FEATURED DEALS
4.4
out of 5
Singapore
Telephone: (65) 9763-3147
Category:
Restaurants » Italian, European
Opening Hours
11am-2pm. 6pm-10.30pm
Closed on Wed.
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Seragoon gardens is a place i've worked at for about 2 years and i'm ashamed to say, i've never tried anything here apart from the fish bee hoon from the hawker centre, Pow Sing chicken rice, Jumbo restaurant and Mcdonald's. So now that i'm revisiting the place as an outsider, its quite interesting that there's so many places i've yet to try. Ristorante De Parma happens to be one of them and i had to pay it a visit after a friend gave me a nice discount voucher to play around with.
Located along the same stretch of shophouses as Icecube and Frolic, this unassuming and quiet restaurant is located all the way to the far end of that stretch. Its difficult to miss with its soft ambient music and overall soft demenour. Classy table setting and warm lighting embrace the patrons who venture forth while unintrusive service makes the meal pleasant and relaxing.
Complimentary Bread (Foccacia) - The focaccia is served first to quench the hunger of waiting for the fresh pizza to be served. I suppose its a 1 piece per person serving since there were only 3 pieces. We were, however, delighted when a second serving was provided when the first was exhausted. Taste wise, the upside is that the bread is fluffy and warm while the downside was how dry the bread really is. The olive oil and vinegar combination helped somewhat, but not enough.
Lemon tea ($5.80) - At the time, i didn't notice the cost of this but now as i'm writing this. 2 lemon teas cost us $11.80 ???? Overpriced most definitely covers what i feel about this order. Its normal home brewed lemon tea with sugar syrup and no, its not justified in terms of cost no matter how it tastes.
Pizza Margherita ($16.90) - Tomatoes, mozeralla cheese, basil and dough. Simplicity can sometimes be the best option, even when it comes to food. The crust is paper thin and charred at some areas but otherwise fragrant and light. The toppings blend perfectly to provide a moist and juicy layer of bliss. Very enjoyable even though its one of the most economical items on the menu.
Deparma's Smoked Salmon Pizza ($28.90) - Introduced by FZ as one of the must try pizzas in this outfit, i have to say, i'm not too impressed.
Suffice to say, ordering an item not on the menu is an interesting change, the price of this is once again, like the lemon tea, bordering on ridiculous. The paper thin pizza is still a wonderful idea but the salmon has an obvious fishy smell about it that really detracts from the experience. Although i like the combination of peppers, raw salmon and what i suspect to be mayonnaise, the pizza was cold when served and didn't appeal to me much further.
Tiramisu ($12.90) - Thankfully, the meal ended with a bang with this lovely dessert. I'd go so far as to say its one of the best tiramisu's i've had in Singapore. A balanced mix of mascarpone cheese and sponge without the overarching wetness of alcohol even though it lingers in each bite. Nicely done.
The bill came up to a whooping $91.52 before discount from the voucher. Which reduces it to about $60 . Judging from the sheer amount and variety of food, its still a rather steep price to pay.
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Food: 7.5/10
Value for money: 6/10
Overall score: 6.5/10 (7/10 for Margherita and Tiramisu)
Last word:
The food is great when it works. And honestly, shrug off the salmon pizza, pop in another hot pizza and i'll be singing praises of this place as my favorite Italian restaurant. Still, factor the price and its around the same league as Spizza in my books. Although it does much better then Spizza in many respects. As of now, i still prefer to frequent il piccolo simply because, being financially challenged is the order of the day nowadays.
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Located at the quiet end of a row of shophouses (that also houses Ice3 and Frolick) along Kensington Park Road, Ristorante De Parma has the expressions, "simple and minimalistic" engraved all over, coupled with warm lighting that eludes a sense of smoothing comfort for a slow relaxing dinner. However, as weather was cooling that night, we opted for one of the two outdoor tables.
Complimentary bread served with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette although came warm was nothing extraordinary.
Le Zuppe, or soups was Minestrone alla Genovese ($6.90), the classic Italian vegetable soup. There are different variations of minestrone soup – divided into different villages or towns, each customise to regional or seasonal ingredients. And in the traditions of Genoa province, it is distinguished by the generous use of herbs in its preparation, and specifically the addition of Pesto. HFB really loved this soup! A delightful surprise from the usual minestrone that is watered down and tomato-based, their version was intense in flavours from the herbs, yet light on the palate.
A must for all mushroom lovers, the Fungo di Portobello ($14.90), was a huge grilled Portobello mushroom dish garnished with bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes & olives, drizzled with their own house dressing. Every bite of the thick mushroom produced a juice-gushing moment. However, HFB just wasn’t used to the fact that the accompaniments, especially the bell peppers came contrasting cold (although HFB was assured by the staff that that’s the way they served it) and was also pretty disappointed that a rotten leaf of purple lettuce was left unchecked and dished out to us.
