Delicious Wines @ In Piazza Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, Singapore (at Mercure Stevens. Free Parking)
Somehow, I don’t like dining along Orchard Road.
Somehow, I have the impression the restaurants there offer average food, coasting on the throes of hungry shoppers who really have no alternative. This impression is somewhat dispelled by my recent excellent experience at Greyhound Cafe, an international chain cafe no less.
Regardless, I am also very happy when I discover a great place to dine just off Orchard Road, such as Indocafe, or more recently, Enjoy Eating House @ Mercure Stevens.
Besides Enjoy Eating House, I know there are more restaurants among the verdant grounds of Mercure Stevens, so I returned for more exploration. The grounds are well-kept. It’s quite nice to escape here for a weekday lunch.
The entrances to these restaurants are not inside Mercure Stevens. Rather, the entrances to these restaurants are outside the hotel. If you run around inside the hotel looking for these restaurants, you will never find them.
In Piazza is a casual Italian restaurant, helmed by Chef Carlo.
Chef Carlo, a graduate of San Pellegrino Culinary Art School, one of the top institutes in Italy, has served in the kitchens of the restaurants of Singapore before venturing out on his own.
Prosciutto & Melone $24
Italian cured Parma ham served on fresh Rock Melon
Classic Italian appetizer. Nothing wrong here.
What’s noteworthy is that In Piazza is particularly strong in wines. I very rarely encounter such calibre of wines offered as housepour wines. The Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc below are particularly delicious.
The fruitiness of the Pinot Grigio goes well with the Prosciutto and Melon while the Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with the calamari.
Botter Proseco Spumante Doc NV (Veneto Italy) $12/ glass
Grape: 100% Glera
Pale light yellow colour with typical crisp and delicate perlage. Complex bouquet with fruity notes of peach, green apple with scents of acacia and lilac. Fresh and light on the palate, with balanced acidity and body; harmonic with a long persistent aftertaste.
Pinot Grigio, Sasso dei Lupi, Quartanota (Umbria) $13/ glass
The wine has a straw yellow colour and its nose is satisfyingly complex, with scents of pears and bananas as well as a delicate floral tone. In the mouth it offers well-structured fruit, which is persistent and with a pleasing balance between acidity and fleshiness.
Anselmi Giuseppe Sauvignon Blanc, Friuli Colli Orientali DOC (Friuli Italy) $14/ glass
Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Straw yellow of varying intensity with freenish tinges. Delicate, slightly aromatic fruity scents. A crispy, consistently elegant and pleasing mouthful taste.
Frittura Di Calamari $23
Deep-fried fresh squids with tartare sauce and lemon wedge
Excellent. How did Chef Carlo do it? It was not greasy at all. The batter was light and crunchy. Though deep fried, strangely enough, it is just not sickening and you want to keep eating it.
Half and Half $37
Choose any 2 half pizzas
The great thing about dining here is you can mix and match pizzas. I get to try more pizzas and it’s easier to please more people with just one pizza.
In Piazza $32
Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, cooked ham, mushroom, salame, onions, bacon, artichokes, black olives
Parma $32
Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, topped with parma, rocket leaves and parmigiano cheese
Both pizzas are good. I lean more towards In Piazza as the artichokes and olives provide some solidity in the texture.
I don’t usually order Chef’s Specials. I think they are usually the chef’s “experiments” before deciding to incorporate into the menu as a regular item or not. However, today, I spied this Pork Belly rolled with Herbs and Roasted and I thought it was interesting. I took a chance.
It paid off. The Pork Belly arrived at my table in a cloud of aroma and it was the very definition of golden. It was absolutely beautiful.
The skin was unforgettably crispy (I still think about it now). The aromatic herbs are vital— they balance out the fatty pork belly. Wine is highly recommended to cut through the fat of the pork belly. I tried Omina Hermes Diactoros I Red (Italy) $12/ glass. It is medium-bodied, pleasant to drink on its own and can handle the heaviness of the pork belly quite well.
Homemade Tiramisu with Espresso Aroma $12
The famous Italian tiramisu with Kahlua (alcohol) and coffee aroma
Delicious – a lot of mascarpone.
Cappucino $5.50
The cappuccino is crazily strong and aromatic. The perfect complement to the tiramisu.
Tip: try to go for the items marked Chef’s Recommendations on the menu. This restaurant knows what it’s doing —the Chef’s Recommendations are indeed quite extraordinary.
Parking at Mercure Stevens is free.
In Piazza Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
28 Stevens Rd, #01-04/05, Singapore 257878
Tel: 9626 0084
