Caffe Fernet
C'est vendredi saint aujourd'hui et je me souviens de la façon dont Jésus affronta la mort avec courage. Il a subi une mort terrible, mais il a réussi avec grâce et compassion pour ceux qui l'ont mis à mort. Comme les impôts, la mort est une autre certitude de la vie, mais la mort est un sujet tellement tabou. Même la préparation d'un testament est quelque chose que les gens évitent de faire. Moi, j'ai préparé mon testament il y a longtemps. C'est peut-être parce que ma mère est décédée quand j'étais jeune et j'ai dû faire face à l'inévitabilité de sa mortalité, mais j'ai toujours cru que si l'on vit pleinement sa vie, tous les jours, on n'aurait aucun regret de mourir. C'est pourquoi j'essaye de vivre pleinement chaque jour, de vivre l'instant présent, parce que la vie est courte, la vie est finie, et je crois que si tout les gens vivait comme ça, on vivrait plus heureux et plus remplie et on aurait moins peur de la mort.
Pour le carême, j'ai longuement réfléchi à ce que je voulais renoncer, et j'ai décidé de renoncer à une demi-heure de sommeil pour me réveiller plus tôt chaque jour pour prier. Et si tu me sais, vous saurais que j'aime dormir. Beaucoup et beaucoup😂. Cela fait longtemps que je n'ai pas fait Notre Pain Quotidien, et quel meilleur moment pour le faire pendant le carême. Je dois admettre que ça a été un grand moment de réflexion et de recentrage sur Mon Dieu, même si c'était vraiment de la merde de se réveiller plus tôt (je n'ai pas renoncé à prêter serment pour le carême).
C'est assez de ma religion personelle et de lourds sujets, je te souhaite, mon cher copain, peu importe tes croyances religieuses, un très bon vendredi et encore un meilleur week-end.
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Caffe Fernet has been on my To-Eat List for yonks. It'd first blipped on my radar because of their specialty, cacio e pepe: a deceptively simple 3-ingredient pasta ubiquitous to Rome but a somewhat rare commodity here in Singapore. To be perfectly frank, I've never had cacio e pepe (nor been to Rome😢 #trialsandtribulationsofthelowSES), BUT...I already love pairing pepper with cheese, and the fact that this dish comprises primarily of pecorino and freshly ground black pepper means that I'm already in love with it.
Perhaps because Caffe Fernet is smack dab in middle of the CBD (which nightmare traffic I would like to avoid now that I'm no longer have to commute there), or perhaps because The Husband and I are creatures of habit who tend to fall back on old-reliables when craving Italian fare, but better late than never I say... and my procrastinating butt finally got around to making reservations at said cafe, and I'm now kicking said butt for not getting to Caffe Fernet sooner: the food was phenomenal!!
It was a Sunday evening when we arrived for dinner at the Fullerton waterfront, and spiring Marina Bay Sands set against the gilded backdrop of the setting sun was a spectacular reminder of the multitude of reasons why I love this country. We weren't exactly trilled that the restaurant was entirely open-aired, but it was a cool-ish, breezy night and we had a magnificently unobstructed dinner view, so there's that.
Service was lovely and our waitress was just the chirpiest. She was knowledgeable about the menu, proffered her personal favourites (which turned out big hits), and effortlessly smoothed over the only hiccup of the night when the kitchen missed our instructions to leave out cilantro from our orders.
We're not the biggest fans of the milk-like taste of burata but Ernie loves how the cheese is like edible milk, so we ordered the Burrata ($22) anyway. I liked the unusual pairing with black sesame tahini, and the fruity twist with blood orange wedges. Fresh basil and sourdough rounded off the refreshingly delicate starter.
We loved the spicy kick of the salted cod XO sauce and chilli-ed Broccolini ($23). The milky sauce, flecked with red-skin peanut, was so delicious we practically licked it up.
The saffron -infused Arancini ($16), sided by a surprisingly spicy tomato sauce, possessed a wonderfully crunchy crust and luscious insides.
Ditto for the delightfully crispy Fritto Misto ($24) of swimmingly fresh squid, prawns, and sweet potato chips, paired with a punchy calabrian chilli dip.
The first of the mains was a perfectly succulent Chicken Marsala ($28) blanketed in a scrumptious sherry vinegar-ed gravy studded with wild mushrooms and thyme.
Ah, the raison d'être for us dining at Caffe Fernet, the Mafaldine Cacio e Pepe ($26) seasoned with parmesan, pecorino, and four types of peppercorn, was absolutely smashing. This was simplicity at its finest, and without a doubt, a must-try.
The Rigatoni Vodka ($28) burnished with a san marzano tomato and cream sauce, and topped with oodles of spicy pork sausage and parmesan shavings, was fantastic.
Caffe Fernet
70 Collyer Quay
#01-05 Customs House
Tel: 9178 1105
Open Mondays and Tuesdays 4pm to 10.30pm
Wednesdays to Sundays from 12noon to 10.30pm
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