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Arossa | 3/5

SINGAPORE — What was once Japanese-Italian restaurant La Luna Rossa is now a wine-and-grill restaurant called Arossa.

SINGAPORE — What was once Japanese-Italian restaurant La Luna Rossa is now a wine-and-grill restaurant called Arossa.

Decor-wise, nothing has changed. It is still clad in warm brick walls and appointed with leather-lined seats. But at Arossa’s helm is pretty chef Chiaki Watanabe, who professes a love of grilling. It is a technique she honed at Italian restaurants such as Padrino del Shozan and Lala Italiana in Japan.

The food that comes off Watanabe’s grill is technically refined.A slab of locally farmed barramundi that is part of the Seafood Platter (S$88) was silky within and lightly charred on the surface, which really highlighted the natural flavours of the fish. The 100 per cent corn-fed Iberian pork loin (S$35 for 200g) was equally luscious and sweet. Its natural, slightly salty flavour was brightened by a side of balsamic vinegar cream.

This is indeed simple food with fresh flavours. If you’re expecting composed dishes with terms like espuma and confit in their names, you’d be disappointed. This is the kind of no-fuss, vibrantly flavoured food that one imagines a chef cooks at home for friends and family.

When serving such simple food though, one must be meticulous about choosing the right produce and ensuring that the seasoning is always pitch-perfect. When it comes to the latter, the restaurant shines. The meats are always served with a bevy of condiments — in the case of the T-bone steak, there was salt, wholegrain mustard and pepper on the side, along with a rich red wine jus that transformed the dish into something special. However, the starkly simple caprese salad (S$20) could have used sweeter and juicier tomatoes.

And while the food is quite lovely, its simplicity means diners will expect a lot from the restaurant. After all, this is fare that many accomplished home cooks would have no problems whipping up — all you need is extremely fresh and good-quality produce. That said, some items here seem extremely pricey. A dozen oysters will set you back S$80, while the S$150 T-bone steak was a little unevenly cooked — medium rare in some parts and almost well-done closer to the bone.

However, the food goes perfectly with wines, which is great, since Arossa calls itself a “wine and grill” restaurant. It has a selection of 120 Old and New World labels.

Lastly, given that this fare best eaten outdoors with a glass of wine in hand, one should try to snag a seat by the window so you can play pretend and gaze at the view of busy shoppers plying the road downstairs. ANNETTE TAN

3/5

Arossa

Where: #02-01 Scotts Square, 6 Scotts Road

Telephone: 6636 2951

Opening hours: 11.30pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10.30pm

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