Listed as a new item in the menu, the Foie Gras de Canard ($27.90) was pan-fried and topped with Caviar & accompanied North East Atlantic Langoustine & Smoked Salmon. HFB clearly wasn’t impressed with this dish – the duck liver was too dry for his liking, and the langoustine and smoke salmon didn’t add any value to this dish – harshly speaking, it was akin to 3 separate items put scrappily together that didn’t gel at all.
One of their house favourite, the Prosciutto Di Parma con Rucola Pizza ($26.90), is topped with Parma ham sourced directly from Italy and HFB’s personal favourite – Rocket Salad! Also special request to add shaved Parmesan Cheese as topping was addressed. HFB ranked their version a close second to Da Paolo’s Pizza Bar purely due to the fact that it’s more costly.
What really hit the umami spot were the desserts that night. The Chocolate Fondant ($12.90) oozed yummy molten chocolate when one breaks the exterior crust, and the paired vanilla ice-cream definitely aid to its cause. Slightly expensive considering the serving portion but definitely worth it if you consider Morton’s charges theirs at $25.00.
One should definitely not leave Ristorante De Parma without giving their signatured Tiramisu ($12.90) a try. Aesthetically well presented with what HFB considered a sizeable portion, it was definitely one of the finest tiramisu HFB had tried. Everything from the sponge, to the Mascarpone cheese and alcohol level was so well balanced that HFB wouldn’t mind dropping by just for it after dinner.
Special mention to the service staffs that HFB reckon was pretty well trained and polite.
You can view all the photos here.
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It was a Sunday evening, we arrived early to beat the anticipated parking problem but realised the restaurant only opens at 6pm. I called up and asked if we could wait inside while they were still doing their setting. The person who answered hesitated but agreed to it. When we entered the restaurant, a more senior waiter (I supposed) apologised and asked if we could wait outside instead cos they were still busy and the restaurant was not ready. We declined and did some shopping that Watsons instead and returned at 6pm sharp.
The place for ready for business and we took the table nearest the entrance. A young chap served us and asked if we would like iced or warm water. The menu came, as this the first time for me and hubby at the restaurant, we asked about the soup and dessert of the day for the set menu. The waiter was prim and proper, really polite and though he seems really young, he was really helpful and kinda know what he’s doing. Their famous tiramisu was not part of the dessert of the day, but still I asked him if I could have tiramisu if I take the set menu. In the end, we topped up $5 for the tiramisu.
This is what we had :
Set Dinner ($49.90 ) (checked the bill, seems that they dun charge GST) which includes :
- Smoked Salmon Salad
Generous serving of salmon. Nicely smoked, not too salty. Honestly speaking, if hubby wasn’t there I could have finished it all by myself :OP
- Potato & Leek Soup
Creamy and flavourful. Nothing like those from supermarkets. Came with a bread stick. Cute!
- Mussels and Clams in Tomato Based Sauce
The pasta looked and tasted only so-so when I took a few bites, but one thing I liked was the tomato based sauce. Not acidic nor sour. It was mildly sweet and refreshing. I think they made the sauce themselves. By the way, the serving of mussels was generous.
- Tiramisu
I had high expectations of this as it was supposed to be one of their best, and I was not disappointed. I cannot describe how it tasted, but even with full stomachs, both of us finished it off in seconds. It was that good…
- Premium Coffee
This came last and though it was really fragrant, I was so full that I couldn’t take in anymore.
On top of the set dinner which we shared, hubby also ordered a magherita pizza. The crust was thin and nicely done, the cheese, tomato, mushrooms and other ingredients were baked to perfection. The pizza was really huge, we had to packet 2/3 of the pizza in the end.
Plus points :
- Waiters were really polite and attentive.
- Gave us complimentary fruit juices for the mistake they made earlier on.
- Tucked away at one corner of the Serangoon Gdn stretch, environment was cosy and comfortable. It was our wedding anniversary and the whole ambience felt somewhat romantic yet not artificial.
Minus points :
- Nothing to complain on the food… probably only the waiting time for the main courses were a little long.
Asked if I’d go back again? Yep!
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I finally had the chance to dine at Ristorante De Parma, a small family run Italian restaurant, one wet weekday evening. Strangely enough, although its been around for quite a while and I've always gone past it, I never had the urge to try it out, till that fateful evening.
Quietly located towards the end of a row of shophouses at the fringe of the hustle and bustle of Serangoon Gardens, Ristorante De Parma cuts a contrasting figure to the exuberance of the area. Decor is kept simple and no frills with soft, warm lighting and classy table arrangement. Soft easy listening music wafts through the air, setting the tone right for a relaxing meal.
Complimentary Bread - I presume that each person was only entitled to one slice of bread, seeing that we were only served 2 slices. Though served warm, the bread was a tad too dry for my liking and neither the margarine or olive oil helped.
