food and I have not known as of current any other Italian restaurants I have eaten, offering this unique spicy pasta dish on their menu. By the way, be warned that this is really spicy.

Cannarozzi allo zafferano 4.2/5

If you can't take spicy, then there is the Cannarozzi allo zafferano ($25) which is just as good with its creaminess. The tube-like pasta is sauteed in a saffron sauce with ricotta cheese, topped with smoky bacon, crispy bacon and shavings of parmesan.

Cacciucco alla Livornese 4/5

The traditional Cacciucco alla Livornese ($28) will delight any seafood lovers with a comforting bowl of tomato based sauce brimming with mussels, shelled prawns, squid, clams. crayfish and cod. Slices of home baked bread are served on the side to sop up all the tasty, saucy goodness.

Cotoletta alla Milanese 4/5

A hearty choice is the Cotoletta alla Milanese ($48), a 300g bone-in deep fried breaded veal chop served with roasted potatoes and side of fresh salad. The breadcrumb gives the veal chop a delectable crispy exterior while cooked to a nice moist and tender texture inside.

Torta al limone 4/5

Ending the dinner is the Torta al limone ($10), a warm homemade lemon cake with a a side of cream. Th cake is dense, buttery and infused with a subtle tang of lemon zest.

Dining at Capri Trattoria & Pizzeria is definitely a hearty, warm and cozy affair with delicious food around the different regions of Italy. The monthly regional special menu gives diner a reason to return too. Do also note that complimentary valet parking is available on Friday to Sunday during dinner time too.


Capri Trattoria & Pizzeria
3 Binjai Park
Singapore 589819
Tel: +65 64684886
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapriTrattoriaPizzeria
Website: http://www.trattoriacapri.com/
Nearest MRT: King Albert Park (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at King Albert Park MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge connection to Exit B. Walk down Dunearn Road towards Binjai Park. Turn left onto Binjai Park. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes.[Map]