Fratini la Trattoria- “Don’t ask for the menu…because we don’t have one!”

I like the concept. Surprise me! I was told if you dined at Fratini’s every evening, you’d be served different dishes every time! How cool (true?) is that 👍🏻! Just tell owner/chef, Chomel Yang, your dietary restrictions and she’ll handle the rest! Oh, she’s the bubbly one who looks like she’s barely out of high school! But, as you’d have heard many a time, “Judge not a book by its cover!”The restaurant’s wine cellar that doubles up as a private dining room accommodated the 13 of us cozily. Except for the busboys scooting by every now and then through a service door in the same room, this is, potentially, a really nice private area to hold a dinner party.

We covered a total of 13 dishes this evening, and it was truly enjoyable. Dinner began with 4 cold starters…

ANTIPASTO

Salmon – Lemon, dill, marscapone, pumpkin, crab, lemon and orange cheese and strawberry salsa! Yes, that’s a lotta flavoring and dressing on fish alone! The end result was a combination of subtle flavors in each mouthful. Very pleasant and not as overwhelming as the lengthy ingredients list at all!Scallop– a half shell scallop, baked in its own shell with Gorgonzola cheese and served with purple cabbage dressed in a fresh citrus sauce. Unlike the salmon, just a handful of ingredients here but totally worked. It’s true…. Gorgonzola makes many things better! Wild Rice– a loosely packed “patty” combining vegetables and shredded beef short ribs sits atop a bed of wild rice, and brushed with natural beef jus…. Fratini’s call on an open face burger! Starchy rice, crunchy veg and tender beef bits…. A nice combination of texture in this little appetizer.Pork– Roasted with 7 different spices and served with a yogurt & fennel sauce over juicy wild mushrooms. This was my favorite appetizer of the evening. The pork, albeit a belly cut, wasn’t fatty nor oily. It was very tender, very flavorful and went beautifully with the chivey yogurt sauce. And wild mushrooms? Well… can’t fault with mushrooms of any kind!

SECONDO

Our 4 warm secondos began with Sea bass– Small blocks of grilled sea bass served with sweet tender carrots. I’d have liked a crispier skin and perhaps a minute less on the griddle for just a lil more moisture in the fish. And, a tad more flavor, which i managed with some rock salt. Ribeye– medium rare steak, grilled, sliced and served with baby potatoes and crunchy asparagus. The meat has a good bite.. for those of you who like texture in your beef. I like my beef buttery so this did not quite work for me. The rest of the diners however, had no complaints and cleaned out the rich beefy steak platter good!Venison– The venison escalope, on the other hand, I loved! Not a common option but when available, I do steer towards venison. Escalope is a style I enjoy as well, though not every restaurant does a good job. Fratini’s veal steak was escaloped thin and cooked perfectly. Still retaining some bite, yet tender, moist and flavorful. The accompanying polenta and broccoli soak up the delicious brown porchini gravy which was creamy and light at the same time. Have not had a good escalope for a while and this did it for me!Lobster– While the rest had a spicy baked slipper lobster, I tucked into my baked mozzarella version. Well executed! For those of you who’ve had to stab your shellfish in three different spots to get to the meat, this one peels off its shell effortlessly; the meat is succulent and the cheese topping has a nice, smokey char.

PASTA

For carbs, we picked 4 different pastas of our choice and were rewarded with some big boy portions! Seafood Aglio Olio, Seafood Arrabbiata, Seafood in White wine and a Ragu Meat Sauce were in order. The kitchen will match a suitable pasta to your choice of sauce/ meat. Our pastas were all good in their own rights but everyone agreed the Seafood Linguine Aglio Olio won hands down. The linguine (first of all, an unusual choice for aglio olio) was cooked perfectly. It had a springy bite which was addictive! Prawns and squids were well seasoned. The aromatic garlicky chivey oil evenly coated every strand of noodle without being eeky oily. Savory yet light….. Absolutely yummy!

DOLCE

Our 4 desserts included Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, Chocolate Salami and Crème Brûlée with Apple Compote. I was a little surprised by the simplicity of the desserts. Was expecting something more creative, but I guess can’t go wrong with’em classics . They all tasted alright… with the Crème brûlée scoring extra points on the added touch of sweet tangy apple compote.

Even though we took around 2.5 hours on our meal (rushing through a lil bit to get to our next appointment), I’d suggest putting aside at least 3 hours to enjoy every moment and savor every bit of the fine culinary, wine, and company. Dinner will set you back around SGD90 (without taxes and wine) and though portions seem small, you do fill up! So if you’re feeling adventurous, give Fratini a shot! Chances are, you will be pleasantly surprised!