lol sorry I can’t help it...

2 weeks after 1) the most dismal meal at Garibaldi & 2) a very excellent meal at Cugini, I came to check out Mietta’s after Contrarian’s review so I can kinda compare across the board.

Shall cut to the chase and zoom into the food. I concur with Con. the penne vodka is good with fresh crunchy prawns, translucent onions, can’t-taste-the-chili, parmesan shavings & vodka. Serving is very very generous, no duds about that. Too big in fact (now I’m complaining). Tiger prawns were big but legitimately so lol. Orthodoxly priced too, 5 huge crustaceans for $6. You can do penne vodka 2 ways: $26 with 5 big prawns or $20 without. I suggest you do the prawns coz it can get really boring eating just onions & rose sauce in a most unexciting pasta shape – penne anyone??

And to answer my own burning question I asked Con: Can I/ am I suppose to taste the vodka after the cooking process? I don’t think I did. But there really is a certain mellow sweetness in the sauce which augments the taste factor tremendously & this X-factor enhances the flavors of this dish which other sauces without the vodka element definitely can’t deliver.

I also tried the scallops with caviar starter & I must say the scallops were very well seared with minimal seasonings so the natural sweetness of the scallops can come through. Mine were perfectly cooked, still juicy & tender unlike WAY’s, his was overcooked according to him. 3 thumbs up for my scallops. I just had 4 overly poncy (scallop with bacon & tau cheo anyone?) but sadly abysmal scallops at Garibaldi so I’m quite stoked to eat good scallops at Mietta’s. Bread is just a normal white bread roll, not housemade but I ate one too many coz really it’s damn moreish, very warm, soft & fluffy like pillow. I like.

Dessert menu is very predictable comprising usual suspects like tiramisù & chocolate fondant. I tried the chocolate fondant & tiramisu. Fondant was just ok. The lava was quite in abundance but I find it too cakey. Gave feedback & Chef Dennis has agreed to make his fondant with less flour in future. Tiramisu fared a lot better. It was very good in fact presented in a classic Venetian Italian tradition, just scooped and laid on the plate with lots of grated dark chocolate. It’s good I say coz he doesn’t stint on the mascarpone cheese like many places do (& replace with lotsa whipping cream eew), rich with cheese & ladyfinger sponge amply & freshly soaked. It just needs a dash more marsala and this will be a tiramisù made in heaven.

The menu partially halal contains no pork meaning there’s no prosciutto (yes no parma ham) or porcine in other forms. According to Chef D., Mietta’s located in the Muslim area but they’re serving alcohol in the restaurant so Angelo wants to keep a balance between a no-pork menu and serving alcohol. He’s still quite adamant on keeping it that way but Chef D.’s trying to persuade his boss to allow some pork in his new menu. I just find it queer that there’s no parma ham or cold cuts to be found in an Italian restaurant no?

For those jumping into their pants & planning a meal at Mietta’s soon, I say wait till April. The menu’s pretty small & experimental now & it’s still in the midst of being tweaked. When wef April, Chef D. will dole out a newer (hopefully better) & more extensive menu which of coz still includes signatures like penne vodka, foie gras risotto, barramundi & with new additions like “homemade pastas, young spring lamb & foie gras terrine” (I quote). Hugo’s bar on the 2nd level will also be opened then & I figure it would be a cool place to chill.

Last words here: Look more for Michelangelo’s food rather than Zambuca’s food here, or rather Chef D.’s take on Angelo’s cuisine. In other words, just very typical rustic Italian, no foams & bubbles or fancy schmacy presentation. Don’t go with too high your expectations, you’d be pleasantly surprised with a rewarding meal.

ps: No more ratings to be given by me if ever I write a review coz for some reason or another, some unknown anal enemy of mine had apparently went to dig out my old reviews & clicked on NO to every single one even it’s just a factual one which of coz starts the snowballing effect. & like Ian, I admit a little part of me dies when I see a “NO” on my review. Can CLICK NO?? on my TWELVE+ONE (go see you can laugh) factual closure statement one hur man... what’s there to agree or disagree on that one geez?! So I’ll just say whatever I feel like saying & all of you can just go read in between my lines & decide if any place is worth checking or not.