Casa Tartufo - The Undisputed Truffle Palace

A new year calls for a visit to a restaurant I have not been to! It had to be fresh and exciting. 

Casa Tartufo, or "House of Truffles" in Italian, rose to the challenge with its al fresco dining and elegant, mansion-like decor. Throughout dinner, staff remained professional and quick on their feet. 

As expected, 90% of the dishes on the menu contain truffles. The classy black truffle from France and famous white truffle from Italy are both available, something that fans will highly appreciate. However, the type of truffles served apparently changes according to the calendar, as we were informed that the white truffle was available only till end of December.

A truffle's flavor is indicated by its aroma: the more powerful the smell, the stronger the taste. This is attributed to the fact that the chemicals responsible for the smell are produced only when the truffle has matured. Animals like dogs and female pigs can be trained to hunt for this valuable fungus.

A complimentary basket of broken bread, served alongside a shallow bowl of olive oil, was the appetizer for the night. The olive oil imparted a light, bitter flavor to the herb-embedded bread.

Bits of white truffle floated on the surface of the Tartufata soup ($53.00 for white truffle, $20.00 for black). The first spoonful established it to be rich in truffle flavor; it did not feel overly creamy and only got more addictive as time went on. 

The highly rated Burruta ($43.00) on the menu "serves two". In our case, it ended up being enough for three people. 

Presented on a bed of greens and juicy tomatoes, it had an appearance akin to that of an egg. An ostrich egg, that is. Inside was filled with an extremely smooth mixture of mozzarella cheese and truffle, containing round lumps which were delicious to bite into. 

The flavor of mozzarella intensified as we continued eating. The same could not be said for the truffle taste, which came on strongly yet dissipated just as quickly. This made it easy to tell when the burruta was running low on truffle.

I fell in love with the Plin ($32.00). The dish looked unassuming but packed a wallop! It comprises thinly-sliced black autumn truffle, draped over little pouches of ravioli stuffed with scrumptious beef cheeks. The truffle's musky flavor was enhanced by the roast jus, the natural juices of the meat. 

The dish that got raving reviews on the internet was the Tajarin ($60.00 for white truffle, $38.00 for black). Piedmont egg noodles are coated thoroughly in the white truffle sauce, resulting in a delectable combination.

To be honest, I thought the plin was better.

Casa Tartufo is so focused on truffle, it even found its way into the rather limited selection of desserts. My cousin, quite rightly, advised me to choose the Pistachio Semifreddo with Warm Chocolate ($14.00), on the basis of it being an uncommon dessert as opposed to the rest. 

Semifreddo is a category of desserts frozen partially, such as ice-cream cakes. A minimal quantity of warm molten chocolate is poured over it prior to serving.

Chock full of pistachios, which imparted a nutty flavor, the semifreddo tasted like a frozen chunk of ice cream sweetened with honey. The chocolate drizzle made this masterpiece the ultimate indulgence!

We couldn't leave without trying the Signature Truffle Gelato ($8). Smooth and sweet, with a little saltiness thrown in and a distinctly sharp truffle aftertaste, the ice cream was heavenly.

Casa Tartufo's location is a little out of the way, but their mouth-watering food and stylish environment more than make up for it.


Halal Certified: No

Food: 8.5/10

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Nearest MRT: Chinatown

33 Erskine Road (entrance on Ann Siang Road) 
The Scarlet Hotel 
S(069333)

Website: http://www.casatartufo.com/