sigh.
i'm feeling all warm inside thinking about it again actually. a restaurant hasn't really inspired that in me in the longest time but its a little surprising that its this one. surprising because i really really liked Osteria Mozza, but find the Pizzeria really quite... meh.
we started the evening with the Grilled Octopus with leek, celery and potatos. a lovely little antipasti this one, though i found the octopus a tad on the salty side. the saltiness was tempered somewhat when taken with the greens and - never thought i'd say this about potatos but - the delicate pieces of baby potatos. but if this was intended to get the taste buds going, i'd say it worked then.
alongside the grilled octopus, we also had something from the famed Mozzarella Bar. yeah, i'm sure you could tell we weren't feeling too adventurous with the antipasti but i found the mozzarella with the proscuito pretty good. simple, unpretentious and satisfying.
as was the rosato i had to start the evening. hic.
what wasn't simple nor unpretentious sounding though, was the Iberian Pork Chops that my dinner mate had. but man was it so good. hands down, the best pork chops i've ever had - so far anyway. no but seriously, all that hype about Iberian pork chops? at Osteria Mozza, it is not hype. it has been proven as fact.
they recommend that you have it done medium, with it still a little pink in the middle. and it comes out exactly just right. it is so amazingly tender that it almost felt like it was melting in my mouth. and no, not because of fact, mind you. the herb crust was power packed goodness that really went so well with each bite of that crazy tender pork without overpowering.
but while i am probably very likely to have the Iberian Pork Chops as MY main the next time i make it to Osteria Mozza, i would also absolutely recommend what i had this time around - the Rabbit with veal sausage, sitting on a bed of an amazing spinach cooked down in the juices of the rabbit.
it was brilliant. no, seriously.
i'm sure some of you have heard the whole jazz about how rabbit tastes like chicken. well, its true. it even looks like chicken on the plate, but man it tastes so much better. so succulent and tender, its like an ultra fine chicken, really. but it was those juices on the plate and the spinach and roasted garlic that really made the dish work and work spectacularly. definitely a must try and if you've never had rabbit before, i promise you won't be disappointed by this.
by the time we polished off our mains, we were feeling more than happy with ourselves. but alas, Wicked does not wait for the greedy. and so with about 10 to 15 minutes left till we had to leave for the show, the only thing that we were both really thinking of at this time was to have a great little cuppa coffee to finish off the brilliant dinner.
i am pleased to report that the cappucino and the latte did not disappoint. in fact, it was actually really good, if a little on the strong side. and it really hit the spot in terms of the way it ended of the food part of the evening. i really had a lovely time.
so. if you're looking for a lovely time for yourself as well, do try out Osteria Mozza at MBS. again, do be prepared to part with a pretty penny for the awesomeness but i also think that as dinners such as these come and go, this was waaay up there as one of the meals to beat in 2011.
Osteria Mozza
2 Bayfront Avenue
Level B1- 42/46
The Shoppes @ The Marina Bay Sands
