When the news came that Jamie Oliver is opening a restaurant in Singapore – the first Jamie’s Italian in Asia – the hype about it was overwhelming and unbelievably crazy. Jamie Oliver is a household name, and arguably one of the most famous British chefs in the world. The arrival of his restaurant in Singapore further emphasises Singapore’s position as a dining destination in Asia.
Jamie’s Italian Singapore officially opens its door at Vivo City today, and here are some of the highlights that you can expect from Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant.
As with all the Jamie’s Italian restaurants around the world, the menu is extensive, with offerings of antipasti, pasta and risotto dishes, and main courses that are hearty and rustic.
The Planks – platters of meat and fish – are a great way to start, especially if you are in a big group. The Meat Plank (S$15.50/pax) consists of cured meats, cheeses, pickles and a crunchy salad. We also sampled the Fish Plank (S$17/pax), a seafood version with an assortment of beetroot-cured salmon, roasted shellfish, smoked mackerel pate and delicious fritto misto, which tastes great with yuzu mayo.
If you are a fan of olives, you should also go for their World’s Best Olives on Ice (S$7.50). The other starter that we had was the Baked Mushrooms (S$12.50). It was decent, but nothing to write home about. The Crispy Squid (S$11.50) and Crispy Stuffed Risotto Balls (S$11.50) sound promising, and we would probably get them the next time.
At Jamie’s Italian, pastas are made fresh in-house daily, and they are naturally one of the highlights. The best part is that they come in two portions – a smaller serving which is meant to be an appetiser, and the regular size as a main course – which gives you the option of getting more dishes for sharing.
The most popular pasta on the menu is the Prawn Linguine (S$17/25) with fried garlicky prawns. But while we have not tried this, we have to give mentions to the Tagliatelle Bolognese (S$15/22) – which we had when we were in Jamie’s Italian London previously, and it is surely one dish not to be missed because this classic pasta is so satisfying.
We could not resist ordering the Wild Truffle Risotto (S$16/24.50). It was excellent, with subtle taste of the finely chopped truffle lingering on the tongue. We had this same dish at London and much to our surprise, we felt the Singapore’s version was significantly more impressive. Also good was the Jools’ Favourite Sicilian Tuna Fusilli (S$14/21), which is apparently the must-have dish for Jools (Jamie Oliver’s wife) whenever she is at the restaurant. We loved how the herby breadcrumbs added an extra texture to the flavourful pasta with slow-cooked tuna, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.
Other pastas on the menu include the Pasta Alla Norma (S$12.50/19), Penne Arrabbiata (S$12.50/19), Black Angel Spagehtti (S$16/24.50), and Sausage Pappardelle (S$16/24).
Among the main courses, you might be tempted by the Veal Flash Steak (S$32.50) and The Jamie’s Italian Wagyu Burger (S$27.50). One of the exclusive dishes for Jamie’s Italian Singapore is the Pink Snapper Acqua Pazza (S$32). While it was not out-of-the-world-good, it was a pleasantly comforting dish that you can eat on a regular basis – which is exactly what Jamie Oliver is known for.
Sweet treats such as Tutti Frutti Lemon Meringue Pie (S$11.50) and the Sour Cherry Bakewell (S$9.50) were decent, but not particularly outstanding.
But what we really loved were the Tiramisu (S$11.50) and Panna Cotta (S$9). The former – a strong and intense coffee-flavoured triffle with orange mascarpone and chocolate, and the latter – a simple and well-made dessert which is rich and creamy yet not overly sweet, exactly how a good panna cotta should be. We dare say it is one of the better renditions in town.
Jamie’s Italian takes reservations, but from what we understand, it is already fully-booked for the next few weeks. So, the only way is to try your luck for a table as walk-in guests.
While Jamie Oliver is a household name and brand, expectations are naturally developed and raised. However, one pointer that you may want to take note of prior to your visit to the inaugural Asian outlet – Jamie’s Italian is positioned to be a casual Italian restaurant, catering to the masses with fuss-free cuisine of rustic and homely pastas. Definitely not the posh fine-dining establishment that many might be expecting across all Jamie Oliver’s restaurants.
I like Jamie’s Italian and I think it blends in perfectly with Singapore’s local food scene. I would not be surprised if they were to open more branches in Singapore in the near future, and eventually in the rest of Asia.
Jamie’s Italian Singapore
1 HarbourFront Walk,
VivoCity, #01-165/167
Tel: +65 67335500
Daily: 11.30am to 11pm (All day dining)
Nearest Station: Harbourfront
Note: This was an invited media tasting.
For more recommendations, read my list of best Italian restaurants in Singapore
I recently was taking a post dinner stroll at Vivo and spotted Jamie’s Italian. I’m quite looking forward to this casual dining concept. Looks like I can only make a reservation for the end of the year at this rate!!
Restaurant was mediocre and did not live up to expectations
Having been a food writer for a UK wine and dine title, I was eager to see what Jamie Oliver has done in Singapore. We tried yesterday to get a table, especially one outside. All the tables outside were empty (at least a dozen) but we were told there was a 1.5 hour wait. An excellent lesson in how to turn away potential repeat business. We wont be going back.
Hi Stephen, being in the F&B industry, I can understand why you were not given a table at the outside. This is possibly due to a lack of service staff. By giving you an outside table without a stationed service staff to man them is equivalent to not serving you.
Went to Jamie’s yesterday with my friends. Ordered the planks and bruchettos as starters, and five other mains including the burger, prawn linguine, ravioli and snapper. Only the bruchettos and snapper were nice but do not have the wow factor. The rest of the dishes were disappointing. Ravioli was over cooked and portion was small. Burger was bland and definitely over-priced at $27. A Carls Junior would have been more satisfying. On the whole, Jamie’s is underwhelming and over priced. Would not be going back there unless there are positive reviews from trusted sources.
Went there with wife and son last month. Ordered wild truffle risotto, steak, prawn linguine, tagliatelle and 2 more. Nothing extraordinary. Don’t think we will be back.
wont even go back if they pay me to eat there !.
yes, its that bad !
food and service both bad !
Food is so-so, and definitely not worth the price. Ordered the prawn linguine and bolognese. The pasta was hard, and the pasta for the bolognese was not fully cooked. It is definitely not al-dente. When we feedback to the staff, the waitress just said she would bring it back to the kitchen to cook a little longer. In the end, what came back was our now microwaved half eaten pasta, and they added more sauce to make it look like it was a new plate. Very disappointed with the quality of the food and their way of handling feedback. Definitely would not go back again nor recommend to anyone.