An Afternoon Soiree at Jamie's Italian

Having tried Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in London just a month ago (worth a trip!) but not his other Italian baby, the lioness was thrilled when Jamie's Italian finally opened its newly minted doors in Singapore just over a week ago. She was looking forward to a relaxing luncheon with two of her girlfriends. But first, they had to brave the queue. A quick call to the restaurant a day ago almost turned their eager anticipation into disappointment as they were informed that the venue had, well, reached its capacity for reservations (kindly wait a month, pls). They decided to try their luck at securing a walk-in table on a weekday afternoon instead.


A long winding queue started to form half an hour prior to the start of
lunch operations on a weekday afternoon! Families, office workers, mothers with babies
in tow, etc were seen patiently waiting in line.

As the queue slowly began to filter into the restaurant once the doors were gingerly opened,
Murphy's Law came into play as the Lioness and her friends were the first group of patrons
in the queue who were apologetically told to wait for the next available table. They decide to cut
a tab first at the bar (see the cute box above holding the credit card).

Unlucky numero uno to wait at the bar for a table. Oh bother,
the girls decided to make the best out of things with an order
of cocktails to lift the spirits :) 

Cuchi's choice: Florence Fizz with limoncello,
pomegranate juice, elderflower cordial and Prosecco.

Miss Fine Palate went for Jamie's Italian Mojito.
Really good, only gripe, not enough rum lol.

Kudos to the good natured bartender trying to please
a bunch of alcoholics in the afternoon.

Miss Bollywood's Pear & Rosemary Martini was outstandingly
well-balanced and the best concoction of the three.

Service was excellent. Cuchi's complaint about her drink
was swiftly addressed and a stronger Negroni appeared.

Rustic interior with wood accents and a touch of industrial chic.

The Bar

Patrons waiting for that elusive table.

Browse the merchandise on display while waiting.

Pasta made daily on site.

Finally! Secured a table near the bright and airy area facing Sentosa. 

Casual but chic furnishings.

 

A peek of the open concept kitchen.

Bread basket - not complimentary like what you usually
expect at fine dining establishments. 

 

The famous Polenta Chips with parmesan. Addictive.
It was crispy on the outside and had the mushy and grainy texture
and taste of a certain instant porridge (in a good way!)
that the lioness had in her childhood.

Delightfully chewy risotto balls stuffed with fragrant porcini.

The grilled lamp chop lollipops received mixed reviews.
The lioness thought that it was surprisingly bland but
Miss Fine Palate liked it for having none of that unpleasant
gaminess.

Black Angel Spaghetti received thumbs up from the
lioness for its fragrant seafood stock. The scallops were
not the freshest though.  

Tagliatelle Bolognese. Hmm good but not outstandingly great
without the al dente bite.

 

Lemon meringue tart was a huge hit with the ladies.

Miss Fine Palate loved the panna cotta with berry compote.

Only for serious alcoholics, this tiramisu was drenched in
spirits.

Sakura tea - a refreshing end to a hearty Italian meal.



 

Admittedly, the sides and desserts at Jamie's Italian overshadowed the main dishes. Was the wait worthwhile? Perhaps not for some. But for die-hard fans who support the celebrity chef's philosophy of good honest food made without all the complicated fuss, come with no elevated expectations and you'll definitely have a great time. Oh, and we love the service as well.

Jamie's Italian
1 HarbourFront Walk,
VivoCity, #1 165-167
Singapore 098585 

Tel: 67335500
(Doors open at 12noon)