If anyone’s around Tanjong Pagar and up for a leisurely lunch on a weekday, may I suggest that you give the set lunch at Oso Ristorante a try. For $28+++, I think the quality of food and service one gets is value for money.
And so my second appraisal at this present company was carried out at Oso. Last year it was at Pasta Brava. Both restaurants were chosen by me. It’s a rare occasion that my employer buys me lunch so of course I have to choose somewhere nice (and of reasonable cost of course). My previous experience at Oso was a very pleasant one so I decided to go back again to try more of the food. Plus, I love being greeted by the very sauve Italian manager/owner who’s always decked out in a well-cut suit (probably of Italian make). His sweet Italian greetings of Buongiorno Signora in that can-die Italian accent is like music to the ears. Haha.
Before our appetizer came, we were presented with a small platter of foccacia, thin bread sticks, and slices of brown bread. I love the bread here as it’s so nice, soft and fresh.
For the appetizer, I had the seafood salad with lemon juice and pesto dressing. The small pieces of white bait, prawns, and squid were laid on top a bed of thinly sliced cumcumbers and tomatoes. The mix of seafood and vegetables were drizzled with a pesto and lemon juice dressing. It was light and fresh and a great way to tickle the tastebuds. This was definitely a much wiser choice than what my manager chose–a baked tomato stuffed with some other kinds of vegetables. He regretted his choice the instant both our appetizers arrived. Mine was definitely heaps more appealing and more value for money!
Both of us ordered the homemade pasta beef bolognase for our mains. There’s something about homemade fresh pasta that’s irresistable. That springy texture as you bite into it can never be replicated in commercially made pasta sold in supermarkets. So the inch-thick, long strips of pasta were mixed with the beef bolognase sauce. Thankfully, the sauce wasn’t overfully sweet (I don’t like it sweet). I prefer it to be more salty than sweet so I liked it. The amount of pasta sauce was also just right as it was sufficient enough to coat all the pasta and nothing was left after I had swiped everything off my plate. Being able to have the right amount of sauce is the mark of a good pasta chef!
Dessert was the chocolate bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream accompanied by a sprig of mint leaf and a gooseberry. The cinnamon ice cream had a nice, but not overwhelming taste of cinnamon and it was a delight to eat with the chocolate bread pudding. I mean, how far wrong can one go with chocolate???
So anyway, lunch was fantastic and the appraisal went alright. Phew.