Finalmente Gastronomia: Another Italian in the Heartlands Story!
There are updates at the end of the blog
Ravioli stuffed with Stewed Veal cheek $12 (3 pieces)
One of the best things about Bangkok is the number of "Hole in the Wall" type eateries which are opened by Europeans who happen to pass through and decided to stay. These places are often small, rustic and bursting with character. There aren't many places like that in Singapore, so when Davina wrote in to tell me about this little Italian place which just opened in Macpherson (yes, you heard right, Macpherson), I couldn't help but check it out.
In recent years, there has been an "outbreak" of Italian food in our HDB heartlands. But these are often run by locals offering the standard Italian fare like pasta and pizzas. Mind you these places do serve up pretty good pastas, but it is not the same as having a quirky Italian man taking your orders, cooking up your meal and later coming to clean up the table as well. It's the kind of informal setting that I really enjoy.
Although the food here is real value for money (+ no +++), Italian chef Luca does not compromise on the quality of the ingredients and you are not going to get Singaporean tasting Italian food. (The dead giveaway is the use of commercial dried Italian spice mix) Only fresh herbs are used here and the cheeses, prosciutto and other produce are imported. I was pleasantly surprised that you could get a handmade pasta dish for as little as $12! We tried the homemade Ravioli with stewed veal cheeks and it was really quite shiok. You get 3 palm sized ravioli for $12 which is not really enough to fill you up but enough to satisfy the tastebuds. 4.5/5.
Pizza with Cooked Ham $9.50 23cm
Pizzas here are the thin and crispy type and prices start at $7.50 for a 23cm neopolitan pizza. The Rocket and Parma Ham pizza is $14 which I think is probably the cheapest in Singapore. (I am planning to come back for this) The base was really thin and crispy and although it may not be as outstanding as some that I have tasted overseas, it certainly rivals a lot of the more expensive Italian restaurants in Singapore. 4/5
Suckling Pig $11
The Italian suckling pig is a house specialty but don't imagine that you are going to learn about pig anatomy here. The whole pig has been de-boned and then all that skin is wrapped around a strip of tenderloin and spiced with herbs. The skin was nice and crisp as you would imagine and overall it was quite tasty, though I found the loin a tad dry. Worth trying as it is not all that common in Singapore. 3.75/5
Ever wonder why an Italian man would want want to settle in Singapore to open a restaurant? I always ask that question when I meet expats. Inevitably it has something to do with a pretty Singapore girl. Yes, our Singapore girls are doing a great job luring foreign talent to our shores!
That's Luca in the picture showing us a plate of Italian White Truffles. That 250gm plate of truffles costs $2500!! Now Truffles is something that I really never understood. Yeah its nice, but forking out $30 for 4 slivers of truffles over a plate of pasta is not something I get myself doing very often. I would rather get a nice steak for that amount of money. But if you are a truffle lover, I think you'd be making a beeline for the restaurant very soon.
Conclusion
A place where you go just to enjoy good Italian food at a great price. Don't expect great presentation or atmosphere, just good food and a nice friendly chat with an Italian chef.
Updates 6 July 2008
Our readers Lina and perception reports that the original Chef had left and now the standards of the restaurant has dropped.
Update 13 Jan 2009
Some readers have said the standards are back up and worth going back for a visit.
Update 3 May 2009
The new address is:
8 Jln Gelenggang S57819
(off Jln Leban and Up Thomson Rd)
Tel: 62883009
Finalmente Gastronomia
443 Macpherson Road
Between Hotel Winsor and Mazda Showroom
11.30am to 10pm
Closed on Mondays
62883009
Luca Visani 98669752
Recommended by Davina
36 comments:
Love these italians in heartlands stories..keep them coming!
Them veal cheeks ravioli looks really tempting!
Jialat, went round and round but still cant find the place...ended up eating at some kopitiam there...Haiz
There is a Bus Stop right in front of it which sort of blocks it. Its in a row of shophouses next to SPC petrol station.
ooh, thanks for reviewing! I've since found that whatever is the special of the day is inevitably really good.
and derrick, email me before the next time you go and I'll show you there. ;)
~Davina
perception@gmail.com
Actually there is a stall that is being opened up in Bishan and its by ang mors too! The shop name is "Crazy Ang Mor" and its part of a coffee shop. Bishan street 22, beside block 288.
