Jamie's Italian @ Vivocity

Disha Haziran 15, 2022

A long awaited visit to Jamie's was made and true to its fame, it was still packed with people to the brim and showed no signs of stopping at all. Whisked off to our table, we were given ample time to mull over our menu before a server came by to take our orders - I wish I understood her accent better though.

Cloth napkin, casual max.

For Singapore branch!

Italian Bread Selection ($6)

Homemade rosemary focaccia, Italian grissini, crispy “music bread” & ciabatta from our bakery. All served with Mandranova extra virgin olive oil & aged balsamic

Having been spoilt rotten at restaurants that provide complimentary bread baskets, for the first time I had to pay for one and it was nothing but a terrible disappointment. Coarse bread with powdery sticks at best - nothing that the extra virgin oil nor aged balsamic could salvage - I say skip this.

Veggie Plank ($13.50, for one)

Balanced on the tomato cans that were placed on the table - greedy us thought we were given these for free!

Something twisted looking like a chilli.

Normal tomato bruschetta.

A good selection of preserved vegetables and crackers, easy to toss together and it was off to a good start!

Chilli jam on cracker.

Polenta Chips ($7.50)

Famed somehow and I do not get why. Polenta is acquired as compared to its friendlier carbo alternatives of potato. The coarse grainy texture of cornmeal and its crumbed exterior made eating more than one an overkill.

Posh Chips ($7.50)
Truffle, parmesan

Soggy chips with a hint of truffle, not the best chips either but definitely a better option than the polenta.

Flash Cooked Greens ($7.50)
With chilli & garlic

Kale and peppers in this zichar style vegetable dish - if anything, the kale was a brilliant deep emerald green and shimmered in the oil.

Veal Steak ($32.50)

Too tough to handle, it had to be the hardest veal I had to eat though flavours were nice.

SP Arancini ($26.50)

Not listed on the menu, these crab risotto balls were the bomb! Beautifully breaded and delicated fried, each bite was a wonderful marriage of savoury and tangy.

Fish Baked In A Bag ($28)
Local fish of the day with clams, mussels, fennel, chilli, anchovies & fregola sarda

Loved the seafood but found the gravy a tad acidic.

The Jamie's Italian Burger ($27.50)
Wagyu steak with smoked mozzarella, pancetta, sticky balsamic onions, tomato, pickles & chillies

What is an Italian Burger anyway? I found the patty a tad crumbly and well rather ordinary.

Wasn't too impressed, unfortunately.

Prawn Linguine ($17)

The pastas I've eaten usually come with a thick gravy and this surprised me with its watery consistency but hitting all notes with the flavour. While prawns could be bigger and linguine have a chewier texture, this was not all half bad.

Jamie's wife's favourite - an endearing move by a chef indeed. Portions above are for mains and it was a lovely treat. The crunchy breadcrumbs gave this a nice finish and proved to be the best of the three attempted.

Jamie's does his tagliatelle differently from those eaten outside - pretty much like scrunched up monkey brains - but the taste was a hit and miss, it could do with more oomph in flavour - otherwise, just hearty like a stew.

Brixham Bay Crab Risotto ($28.50)

Creamy risotto made with incredible acquerello rice and topped with lemony crab, samphire and chilli

Best risotto eaten, creamy and well flavoured. Great balance of taste and ingredients here.

Creamy Panna Cotta ($9)
Lovely wobbly panna cotta served with a fruit compote

Everyone has this praised to the skies and I found it befitting for Halloween in its goryness. Wobbly and creamy enough but less gelatin would make this to-die-for.

Here's a tour around Jamie's, a sprawling eatery.

A bread table for the starters on the menu - no free bread!

Grabbing a drink at the bar does not seem such a bad idea after all!

Daily specials.

Jamie Oliver signing off in the private room.

Sits 12 quite comfortably.

A reminder on the recipe sleeve.

For those who want a piece of Jamie, literally.

Looking like anyone's kitchen.

Jamie Oliver is a home cook made famous - hardly michelin starred and has tons to his name but we all forget that somehow. Theatrics and the airy fairyness of presentation aside, Jamie's Italian dishes up food that we could get in our own kitchens and his 15 minute recipes - hits and misses included.

Jamie's Italian
Vivocity