Etna Italian Restaurant (East Coast) — Restaurant in Singapore

Honestly? I wasn’t expecting much. I live nearby and always thought Etna Siglap was just one of those fancy-looking neighbourhood Italian spots you walk past and always looking for a special reason to try it out. But let me tell you — I was so wrong.

Started with a special menu pizza — salami and anchovies. Bold, rich, punchy flavours. No holding back. I’m still thinking about it. Then came the linguine in crab bisque with jumbo crab meat… and listen, I usually eat slow. But the pizza and the pasta?? I inhaled them! Gulped them down like I hadn’t eaten in days. That’s how good it was.

Now, I’m a panna cotta girl. Always have been. But this one? Not your basic cup-style pudding situation. The panna cotta came hidden inside a white chocolate dome, and then they poured hot chocolate sauce over it… and boom! The dome melted right in front of us, revealing the silky panna cotta inside like tadaaaaaaa. It was a total showstopper. Like dessert magic happening at the table. Visually stunning, ridiculously satisfying. Light, smooth, not-too-sweet so satisfying to watch and even better to eat, honestly? I could’ve eaten two.

Then came the pistachio tiramisu. I was hesitant at first. I’m loyal to the classic. But I gave it a shot and… yup. Silenced. Creamy, nutty, layered, unexpected. Nothing like your average tiramisu.

And the red wine? Morellino di Scansano — medium-bodied, smooth, with lovely cherry notes. Paired beautifully with everything. Not sure if it was the manager or owner who recommended it, but whoever you are, thank you, legend!

This spot is officially in my regular rotation now. A neighbourhood gem I’ll be running back to every time I want to pamper my belly and spark...

Neighbourhood Italian restaurant that's very popular with the East Coast folks. The eatery is somewhat dated and could use with a tad of sprucing up and also a tad of improvement in the service quality. A bit haphazard is what I would describe the service experience. Ok.. So what about the food? I had eaten at Etna many years ago (I'm part of the central /West cousins) and had some good memories of the Italian fare served here, but today I was left a disappointed diner overall.

Surprised that one of the special was grilled octopus 🐙. Had high expectations and with gusto I munched on a pretty decent (well charred and good chewy textured) but lacked that certain Mediterranean taste. Could do with a more generous dose of olive oil / lemon and pepper.

The lamb shank was so so. While the shank itself is tender n juicy, I wasn't too sure about the sweet wine gravy. A tad too salty, thereby giving the meat a bit of a bitter aftertaste. The 48 hour braised beef ribs wasn't quite but either. The meat seems to be grilled with a charred taste and a tad dry n leathery in texture. Couldn't sense the braising at all! 😔.. Personally I felt the biggest let down with the whipped potatoes accompanying the meat dishes. The whippy consistency was so even that we all (the dinning party) agreed that it was prepared fresh from real potatoes but probably from the powder mixed type. There also a sour aftertaste... I'm the restaurant could really do better give the prices charged for the meat dishes.

What about pasta, pizzas and desserts? No complaints in this 3 departments. Very very yummy.

Overall, mixed feelings. Probably stick with the traditional pastas n...

Dinner for 3 persons on 7 Jul 2018.

Received a call from the restaurant a day before to confirm my reservation made via Quandoo for Saturday dinner at 6pm but apparently, they had received two reservations under my name for dinner on Friday and Saturday. They even got the time wrong as 7pm instead of 6pm.

My friend and I arrived at the restaurant at 6pm and they weren't ready to receive guests yet, so we had to wait for a few minutes outside before they allowed us in and seated us.

We ordered the burrata with parma ham, tomatoes and rocket leaves, clams and mussels in white wine broth, and braised lamb shank. Our appetisers were served quite quickly but it took a while for the main to be served. Maybe the staff wasn't paying enough attention to our dining speed. We later added an order for a baked eggplant parmigiana and that came quite timely.

Food was quite tasty but not impressive, especially when the prices charged here are a tad higher than most other mid-price range Italian restaurants. We didn't like how the rocket leaves were pressed under the burrata and the parma ham had sinews in it. The burrata also wasn't as creamy and satiating as we'd like. The outer layer of the lamb shank was also quite salty.

Service was prompt but it wasn't friendly in a way that made us comfortable. They did refill our glasses of warm water quite frequently.

Perhaps the good reviews of this restaurant made us have high expectations that...