Haven't tried it though, thought you might be interested in that.
Khim tried it before and told me about them. Like to give us your review Khim?
i love e fish & chips at Crazy Ang Moh.. its batter is seasoned wif some herbs/spice, not oily at all, very crispy on e outside n e fillet is very good!
as i was telling les tat i usually dun take fish outside cos very scared of fishy taste/smell.. so, tis fish & chips is good!! it's got a small portion of italian vege as well!! =)
however, i wouldn't say e same for it's crazy burger or steak.. my bf tried e burger n said e beef patty is very dry, which i totally agree after trying. Same goes for its steak..
i've been wanting to try their tasty chicken wings too but everytime go there, e queue is always soooo long..
tasty chicken wings has got good review from a friend's mum. seems like their desserts r quite good too.. saw a lot of people ordering but i haven't try yet.. as it's either u have to place ur orders one shot at a go (without having to go thru e pain of queueing again) OR u queue for ur desserts after u finished ur food!!
will give my review on e chicken wings n desserts after trying! ;)
at maxwell food centre, there's an italian food stall without a signboard. it uses a vertical banner instead. I ate the aglio olio linguine and the beef lasagne thought it tasted good. my favourite was the stall's dessert, not sure what it is, something like a small chocolate cake, but it's fillings was warm chocolate. great taste, not too sweet. it comes with a scoop of ice cream too!
Finally had my dinner with my gf there...not many crowds, ok...comfortable space for the both us. Hmmmm, i am not really into italian italian food, so i ordered the veal which was recommended here and my gf ordered some pasta...cant really comment but except, the veal is so-so. Maybe he has twitched the taste to suit the locals, therefore, i find it not very special.
But my gf loves her pasta though, *forgotten what she ate*...well, in general, its a pleasant dinner.
Has anyone here tried the french stall near little india? i think opposite is a shell petrol station, frens recommended but yet to try.
the owner, not chef, is the guy from the original al forno, in novena... for those whose are not so young.. who can remember...
Bad point.. they dont serve Free plain water.
Yes but the canned drinks are only $2.50. I remember eating at some other Italian restaurants who priced their soft drinks at $5.50 per glass.
If everyone say $2.50 for a can drink is affordable and ok to Restaurant NOT to serve plain water then hawker can increase their bowl of mee to $5.
i would rather see a picture of that singaporean girl.. muahhah!! than the chef.. ;)
Tried it yesterday. Great food great value. By the way try their tiramisu its power and $6 only.
The pizza and pasta compares well with the ones I had in Italy. Simple cosy setup. No +++, which is good. Not really a dessert guy, but I have to say that the chocolate/strawberry thingy I tried was amazing. Friendly staffs too.
Thanks for such a good recommnedation.
Went to eat at the place last week. I would say that it has the best tasting pizza dough i have eveer taste.
The mushroom soup is great too.
I can taste the sincere effort of the chef in the food he created.
went there for dinner wif don last sat or sun around 8 plus..
all e pizzas r gone by tat time, so was the suckling pig, we had no choice but to order other dishes.
i had roast beef n he had veal wasabi n had we canned drink.
bill came to $30 n we won't even 10% full!!! e portion is pathetically tiny, worse than a decent appetizer in a restaurant..
my roast beef is only 3 thin slices n veal wasabi is 5-6 slices. (think of e thickness of a piece of ham but half of it!)
n for e price of e canned drink, i think i can buy at least 4 cans from ntuc n drink until i full!!!
oh gosh, e prices for those tiny slices made me heart pain! but i'll still try e pizza one day n see how fantastic
khim - u want to eat ang moh meal for $30 for 2 pple is very cheap liao...
u want huge portions, hv to pay up. most restaurants charge $30 per dish for main course now... inflation - everything is getting v expensive...
i cant remember when i last went to an italian restaurant and got a meal for $30 for 2.... minimum $60 - 80..
sumosumo, have u been to tis place? if u haven't, go try it out urself n tell me how u find e serving.. it's really very pathetic lor..
i dunno abt e pizza lar.. n my bf was complaining abt e location not even uptown n charge so expensive.