Funchi Triffolati al Moda Dello Chef ($12.90)- This dish is essentially a Portobello mushroom garnished with grilled bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes & olives with the house dressing. And notice I mentioned a mushroom, not mushrooms. The mushroom was huge, bigger than anything I've ever seen before, which of course doesn't say much because I haven't really seen a lot of mushrooms to begin with. Taste wise, it was juicy with a nice chewy texture to boot, but somehow it lacked the oomph factor. Not that it wasn't nice or anything, just not outstanding.
Calzone aka Folded Pizza ($24.90) - According to the menu, the Calzone is a Neapolitan specialty and means 'Trouser Leg', which honestly makes no sense to me. Introductions aside, I had a major grouse with it. The crust was a little too burnt, resulting in a rather hard exterior, which made slicing or chewing through it a chore. The filling of ham, bacon, onions, mushrooms, capsicums and smoked cheddar cheese was decent though.
Filetto Di Mento ($32.90) - For a change, I ordered my steak medium instead of medium rare this time round and it came as per instructions. Italian restaurants certainly aren't known for their steak so I was pleasantly surprised by the juiciness and texture of the meat as well as the beefy flavours which were complemented by the subtle red wine sauce. I would dare say the steak can give some of the more reputable steakhouses a run for their money. On a side note, the potato ball that came with it tasted weird.
Chocolate Fondant ($11.90) - Beautifully presented, the Chocolate Fondant was compact with a slightly hardened exterior, unlike the ones that many Italian restaurants have taken to doing nowadays. This made eating it all the more enjoyable especially when the molten chocolate started oozing out through a break in the crust. Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it was really quite enjoyable. Pity about its small size though.
Tiramisu ($12.90) - High marks in the aesthetics department for the Tiramisu as well. The sponge to mascarpone cheese ratio was quite balanced and it came across as light and fluffy with a lingering taste of alcohol sans the wetness. Its probably one of the more notable tiramisus I've eaten in a long while.
I am most reluctant to admit, but $105 for 1 appetiser, 2 mains and 2 desserts definitely tends towards the expensive side. Food quality is particularly impressive for a restaurant that utilizes only local chefs and service is attentive yet non intrusive. If prices could drop a notch or two, I'll be more than happy to return for dinner. Until then, I'll have to content myself with their seemingly reasonably priced set lunches (starting from $12.90 I believe).
See all my pictures here
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My first trip back in Serangoon Gardens. I haven't been here for the last ten years. So many things have changed and many had remained. I found myself on the doorstep of this quaint little Italian restaurant. My friend and I were curious about it and decided that this would be our dinner place that Thursday evening.
Being a weekday evening, I guess it's perfectly understandable why it wasn't crowded. About 4-5 other tables were occupied while we were there. They have a seating area of about 40, including the two tables outside. They have soft warm lighting and earthy tones to create a cosy ambience. It has nice interior decor really.
The staff was warm and friendly. My friend came a little later than me. So the staff talked to me a bit, introducing the restaurant and telling me about the background of it,which was nice.
Food ordered:
Funchi Triffolati al Moda Dello Chef - $12.90
Portobello Mushroom garnished with grilled bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes & olives with de Parma's house dressings.
I love mushrooms and I'm so glad this dish didn't disappoint. I love the juiciness of the mushrooms as I bit down into it. In fact I loved it so much I was clearly happy to have more than my share. haha I also enjoyed eating it with the bell peppers.
Calzone (Folded Pizza) - $24.90
This Neapolitan speciality is filled with ham, bacon, onions, mushrooms, capsicums & smoked cheddar cheese.
This folded pizza was pretty huge, so it sort of justified the price. Inside was filled with plenty of warm ingredients. It would have been more delicious if it were piping hot but then it would have been difficult to eat. So it's good as it is, just one gripe... the outer covering was a little too hard and we had to put quite a bit of effort into cutting it up. Good exercise.
Fileto Di Mento - $32.90
Air-flown, grain-fed beef tenderloin drizzled in red wine sauce & served with Portobello Mushrooms & sauteed vegetables.
Let me say this for the record: I'm not a beef person. In fact I don't like beef, but only started eating it when I joined Yebber. Even so I only take one small slice to try each time. But this one? It was fantastic. Yummilicious! The meat wasn't tough and hard to chew. It was tender and the meat was well marinated. But the mushroom that came with it was visibly squashed and shrunken, though it still tasted nice with the sauce they had.
Chocolate Fondant
Break the hard crust outside and the chocolate inside flows out nicely. A chocolate addict, I'd say this fondant is good! Not the best but certainly very good.
Tiramisu
I think I was a tad biased when I had this Tiramisu. The last 4 Tiramisus I had simply didn't taste like Tiramisus... so when I had this one, I had the words "FINALLY...." going in my head. Nicely done with a tinge of liquor which my companion insisted didn't exist.
The total damage for two of us was $105. Good food, nice ambience, good service. It does seem a little ex but I think it was well worth it. TRY TRY TRY!
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