Found along a stretch of restaurants and bars along the quayside is this quaint little restaurant run by none other then Chef Mario himself. With a mission statement of bringing authentic italian cuisine to your table without the need to buy an air ticket, Da Mario brings with it plenty of expectations to fulfill.
Address: #01-05/06 The Quayside, 60 Robertson Quay
Contact: 62357623
Website: http://www.damariopizzeria.com/home.html
Price Range: $30 - 40 per head
Stylish Semi Interior
Simple al fresco dining is the call of the day. Although there is an interior section, its open ended with no glass doors nor walls impeding its interaction with the outer atmosphere. Seating capacity is approximately suitable for up to 30 patrons. Given the fact that the restaurant is run by only Chef Mario and his assistant, the waiting time can stretch depending on the crowd during your visit.
Calamari ($32 for 2)
The calamari, i found, was a cut above the rest. Although the batter was thick, it was sprinkled with salt and pepper for added taste. The batter is thick but crispy. I found the price for this rather steep though.
Bruschetta Al Pomodoro ($9)
Da Mario's rendition is overly oily and a little too small for my tastes. It retains much of the intended flavor but doesn't manage to impress.
Portobello Gratinato ($18)
This is worth a try. Topped with sun dried tomatoes, olives and a sprinkling of cheese. The huge portebello mushroom tastes balanced, succelent and appetising.
Capellini Regina ($20)
The Regina is essentially angel hair pasta with seafood and prawns with pinches of basil. It wasn't bad per se but came across as overly oily and had a strong resemblance to "fried bee hoon" from normal zhi ca stalls regretably.
Stuff i didn't try
Tortelli ($18)
Had a small sampling of this and i felt that the ravioli is a tad too thick for my liking, making it more chewy than usual. The filling of crab meat wasn't exactly generous either.
Omega 3 Pizza ($18)
Having tried smoked salmon pizza at Restaurant de Parma, i was quite honestly wary of this version having the same fishy taste. My worries were laid to rest after the first bite however, the salmon was possibly a little more cooked then De Parma's version which managed to rid it of any unsavory tastes while the thin crusted pizza, though charred in places, complemented the delicious fish. My vote for the better salmon pizza here.
Seafood Cartoccio ($22)
My order, which i declare as the most worthwhile order of the day. Cartoccio,which means the food is wrapped in paper, baked and then served piping hot. If you're not a tomato lover, this might not appeal to you since its tomato based and everything is literally soaked in it. Generous helpings of clams, mussels and prawns adorn the dish while the pasta is chewy and al dente.
Tiramisu ($7)
An average tasting Tiramisu with overly soft mascarpone cheese and not enough alcohol. It resembled a cake more with its generous portion size and would have faired better being called a cake.
Bill
The bill came up to $313.50 or $35 per head for this meal.
Overall score: 6.5/10
Overall score: 6.5/10
Last word:
High expectations? Definitely. And Da Mario does live up to some while missing at others, the end result is a mixed bag and i don't blame him. Regardless of what he does, he's using ingredients found in Singapore and thus, freshness and authenticity is likely compromised. Still, its an affordable little joint that can be visited for its Cartoccio.
High expectations? Definitely. And Da Mario does live up to some while missing at others, the end result is a mixed bag and i don't blame him. Regardless of what he does, he's using ingredients found in Singapore and thus, freshness and authenticity is likely compromised. Still, its an affordable little joint that can be visited for its Cartoccio.
