Sicilian flavours at Etna

Etna is an Italian ristorante in Singapore that's just a 5 minute walk from home. The place is always buzzing with diners -no wonder family and friends living in the neighbourhood have only good things to say about the food there.

We headed there for dinner a few nights ago and luckily had made reservations. There's outdoor seating but since a few drops of rain had fallen just as we left home, we chose to sit indoors.

Bread selection

It is a slightly cramped space but it was nice to sit at a table with white tablecloths and linen napkins. The liquor choices are aplenty and they have a good selection of wines. If you're not sure what to order, the staff will give you suggestions. A basket of breads that included focaccia slices is served first with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip them into.

Burrata di Andria

Named after an active volcano in Sicily, Etna specialises in Sicilian flavours, vegetables and seafood.
The antipasti we decided on was Burrata di Andria. The combination of buttery cheese and Parma ham was delicious. Sweet cherry tomatoes and peppery arugula brightened the flavours.

  

Bruschetta di Pomodoro

Bruschetta di Pomodoro was a pretty sight. Tasted yummy too though the bread had not been evenly sliced and the toppings kept falling off.

Ciriole alla Norcina

Ciriole alla Norcina was fabulous. The sauce made with mushrooms, sausage and truffle paste was big and bold with earthy flavours and the fat strands of smooth light yellow homemade pasta mopped up the sauce and had us scraping the dish clean.

Filetto di maiale Marsala

The meat course was Filetto di Maiale al Marsala. Thick but absolutely tender medallions of pork rested on a bed of mashed potatoes. Roasted baby potatoes and mushrooms were plated beside and that Marsala sauce was just wow! A serving of gremolata and briny capers along with thin slices of Parmesan cheese  provided much needed notes of acidity - a lovely balance of flavours was the result.

Pizza Etna

Imagine going to an Italian restaurant and not ordering a pizza - unthinkable! So a pizza called Etna arrived. Generous shavings of Parma ham, mozzarella and cream cheese, mushrooms and pistachios decorated the top. Quite a nice combination of toppings but we could only manage a slice each and had the rest packed up. 

Etna has a few interesting desserts on the menu. Their portions are generous and even though the three of us had shared all the dishes, we wouldn't have been able to do justice to dessert. We've saved that for next time. Service is very efficient.

Etna is at 110, Upper East Coast Road, Singapore. Phone: 64449530 and at
49-50 Duxton Road Road, Singapore. Phone: 62205513.