Wawa's Ramblings

Went to Zambuca to celebrate Co's birthday. We had tried the Amex one for one set lunch a couple of months back and liked the food and service.

The lighting in the restaurant was pretty dim so it was hard to get a decent shot of the food.

For starters, Co had the soup of the day, corn chowder ($12) while I had the seafood bouillabaisse ($16). The seafood bouillabaisse had slices of fish, squid, clams, prawn and mussel in a tomato based broth. It was a tasty and hearty soup but not something that Co would have liked as it was too 'seafoody'.

For our mains we chose the beef tenderloin with foie gras and truffle jus ($46) and the chef recommended tortellini stuffed with smoked duck and foie gras ($36).

The tenderloin was quite a thick piece of meat but was tender and juicy. And aah, the foie gras (duck liver). This was the first time that I have tried foie gras but I concluded after a few bites that it was too 'ducky' for my taste. I am not sure if the taste would be different if goose liver was used instead of duck, but I really cannot understand all the expense and fuss associated with foie gras. Co, who is averse to all the insides of poultry and meat, remarked that it tasted less 'liverish' than pork liver. Perhaps it is an acquired taste but I much prefer the pork liver in my porridge or mee sua soup.

The tortellini stuffed with smoked duck and foie gras was an interesting dish but I found it was a tad expensive for only 5 pieces of tortellini. The price was no doubt inflated by the foie gras. The tortellini had a nice bite and this time, the taste of the foie gras did not overwhelm as it was well complemented by the smoked duck.

Desert was a complementary slice of tiramisu and creme brulee with tri-berry sorbet ($12). The tiramisu was light and not too sweet. The creme brulee had a nice caramelized crust and went well with the tangy strawberry and gelato.

We initially chose an Italian Pinot Grigio to complement our meal but it was unavailable and so we had to settle for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc ($16 per glass). Service was attentive and personal and we sat at the booth seats, which was more private and comfy. A good place for Italian fine dining.