Zambuca Italian Restaurant & Bar

Unexpectedly good

Ate there for dinner as I was hankering after italian food in the vicinity recently, and have always wanted to try Zambuca anyway.

The restaurant itself was extremely quiet, with ourselves being the 2nd occupied table when we arrived at 7pm on a Friday. We ordered 2 safe dishes, the vongole and carbonara, and they were unexpectedly good! It may be one of the best vongole I've tried so far, and portions were BIG, I barely managed to finish it.

Bread came warm and fluffy but nothing extraordinary. Service was attentive but we almost felt like we were being 'watched' due to the rather empty atmosphere. More guests starting turning only around 8pm or so.

Didnt manage to try their tiramisu, but I will, next time. Price wise, I don't think it is considered expensive with main courses hovering around $20 so I'd definitely come back again.

Zambuca is an authentic Italian experience which also served as a beginning to my little foray in food blogging and fine dining. As such, i hope it explains why most or almost all my photos here are taken from FatPig. During this initial meal, which is before even Xi Yan, i was introduced into a world which i never did step into much before. And honestly, it was a rather memorable and good start.

Personal thoughts: The moment i stepped into the restaurant, i felt out of place and in a totally different country of sorts. Everything inside was totally authentic and very fitting to its Italian theme. There was a wine cellar encased in glass right smack in the middle of the restaurant and the view from the windows, though only on the third floor, allowed me to feel like i was in an Italian country. The place was quite dark though and we were given a round table seat which though served our purpose well, i felt totally tested the capabilities for the waiter because it was incredibly difficult for the poor man to set.

Bruschetta - We began the meal with this as a starter. The bread was finely toasted and came still warm despite the rather cold air conditioning. The tomatoes were nicely diced and tasted great with the warm bread. A good appetiser that managed to whet my appetite for the main course to come.

Linguine Tandoor - This was ordered by my friend. I personally didn't get to taste it but judging by the fact that he still raves about the dish to anyone he meets who likes fine dining, i'd say it was a satisfying dish. I found the portion acceptable though it could have been better if there had been more. The tandoori combition served to work surprisingly well according to him, and if i remember correctly, the chicken it came with was also delicious.

Snapper Lombata - This right here is mine. Pan fried baby snapper loin with deep fried soft shell crab and grilled caviar crusted langoustine served in a pool of mirin and wasabi broth. I found this dish very nicely done. Everything in here is out of the aquarium fresh and very appetising indeed. The snapper was great with the sauce and since its the first time i had this, i'll say its like a cross between prawns and lobsters, but the meat holds more similiarities to the latter family. I do however have a problem with the serving size for this dish, given the money i'm paying, this is still way too little despite the quality of the serving. I came away wanting and still hungry after this dish unlike my buddies. So try this at your own discretion.

The bill for this romantically ambienced and nice meal amounted to $160.85. Not too demanding and pretty worth its price.

This is a great place to bring your friends or your romantic partner for a good meal. Your choice and understanding of Italian food is necessary however in making good food decisions. In terms of wine selection, this place has it in spades for both new and old world wines. Also, wine by the glass is available and i recommend trying the cellar for private wine tasting functions if you have a significantly wine loving group. Service is impeccable even given the trying table setting and always comes with a smile. I recommend trying this place if you are in the vicinity.