Ricciotti, The Riverwalk
I mentioned before that we might have enough budget for 2 L.A. Lunches in November. At the last minute, I decided to call for an L.A. Lunch to Ricciotti for some authentic homestyle Italian food. I figured that my very loyal colleagues would gladly cancel their appointments for a free lunch, and boy was I right. Despite the short one and a half hours' notice, about 12 colleagues turned up!
On Tuesdays, Ricciotti has a 1-for-1 pizza promotion for lunch. It works out to about 20 bucks for each person, inclusive of appetisers and dessert! How's that for value?
We've learnt from the last time we were at Ricciotti (whereby we had one pizza per person) that 1 pizza to share between 2 to 3 persons was more than sufficient. It was a herculean task to stay awake that fateful afternoon.
We ordered the well-loved Pizzotto ($22.50), a decadent medley of bacon, mushrooms, pomodoro, mozzarella cheese and a slighty runny egg on top. This was easily the most popular pizza around. Please note that you will have to break the yolk and smear it all around before digging in. This is the pizza version of a cabonara pasta, rich and satisfying.
We also had another favourite, the Al Crudo ($25.50), with rucola, parma ham, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese. The saltiness of the parma ham was balanced out by the crisp and slightly bitter rucola. And oh, the parma ham was really lovely, it was delicately sweet yet profoundly salty.
We also got a seafood-based pizza, the Gamberi E Funghi ($22.50), with prawns, mushrooms, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese. The prawns were very fresh and crunchy and sprinkled with herbs. Too bad there wasn't enough prawns. We packed one of this for the colleagues unable to join us and Darren-the-motormouth-Gan sneakily took a prawn from the pizza, which left a very noticeable gap. We decided to say that the prawns were "lost in transit".
We also got the Salame Piccante ($21.50), with spicy salami, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese by request of ZM.
I love Ricciotti's pizzas, they are all wood-fired for that earthy fragrance and thin crusted (so you can eat more). The toppings are unfailingly fresh and scrumptious.
We also got the Margherita ($17.50), basil, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese, for Yas, who needed a vegetarian option. For someone whose limit is 1 or 2 slices of pizza, she managed to eat 3 whole pieces.Yes, it was that good.
A few of us also got the soup of the day, Minestrone with Chicken and Parma Ham ($8.50), served with a toasted crusty bread. Ricciotti does not have a regular soup menu, they only have a soup of the day which changes daily so you'll have to eat whatever's available that day. I personally love minestrone, it's simple and rustic, yet so comforting. This came steaming hot, which is always a plus point, but it was a little ordinary. And the portion was huge, enough for 2 to share.
We also got a mixed starter to share, the Fritto Misto ($14.50), a combination of the Suppli (rice balls stuffed with beef ragu and mozzarella cheese), Calamari (deep fried squid rings served with spicy tomato sauce) and Pollo Fritto (breaded chicken tenders served with mustard sauce).
Today's Calamari, though a pretty sight, was very rubbery. I spat mine out. It was just unpalatable.
The Suppli was not bad, but not spectacular either. This was a meaty twist to the classic breaded mozzarella balls. The beef ragu tasted a little insipid. It was all due to Darren-the-Motormouth-Gan's talk of "balls". And the vision of overflowing cheese didn't help.
The Chicken Tenders were easily the best of the selection and true to their namesake. Chicken breast meat was coarsely ground up without the overly processed texture. The crust was fried to a crisp whilst the meat retained its juiciness.
Although we were all stuffed (belts were being loosened at this point and postures were all reclining already), we still had space for desserts. Ricciotti is afterall well known for its desserts.
I got the Soffiato ($8.90), a warm dark chocolate souffle served alongside a scoop of cold chocolate chip ice cream. This was rich without being cloying. The dark chocolate added a bittersweet twist to the otherwise saccharine treat. And I love the juxtaposition of the cold ice cream with the warm souffle.
Yas ZM ate the Panna Cotta ($7.80), a smooth (and wobbly) vanilla pudding in chocolate shell with sabayon (egg whites beaten with alcohol to make a fluffy mousse-like consistency) and chocolate jelly. This was so smooth and creamy.
A couple of my other colleagues shared 2 scoops of ice cream, the rum and raisin and chocolate chip flavours. I didn't try this but according to my colleague, she liked the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the chocolate chips, and the creaminess of the ice cream. He liked the fact that the rum and raisin ice cream wasn't too sweet.
I love Ricciotti's 1-for-1 promotions. They make pigging out so easy on the wallet. Get this, the bill for 14 persons, excluding the one intern who was "watching his diet", came up to only $280.85.
Please note that the Tuesday lunches are their 1-for-1 pizzas promotions, and Wednesdays are their 1-for-1 pastas promotions, although, in my view, their pizzas are better than their pastas.
