With inITALY, you don’t have to travel there

inITALY Bar Ristorante’s new menu offers new seasonal items to delight your taste buds

I consider inITALY Bar Ristorante to be one of my favourite Italian restaurants. It does not serve the typical pasta carbonara or pasta aglio olio but the lesser known, yet more delicious Italian dishes.

Chef Mario Caramella makes a concerted effort to serve his own unique take on Italian food and it was evident in the choices on the menu.

Seasonal Italian Delicacies

The Italian White Asparagus is in season until June and I was lucky enough to try one of the dishes with it. The White Asparagus alla Milanese with Fried Egg and Butter ($24) is an acquired taste but the asparagus was fragrant and crisp.

I liked the Burrata ($28-$45). The creamy buffalo milk burrata cheese came with Parma ham, heirloom tomatoes and capsicum chutney, an excellent and slightly rich start to the meal. The Chilled Spaghettini ($32) with shrimp, tomatoes and fish roe is also good for sharing.

Much More than Pasta

The Ravioli di Ossobuco in Gremolata ($28) is not to be missed. The homemade ravioli is stuffed with veal, cooked in a saffron sauce and flavoured with chopped lemon rind, parsley and garlic. But the piece de resistance is definitely the Smoked Eel Risotto ($32).

The risotto comes in a pretty shade of purple. Yes, purple. The risotto is flavoured with beetroot and red berries.

The red berries mask the earthy scent of the beetroot and are accompanied with the smoky taste of the meaty eel. This is one dish you won’t forget.

The Saltimbocca di Pollo ($30), a roasted chicken thigh wrapped in Parma ham cooked in white wine sauce, sage and with a side of polenta, is a good option to if you don’t feel like having anything too carb-heavy.

Sweet Endings

For dessert, I recommend the Cannolo Aperto ($16). Sheep’s milk ricotta cheese mousse, Sicilian candied fruit, crispy cannolo biscuits and pistachio ice cream forms this pretty, layered dessert that requires smashing apart in order to consume correctly. What fun!

If you have a bit more time on your hands, order the Rosolio Souffle ($20). It takes up to 20 minutes to prepare but if you like roses, you will enjoy this Venetian rose liqueur soufflé.

inITALY Bar Ristorante, 38 Craig Road, Singapore 089676, Tel: 6423 0918, www.initaly.asia