Homemade Focaccia Bread ($2.50) served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar reduction. A good starter, bread was alright, not too sure if it is freshly made in the boulangerie.

Caprese Salad ($14.50) – Staying true to its origins and representing the Italian flag, was the Caprese Salad, served as our antipasto. More than a salad, it was almost a hearty serving of buffalo mozzarella with some fresh basil and lots of olive oil and and unexpected dash of black pepper. One of my favourites!

Marinara Cozze (300grams -$18.50, 500grams – $25.50) – Marinara Cozze, which translates to Mussels in Red Sauce, Consists of fresh black mussels with toasted garlic bread in tomato sauce. Personally I am not a fan of mussels. So this wasn’t a dish I was looking forward to. I did try the mussels, and they tasted pretty fresh! The sauce was strong and packed quite a punch with strong tomato and seafood flavours. There were hints of celery, red pepper and oregano as well. The red chillies used for garnishing gave a hint of the level of spiciness of the dish. Good level of spices used. Do ask for less salt if high levels of saltiness does not suit your appetite!

9” Pizzoto Pizza (9″ – $16, 12″ – $23.5) – This ain’t your typical bacon and egg pizza. With a hearty serving of bacon, mushrooms, modoro, mozzarella and not forgetting the egg, Pizzoto pizza satisfies much of what I expected from a thin crust pizza! If runny egg yolks and egg whites are not your cup of tea, you have the option of requesting for the egg to be well done or just less runny.

My personal favorite is the Pizzoto Pizza. The egg oozes out and the bacon is crisp on the edges. Love it!

Half Diavola ($22.50) – Riciotti’s signature dish, the star of the night definitely lived up to expectation! Garnished with roasted garlic cloves, giving us a peek of the strong flavours to expect sat the chicken thigh above the rest of the dish. The chicken was char-grilled with perfection and upon cutting into the leg, the meat was well cooked and not too dry, with the spices infused and the aroma of garlic coming through. Do give the lemon wedge a squeeze over the chicken for some extra  tanginess! The salad and sauce that came together with does justice in balancing out and enhancing the flavours of the chicken and the bed of what seemed like cous cous.

Spaghetti Marinara ($23.50 per plate and $68 for sharing portion) – This wasn’t on our tasting menu but they wanted us to try. A creamy tomato sauce with a good serving of clams, sea scallops, prawns and calamari garnished with basil leaves was quite a good and filing dish although not my favourite. The tomato based sauce was light and easy on the palate. Hints of coriander and parsley could be detected together with a good whiff of fresh seafood aroma.

Homemade Tiramisu ($9.50) – non-alcohol, kid-friendly

Soffiato ($11.80) – Chocolate Lave Cake with Hazelnut Gelato

We were served 3 different desserts. Firstly, a spongy sunshine peach cake that was great for those who prefer lighter flavours. Following that, a classic version of a famous Italian dessert that is packed with creamy mascarpone cheese, vittoria coffee and shaved chocolate. To the Asian palate, this may come off as tiramisu on the first bite, but do not be fooled! This is one of the best Italian desserts I have had in a long time. Finally, my favourite of the lot – chocolate lava cake with hazelnut ice cream, lightly drizzled with chocolate sauce. You simply cannot go wrong with good quality lava chocolate and ice cream! Sweet and packing a punch. A great way to end off the dinner date!​

Photos and review credit Diana.