Orchard | A Festive Meal at Jamie's Italian

Christmas maybe at least a month away, but the preparations have begun at least a couple of months back (elsewhere Chinese New Year is on the way!) I have the opportunity to taste the dishes in the lunch and dinner menus offered by Jamie’s Italian for the upcoming festive season in December.

The meal kicked off with a of trio of starter: A Smoked Salmon Crostini and Bresaola Salad with cured beef and ricotta and pears….but my favourite is the Festive Italian Pate available on their Xmas Lunch Menu.

The Festive Italian Pate is a smooth chicken liver pate infused with Vino Santo, a kind of dessert wine associated with Tuscany in Italy and made with white grapes. It was savoury with a distinct tint of sweetness and fragrance from the wine. I loved the touch of grated parmesan and sage which and it paired very well with the toasted ciabatta. This is a must order if you like starting off your meal with a pate to share.

For mains, there was a classic Roasted Baby Chicken marinated in herbs and served with pork sausage. Nothing memorable but decent.

There is also the Pan-Fried Sea Bass in white wine, chili, fennel and garlic broth served with steamed mussels and saffron aioli. Not bad.

Then there was the interestingly-shaped Wild Mushroom Pappardelle which would be a source of amusement for anyone who hasn’t seen pappardelle before. The pastas were made fresh in Jamie Italian’s kitchens everyday according to the management. As an added bonus, it is pretty tasty too. The pappardelle is tossed with pan fried with brown and oyster mushrooms with and a rich creamy porcini mushroom sauce with garlic, chill, parsley and lemon zest. Looks messy, but yummy!

However, the prized item on the menu would be the Gennaro’s Porchetta, named aafter Gennaro Contaldo, Jamie Oliver’s mentor at Neal Street Restaurant in the 1990s. 

The porchetta is stuffed with chilli, fennel, orange zest, apple, apricot and herbs then slow cooked overnight and roasted upon order to give that crispy crackling skin. This tender, juicy slice of pork was served with pan juices and smashed crackling. I think Jamie Oliver describes it best:

“Gennaro makes a mean porchetta – and trust me, if you like roast pork chops, you'll devour this ” 

– Jamie Oliver

The mains come with rosemary roast potatoes and root vegetables. Pretty good too!

On to the desserts, it is more of the safe classics side: There is the Tangy Lemon Tart, Tiramisu Pavlova and a White Chocolate Cheesecake. Perhaps, the more interesting one is the Tiramisu Pavlova with a crunchy meringue on the outside and a scoop of tiramisu as well as chocolate ice cream drizzled with crushed toasted hazelnuts and hot chocolate sauce. This would please diners who love chocolate and rich desserts.

 All of which you can end your meal with a limoncello or coffee with a top up. 

The Festive Dinner Feast menu cost 65.90++ SGD per person and comes with a glass of bubbly on arrival while the Festive Lunch Menu cost 49.60++ SGD per person and also comes with a glass of bubbly on arrival. For a festive meal, the food is on the classic and the atmosphere at Jamie Italian’s is lovely too, warm cosy interiors and friendly staff for a festive meal with friends and family (a bonus as you could share the dishes!).

Jamie’s Italian is located at VivoCity near HarbourFront MRT Station and the Forum Shopping Mall, a walk away from Orchard MRT Station.

Jamie’s Italian

https://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/singapore/

You can view the menus and make your booking online through their website above.

Many thanks to the folks at Jamie's Italian and Food News PR for the invitation and hospitality!