With Luca Iannone and Michele Cuozzo of Trattoria Capri.
Text and Photo © CM Cordeiro 2011
Impromptu. It seems that’s the word these days when it comes to meeting up with family and friends when back in Singapore that is always at full speed. But seeing that there was a glitch in communication on whereabouts and places to meet for various groups of persons on different days, I figured, for impromptu, this day’s lunch at Trattoria Capri at 3 Binjai Park, turned out uncomplicated.
As I’ve experienced countless times in the past both in Singapore and in Italy, the warmth and hospitality of the Italian people is a treasure to hold in this day of fast paced living and dining. A quick phonecall to Luca was all it took for them to keep the kitchen open till after their usual operating lunch hours and upon our arrival that was just a tad later than the expected late, we were greeted with broad and genuine smiles with the question, “What do you want to eat?”
Famished, we all had just a single craving – white truffles. Since we knew it was white truffle season in Europe, white truffle anything would be fun to have right here in the midst of the Singapore tropics. A smile back from Michele and a knowing nod – not a problem! And no, we didn’t so much as browse the menu, but had left the Chef instead, to surprise us with some magic!
White truffle ravioli.
And magic indeed! Because speaking to our hearts, what arrived at our table was a marvelous assortment of everything white truffle that included, white truffle flat bread, white truffle ravioli, extra virgin olive oil infused so delicately with white truffle, and a deep dish of cozze al vino bianco (blue mussels in white wine).
We also took time to absorb the white walled interior of the small but oh so cozy restaurant that was layered brick by brick, by its owners. Passion and dedication alone cannot describe the full extent of what went into the building of this precious little piece of Italy nestled in the greens of Singapore.
Hand painted tiles reflecting parts of Italy that are home to Luca and Michele.
We were absolutely floored by the values and principles of living, of both Luca and Michele, having built this restaurant from scratch and building their own traditional Italian stone oven for baking their breads and pizzas. Handpainted tiles from an artist friend in Italy, reflect their hometowns along the coast of southern Italy. All of this is part of the generosity and warmth that comes from Luca and Michele, that makes you feel they so much want to share with you, a part of their way of living, a part of their lives.
We were later than the expected late to this lunch.
My absolute favourite on the menu – Espresso Capri! A must try at the rstaurant, of full bodied shot of espresso, thick swirling chocolate and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream coated with chopped hazelnuts.
I couldn’t help but notice the gold blue flames of the Lava cake reflected in Capri’s logo on the card…
Flying in from the bright lights of Shanghai, greeted by the glitz and glamour of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and then walking in and spending a late afternoon lunch at Trattoria Capri is like exhaling a breath of relief, followed by a wrap of a warm blanket – home – finally! And for once, in all sincerity and genuity, it’s all about You, and nothing else, at Trattoria Capri.