Latteria Mozzarella Bar opens at Duxton Hill

by Evelyn Chen
inSing.com - 84 days 19 hrs 2 mins ago

Bufala (fresh mozzarella cheeses)

The hip Duxton Hill enclave may be drawing heaps of swanky new restaurants in droves but newly opened Latteria Mozzarella Bar wins the plaudit for the most creative concept yet.

Due credit goes to Italian restaurateur, Beppe De Vito, for swiftly rebranding the now defunct The Jackson Plan, after a launch that was short-lived as it was lackluster.

While The Jackson Plan’s whitewashed interior of vintage wooden furnishings and industrial-styled bar have been retained, De Vito has given the menu a complete facelift. Befitting its moniker, the menu at Latteria (which means milk bar in Italian) proffers a slew of mouth-watering creations that are singularly focused on Italian-imported mozzarella cheeses.

Burrata

From the Specialita menu, 10 staggering varieties of mozzarella cheeses – shredded, knotted, plaited and rolled – beckon. While it’s nearly impossible to pick favourites, you should not miss the generous mound of creamy burrata ($20) sitting on a bed of sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes and rocket leaves; and the sfoglia ($20), sheets of mozzarella cheese rolled with crab meat and buttery avocado bits. But if you like your cheese cooked, the bocconcini ($20) is another standout – here, the egg-shaped mozzarella cheese is deep fried and served in an addictive spicy tomato broth.

Grilled seabass

While mozzarella cheese is indeed the star attraction here, and rightly so, Latteria also serves up some homey pastas and mains that are winners in their own right. The dish of smoked mozzarella-licked risotto ($25) beams with a lovely smoky tang, enriched by earthy notes from the drizzle of truffle paste; while the grilled whole seabass served with a squeeze of lemon and sides of Sicilian-imported cherry tomatoes and arugula leaves is rustic as it is wholesome. We also give our thumbs up to the savoury oodles of linguine($25) tossed with plump morsels of vongole and porcini mushrooms.

Lemon panna cotta

One of the big pluses of dining at Latteria – besides the highly desirable mozzarella cheeses, of course - are the jumbo-sized desserts. And on that note, you should make room for the sublime, cocoa powder-topped tiramisu ($15) and the refreshing lemon panna cotta crowned with strawberries tossed in balsamic vinegar and basil leaves ($15).

Food aside, if we have to judge the success of Latteria on guest traffic alone, De Vitto’s niche concept restaurant is off to a flying start.