Burlamacco Ristorante review: our second visit

This post is my second Burlamacco Ristorante review.

Note: From 1 January 2021 onwards, Burlamacco Ristorante is no longer a participant in the Love Dining programme.

Love Dining by American Express

Writing this feels nostalgic; when this blog started, the first  review for this very restaurant (written a year ago, in December 2019) was one of my earliest posts.

It was also my third post that featured Love Dining benefits (with the first being Clove at Swissotel the Stamford, and the second being the Seafood Buffet Dinner at Brasserie Les Saveurs).

Thanks to the American Express Platinum Charge card, which came with Love Dining benefits, my family and I are here for the second time. 

Happily, the husband, myself, and the three year old daugther dined here at 50% off. 

Italian Fare: Burlamacco Ristorante

Similar to the previous year, the restaurant was all nicely decorated for the festive year-end season. 

A gem of an Italian Restaurant at 30 Stanley Street – see the wine cellar in the back?

Bread Basket and Starters

Ah, the bread basket. Topped with warm bread that has herbs in it, it’s comforting dipped or drowned in the olive oil / balsamic vinegar mix.

Our starter dish, the Fegato, is a polenta-crumbled foie gras (goose liver) with caramelized onion and apple chutney.

Fegato – Foie Gras

Ever so slightly crusty on the outside but velvety and creamy on the inside, the richness of foie gras blends alongside sweet notes of onions and apples. The kind of food that’s downright sinful and no one cares.

I’ve actually tried foie gras at many places (that also have Love Dining benefits), including at SKAI (Swissotel the Stamford), at Lawry’s the Prime Rib, and at Napoleon Food and Wine Bar. I personally find that despite the polenta crust, the foie gras here is smoothest among these places. It’s definitely better than the one at SKAI, and depending on what you like it easily rivals the ones at Lawry’s or Napoleon. 

Italian Mains

Behold my choice of main – the Merluzzo – a pan-seared Atlantic cod served with asparagus, a rosemary potato on the bottom and acacia honey balsamic flavours.

Merluzzo – Atlantic Cod

I always love exploring how restaurants prepare a fish such as cod – as far as fishes go, its natural taste is on the milder side, thus leaving lots of potential for a chef to flavour and further enhance its goodness.

Same for potatoes – plain-tasting in nature, huge possibilities for flavours.

Taking these two – the flavours here really ignited the senses. The Soft fish marinated in honey balsamic gave it just the twinge of exquisite sweetness. Rosemary potatoes, half-drowning in the sauce, complements the fish like no other. The asparagus contributed a slight crunch overall – i could not find fault with this dish, it was amazing.

And then, there was my husband’s choice of pasta: Pappardelle – a pasta with pork leg ragout that’s been marinatead for 7 days in red wine.

 Pappardelle

There are times when pork ragout can be too tough, too meaty, or both – it’s one of those dishes that’s easy to fail, but Burlamacco Ristorante avoids all the pitfalls. Easily the best ragout in any form I’ve ever come across. You can’t replicate this dish – after 7 days of red wine soakin’ – the meat is a tender burst of porky goodness, and the pasta literally absorbs all of it and Becomes One with its sauce.

Dessert

How could you go to an Italian restaurant and NOT have their dessert? To us, it simply wasn’t an option. So the husband and I ordered a dessert each. More for the kid to munch on as well. Lol.

I chose the Pannacotta – vanilla bean custard cream, served with strawberries that’s been marinated in balsamic vinegar.

Pannacotta

Seamlessly smooth on the inside, the milky texture was elevated by bits of soured fruits. You know that real quality vanilla beans were used to infuse flavours into the dessert when you (i) see specks of it, and (ii) actually taste the vanilla; it wasn’t subtle so it gave the milk custard an extra oomph. 

My husband’s choice was the Tiramisu.

It looked a tad different from my first visit – back then, the tiramisu was simply sprinkled with cocoa powder, but it now boasts a crust of fruit and crushed nuts.

Tiramisu

The Tiramisu’s internal consistency and taste was as good as the first time I tried it, but the crust gave the dish an upgrade. Crushed nuts – pistachios! – really added extra character and crunch to a spongey cheesy goodness.

Amex Voucher: Complimentary Wine

Fun stuff – if you hold the American Express Platinum Reserve card (of which the annual fee is waived for me as I’m a Platinum Charge card holder as well), every year I’m gifted a set of dining, spa and hotel vouchers, and there is one to redeem at Burlamacco Ristorante.

We could choose to either have the wine (a chocie of red or white) in-house or bring it home. Hubby picked a red and happily carried it home.

Burlamacco Ristorante review

Overall, a wholesome and exquisite meal of high standards. Yet there was a warmth in the whole experience, it feels like the best kind of homecooked food. In this Burlamacco Ristorante review, I must add that the staff are very knowledgeable and accomodating. They were also friendly to my child, which is always a plus point in terms of making a kid feel included. I’m so glad that this resturant participats in Love Dining; I would NEVER have discovered it if it weren’t for American Express. Haha!

Would I recommend this place? Hands down and without reservation, YES.

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Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for credit card applications may be subject to change by American Express. Readers are recommended to check with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

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