I had a lunch date with an old friend today and since it’s a Public Holiday and 3^rd day of CNY, choices are quite limited. I stumbled upon Gattopardo’s website and learned that they are open for lunch. They offer a set lunch every day and for Tuesday, they allow BYO wine. It seemed like a good choice so we proceeded with it. The location is right on top of fort canning park, in Hotel Fort Canning. It is actually not very difficult to locate. Perhaps because of CNY, the Fort Canning itself was very deserted throughout the day.

So for lunch, I brought along a bottle of Moscato D’Asti. I figured that since it’s an Italian restaurant, an Italian wine would be apt.

LA GIRONDA Moscato d’Asti DOCG

If you do not like bringing your own wines, they do have quite a huge wine cellar.

There were 2 of us, and considering that the portions may be quite small, we decided to order 3 sets of 2 course meals ($29.00++) to share among us! We did that instead of having 2 sets of 3 courses ($35.00++) because we didn’t want their dessert but preferred to have another starter and main. The menu changes weekly and you can view it on their website.

 

Soup of the day – Minestrone Soup

This was pretty different from the sort you commonly see. Instead of a clear broth this is more like an emulsion. The texture was thicker but not to the extent of being creamy. Flavour wise it was good enough for me. However when it’s cold it doesn’t taste.

Homemade Wagyu Beef Burger with Caramelized Red Onion & Salad

The patty was indeed softer than regular beef but I would prefer if they could shape it nicer. Overall it was pretty alright. I liked the tomato and rocket leaves.

Homemade Calamari Polpette with Sauteed White Cabbage in White Wine

This is like a calamari cake. The overall feel of this felt rather Asian. It was really salty, but still within my threshold.

Gattopardo Signature Seafood Stew

This is one of the main courses. They split the portion into 2 for convenience so this is half of it. it felt more like soup than stew, as the broth was not viscous. The flavour of the broth was very nice. It was packed with crustacean goodness. I also like the vegetables in the stew. What I did not like was the bits of overcooked salmon. The other ingredients where fine though and they were fresh and not overcooked.

Wagyu Beef Shortribs with Mashed Potatoes and Cheese Fondue Sauce

This is also half the portion. I love beef short ribs and this was good, though I feel it has potential to be even softer.

Chargrilled Wagyu Beef with Potato Tarte (+$38.00++)

This is the full portion. Can’t say no to wagyu steak hence we ordered this even with additional costs. It was a right decision because the steak was cooked to perfection! The doneness was grasped right and the outside was charred, just the way I like it. The portion was kind of small at only 150g though. The beef isn’t super highly marbled and I guess it could be around MS6 or so. It was definitely different from non-marbled beef so I was satisfied. Again I liked the accompanying vegetables and potato tarte.

Together with the wine, my dining partner and I felt very full after the whole meal.

*****

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Food: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10 (with BYO wine)

Overall: I seldom have main courses at Italian restaurants so it’s hard to compare but I am pretty satisfied by the execution and the small details of each dish like the sides and sauces.

*****

Gattopardo

Hotel Fort Canning

11 Canning Walk, Singapore 178881

 

Tel: 6338 5498

*****

Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm

Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.30pm

(Closed on Wednesdays)