I have to take this time to thank my very supportive colleagues for always reminding me to take the photos before I eat and providing detailed and colourful opinions and reviews about the dishes, despite most being gluttons. You all are great!
Ricciotti
20 Upper Circular Road
#B1-49, The Riverwalk
Tel: 6533 9060
http://www.ricciotti.com.sg/
On Tuesdays, Ricciotti has a 1-for-1 pizza promotion for lunch. It works out to about 20 bucks for each person, inclusive of appetisers and dessert! How's that for value?
We've learnt from the last time we were at Ricciotti (whereby we had one pizza per person) that 1 pizza to share between 2 to 3 persons was more than sufficient. It was a herculean task to stay awake that fateful afternoon.
We ordered the well-loved Pizzotto ($22.50), a decadent medley of bacon, mushrooms, pomodoro, mozzarella cheese and a slighty runny egg on top. This was easily the most popular pizza around. Please note that you will have to break the yolk and smear it all around before digging in. This is the pizza version of a cabonara pasta, rich and satisfying.
We also had another favourite, the Al Crudo ($25.50), with rucola, parma ham, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese. The saltiness of the parma ham was balanced out by the crisp and slightly bitter rucola. And oh, the parma ham was really lovely, it was delicately sweet yet profoundly salty.
We also got a seafood-based pizza, the Gamberi E Funghi ($22.50), with prawns, mushrooms, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese. The prawns were very fresh and crunchy and sprinkled with herbs. Too bad there wasn't enough prawns. We packed one of this for the colleagues unable to join us and Darren-the-motormouth-Gan sneakily took a prawn from the pizza, which left a very noticeable gap. We decided to say that the prawns were "lost in transit".
We also got the Salame Piccante ($21.50), with spicy salami, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese by request of ZM.
I love Ricciotti's pizzas, they are all wood-fired for that earthy fragrance and thin crusted (so you can eat more). The toppings are unfailingly fresh and scrumptious.
We also got the Margherita ($17.50), basil, pomodoro and mozzarella cheese, for Yas, who needed a vegetarian option. For someone whose limit is 1 or 2 slices of pizza, she managed to eat 3 whole pieces.Yes, it was that good.
A few of us also got the soup of the day, Minestrone with Chicken and Parma Ham ($8.50), served with a toasted crusty bread. Ricciotti does not have a regular soup menu, they only have a soup of the day which changes daily so you'll have to eat whatever's available that day. I personally love minestrone, it's simple and rustic, yet so comforting. This came steaming hot, which is always a plus point, but it was a little ordinary. And the portion was huge, enough for 2 to share.
We also got a mixed starter to share, the Fritto Misto ($14.50), a combination of the Suppli (rice balls stuffed with beef ragu and mozzarella cheese), Calamari (deep fried squid rings served with spicy tomato sauce) and Pollo Fritto (breaded chicken tenders served with mustard sauce).
Today's Calamari, though a pretty sight, was very rubbery. I spat mine out. It was just unpalatable.
The Suppli was not bad, but not spectacular either. This was a meaty twist to the classic breaded mozzarella balls. The beef ragu tasted a little insipid. It was all due to Darren-the-Motormouth-Gan's talk of "balls". And the vision of overflowing cheese didn't help.
The Chicken Tenders were easily the best of the selection and true to their namesake. Chicken breast meat was coarsely ground up without the overly processed texture. The crust was fried to a crisp whilst the meat retained its juiciness.
Although we were all stuffed (belts were being loosened at this point and postures were all reclining already), we still had space for desserts. Ricciotti is afterall well known for its desserts.
I got the Soffiato ($8.90), a warm dark chocolate souffle served alongside a scoop of cold chocolate chip ice cream. This was rich without being cloying. The dark chocolate added a bittersweet twist to the otherwise saccharine treat. And I love the juxtaposition of the cold ice cream with the warm souffle.
A couple of my other colleagues shared 2 scoops of ice cream, the rum and raisin and chocolate chip flavours. I didn't try this but according to my colleague, she liked the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the chocolate chips, and the creaminess of the ice cream. He liked the fact that the rum and raisin ice cream wasn't too sweet.
I love Ricciotti's 1-for-1 promotions. They make pigging out so easy on the wallet. Get this, the bill for 14 persons, excluding the one intern who was "watching his diet", came up to only $280.85.
Please note that the Tuesday lunches are their 1-for-1 pizzas promotions, and Wednesdays are their 1-for-1 pastas promotions, although, in my view, their pizzas are better than their pastas.
I have to take this time to thank my very supportive colleagues for always reminding me to take the photos before I eat and providing detailed and colourful opinions and reviews about the dishes, despite most being gluttons. You all are great!
Ricciotti
20 Upper Circular Road
#B1-49, The Riverwalk
Tel: 6533 9060
http://www.ricciotti.com.sg/
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