expensive never mind, e serving should be adequate for an adult mah.. do u know tat my niece will be able to finish 2 places of roast beef by herself? even a small-eater will also be complaining lor..
n btw, it doesn't mean it's ang moh meal, it has to be expensive hor!!
khim, I'm sorry to hear that you found the portions too small. I've been there multiple times with big and small eaters alike, and portions have always been just right, if you're not expecting to get to 100% fullness (which you're not supposed to be aiming for anyway). Hope that you get the chance to try the pizza and handmade pasta there someday--it's worth it.
hi perception,
ya, i was hoping to try e pizza one of these days though!
tat night went dinner wif my bf, thinking of trying out e pizza as he tried it few days back n told me e pizzas were not bad.. but maybe we got there too late, so there's no more pizzas.. when i ordered my roast beef, my bf told me not to expect it to be a big portion, oh boy, never did i imagine it to be so tiny portion lei!!
in e end, after tat, we went somewhere else to have a proper dinner!!
khim - for a lady to say the portions are small and jiak buay pah.. i take your word for it that it is indeed small portions..
pizzas - i still like the ones at Al Forno's, which i find to be the most authentic pizzas around..
Dear Sumosumo, Even if it is a Ang Moh joint , we should expect that $15/person will fill our tummy right.
Maybe ang moh needs ang pow for CNY haha.
smart - fair enough. because i entertain alot, i m a little numb to prices.
$15 gets you a soup starter in places like Garibladi's, St Julienne, etc etc..
Dear Sumosumo, I am in Sales & Marketing for more than 30years n also entertain alot.The places u mention cant compare durian to bananas.
if you like authentic Italian foods cooked by Italians, i personally prefer Via Veneto at Clarke Quay (just beside the bungee jump). I got to know its run by a group of Italians and their pasta are al dente, and authentic. Just came back from Italy and their fat raviole with mushrooms, lamb shank and lemon pine nut tart are what i go for. go try. its really underrated, a foodie hunt!
There is a very active thread on Italian food going on in the forum. Why don't you join in and share your experience with us!
ieatishootipost.proboards50.com/
This is a horrible place.. wish I went to Pasta Mania instead. Do check out other reviews before you decide to check finalmente out.
http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/finalmente_gastronomia_macpherson/
I would just like to say that the standards of food and service at this place have gone down tremendously since its opening last year. The original Italian chef is no longer there, and the second one hired has since left. Service staff have also changed, and the boss is hardly ever to be found at the restaurant nowadays. (The waitress said he was off playing golf.) I am truly sorry for having made this recommendation.
Thanks for the feedback. I have updated the blog accordingly.
The blog depends on its readers to keep it constantly updated. So many thanks for making the effort to write in so that others need not waste their calories!
Hi All,
Just stumbled onto this posting and incidentally I just visted the place last night on a recommendation and have to say, that I was totally impressed and blown away by the quality and service (in a way I am glad I did not read any reviews before visting it!)
I don't know the background - but the Italian boss (am assuming he was the boss) was really nice and we had 3 really good pizzas(parma ham and rocket, parma ham and blue cheese and some pork and tomato specuial) and the special of the day, the seafood pasta. All in all I was very impressed with the food quality - ingredients were fresh, and the prices were really reasonable - abt 15 - 20 bucks each. Even the wait time was really fast - 10 mins and we had out fresh pizzas.
It was a pity that the place was completely empty on a Monday night at 8pm - I am sure more people who are looking for no fuzz quality italian for the right price will be interested.
So not to disrespect percpetion or ieat, give this one another try - i think i might be worth another shot of calories!
i have also eaten at the place like say 3 weeks ago, i found the food to be very delicious especially the pizzas like the parma ham and the calzone. perhaps its worth another try??
Based on jon1's positive review, I gave finalmente another try recently, not without some trepidation. However, the food turned out to be pretty good--not as great as when it first started, but close, and the lava cake was really decent. =) The current chef is the Italian owner's brother and he seems to know what he's doing. I would recommend this place again--at least until the next change of chef.
[Note: the macpherson finalmente now has a branch at goldhill with a former waitress as chef.]
The macpherson finalmente has shifted to:
8 Jln Gelenggang S57819
(off Jln Leban and Up Thomson Rd)
Tel: 62883009
Post a Comment