FINE FARE - In the Mood for Food

dining adventures of a food fantatic and dessert devotee in Singapore


da Mario Pizzeria - Robertson Quay

Pizza Paesana - Tomato, cheese, porcini mushrooms and ham ($17)

Where can you find the best thin-crust pizza in Singapore? Prego, Valentino, Da Paolo, La Forketta, Pasta Fresca... These are all good but have fallen short of my benchmark, which is (ironically) a small, dingy shop, serendipitiously chance upon in Rome...in what may be considered to be bad neighbourhood no less.

My quest to find the best pie led me to da Mario Pizzeria today for lunch.
da Mario serves traditional handmade pizza at affordable prices, between $15 to $18. The most expensive pie, Pizza Paolo E Roberto (with tomato, cheese, ham, mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella cheese) will only make a small dent in your wallet, at $25.

Is the pie any good?
Definitely worth a try. Our pizza was classic, simple, yet tasty. The cheese melted to a perfect mild and creamy consistency, while the sauce was basic but flavourful. Overall, a good balance of crust, cheese, sauce and toppings, which melded together into a pleasing pizza concoction.

What about the crust?
Chef Mario who hails from Abruzzo, Italy, makes his sauces from scratch and prepares fresh pizza dough daily. You can definitely taste the difference in the handmade crust as it's thin but substantial, and not too dry or greasy.
There is however, a small area for improvement, as the crust was crispy at the sides but somewhat soggy in the middle, perhaps due to the heavy toppings.

[Side note: Not sure if this is true but I've heard that handmade pizza is never biscuit-thin or ultra-crispy. For the crispy crust, most restaurants use a special machine known as a dough sheeter which rolls out the dough quickly and evenly. The dough is typically rolled through the sheeter about 5 or 6 times, to get it down to the paper-thin thickness.]

Ambience
Located at a quiet corner of The Quayside at Robertson Quay, the cozy Pizzeria is an ideal place for a pleasant and relaxing meal. On a cool day, choose to sit at the small, no-frills al fresco dining area for a laid-back lunch.
Service
Chef Mario is friendly and attentive. You can tell that it's important to him that you're enjoying your meal.


da Mario Pizzeria
60 Robertson Quay
#01-10 The Quayside
Tel: 6235 7623

Hours:
12 to 3pm; 6pm to 10.30pm (Tue - Sun)

Champagne Tasting on Eve of Labour Day

click on the image to see details


Wine-tasting event for lovers of champagne and sparkling wine on eve of Labour Day.

Venue:
Hermitage Wines
One Marina Boulevard, #B1-04 (Raffles Place)

Date:
30 April 2007 (Monday)

Time:
8 - 10 pm

Registration for this event is closed.
Email Hermitage@foodster.tv for information on future tastings.




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