Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Authentic Italian Cuisine @ Acqua e Farina (The Rail Mall)

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Galbiati rocks a spanking new look now and has been renamed Acqua e Farina (Water and flour). Chef Roberto, the key figure behind Galbiati, has teamed up with Chef Antonio to bring us affordable authentic Italian cuisine. Chef Roberto comes from Northern Italy while Chef Antonio from the South so you can look forward to both Northern and Southern Italian dishes here.

The cozy and intimate restaurant looks like a rustic neighbourhood trattoria in Italy and being here transported me back to Italy. 90% of the ingredients used here are imported from Italy, from the wines right down to the flour for the pizzas. Over at Acqua e Farina, only unpretentious and honest food whipped up with passion and dedication is served. Discerning diners will definitely be able to taste the difference in quality at this humble spot. Fresh from renovation and still in its soft launch phase, the restaurant has already amassed a loyal following where they see families return a couple of times a week. I'm not the least bit surprised though. My amazing dinner experience at Acqua e Farina shot the restaurant straight to the top spot on my list of favourite Italian restaurants.

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The very first bite brought back memories of Italy instantly. The bread tastes exactly like those I ate in Italy every single day!

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Fagottino di Mozzarella e Prosciutto - $23
An appetizer made up of housemade flatbread, Italian parma ham, beautiful Buffalo Mozzarella, basil, Holland tomatoes and arugula? I'm sold. Not so much on the vegetables but I absolutely love parma ham and buffalo mozzarella! The tomatoes, according to my dining partner, were really sweet. They were apparently so good that she finished all the tomatoes on my plate too. The parma ham, cheese and bread formed an incredibly splendid union that I relished thoroughly.

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Ravioli di Carne con Salsa ai Funghi - $23
I was told that the Duck Ravioli here is exceptional. It wasn't available that day so we had the housemade Beef Ravioli instead and it did not disappoint. The thickness and texture were both perfect and the braised beef filling was simply delectable. Even the accompanying mushroom sauce was outstanding! You might be tempted to mop up the sauce with a slice of bread and you should! Don't think that it is unruly or unacceptable because the Italians do the exact same thing in which they call 'fare la scarpetta'. I was just introduced to this practice too and I would never have thought to do so, fearing that I might breach the rules of Italian dining but it's totally a norm!

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Pizza Tartufo - $26
Made from dough that has been allowed to rise for close to 30 hours, you can expect nothing short of a fantastic pizza at Acqua e Farina. The pizzas are made lovingly by hand and that's the very reason why the crust is so captivating. The crust is soft enough to be bent, firm enough to lend a great bite, a little chewy, and a little crisp. The impeccable pizza crust is topped with mascarpone, mozzarella, mushrooms and black truffle and it was seriously delicious. I was eating my pizza in silence because I was just thinking about how good it was. Like, where have you been all my life??? I packed three slices home for my brother and he kept saying "omg the pizza is so good" and he got the name of the restaurant from me right after he finished all the pizza. Even after four hours in a paper box, the pizza still tasted awesome. Just imagine having it fresh from the oven!

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Stinco di Maiale al Forno - $34
This is the first time I'm encountering pork knuckle in Italian cuisine but the Milanese classic is definitely worth a try. The pork knuckle is roasted with vegetables and served with mashed potato, white wine sauce and gremolata (Milanese style herbs and lemon blend). The pork knuckle was tender and flavourful but could certainly use more sauce. 

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Tiramisù -$10
I have always found it extremely difficult to find good tiramisu in Singapore but now I know where exactly to go if I have a tiramisu craving! I assure you that you will fall in love with the rich and fluffy mascarpone and soft ladyfingers, like I did. The tiramisu recipe comes all the way from Savini restaurant in Milan and honestly, this is as authentic as it gets!

On top of an extensive menu, Acqua e Farina has a wide selection of wines too. I had a glass of Pinot Grigio ($12) which was fruity, sweet and totally my kind of wine. I really enjoyed dinner and will most definitely be back again! Can't wait to try the other pastas and pizzas!


The Rail Mall
400 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 678050
Tuesday - Friday : 11am - 230pm, 530pm - 1015pm
Saturday, Sunday, PH : 11am - 3pm, 5pm -1015pm

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Love, K

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