Burrata with bacon, marinated escarole and caramelised shallots
An impromptu decision to have dinner on a Friday night after drinks with friends, we called Osteria Mozza to find out that they had a table for us at 9.30 – Perfect. We were just at the Oyster Bar at Customs House so we took a walk around the harbour to find Mozza, both Osteria and the Pizzeria next door, packed. Thank goodness we didn’t just chance it.
We were quickly shown to our table by efficient and friendly waiters. The ambiance in there struck us as very New York – dimly lit (which makes for poor photos – sorry), dark wood, activity everywhere. From a few places I’ve been to where wooden floors meant terrible acoustics as sound bounced off the hard surfaces, they got it right here. Just the perfect amount of noise without you having to strain to hear your friends speak.
Ricotta and egg ravioli in browned butter
Of course we had to have the home made burrata – we chose burrata with bacon, grilled sardines, crispy pigs trotter ricotta and egg ravioli.
My only other experience of burrata has been at L’Operetta, which serves a much more traditional burrata. The burrata at Mozza lacks the “skin” which, when you slice it, allows the thickened cream to flow out – it’s more like a soft pillowy mound of creamy mozarella. Mozza served theirs on top of toasted sourdough, with crispy bacon and with a generous serving of marinated escarole and caramelised shallots. The escarole and shallots added a sharp zing to the dish which I assume is intended to cut through the richness of the burrata and bacon, but they overpowered the dish and we ended up just eating the burrata and bacon on the sourdough (which was delicious). The sardines were beautifully done and were served with fagioli misti – mixed beans although I just had chick peas with balsamic vinegar on my plate, that again overpowered the dish.
Crispy pigs trotter with frisée apple and mustard salad
The crispy pig’s trotter looked disappointing when served – a single deep fried disc of something crumbed with a frisée, apple and mustard salad – but the trotter inside was soft and tasty and the contrast in texture with the crispy exterior worked wonderfully well together. The ravioli was also not the most beautifully presented – a single, largely mounded ravioli in what looked like a sauce that had been burned with bits in it, but when cut in half, revealed a ricotta-encased soft boiled egg that flowed out into the browned butter sauce. Bold and delicate flavours married perfectly.
For mains we ordered the grilled wagyu beef tagliata and the brasata al barolo – braised short ribs. The first mouthful of each of these was full of oohs and aahs, but strangely by the end of the dishes neither really impressed. The wagyu was tender and served classically with rucola and parmesan but there was just so much of the rucola and parmesan that it almost hid the beef, and the parmesan was completely unnecessary on a plate with such tasty meat. The braised short ribs were soft but a bit stringy but worked fantastically well with the soft polenta and freshly grated horseradish and gremolata.
I would definitely go back to Mozza for their starters and pasta or perhaps visit the pizzeria next door. A great addition to Singapore’s dining scene but they need to work on presentation and please take it easy on the vinegar. Perhaps it was just the dishes we ordered but at this calibre, you’d think they’d have nailed that.
Osteria Mozza
Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore
Tel: +65 6688 8868
Food is my happy place 