A Night At Lombardi's!

One can never have too many Italian places to go to. It’s actually my favourite cuisine. It’s everybody’s comfort food. It’s one full meal. You have your carb and a number of delicious toppings from veggies to meat and tasty sauces. That’s why it’s a delight to know that another great Italian Restaurant has opened at the 4^th level of the new East Wing of Shangri-la Mall Plaza, which is kind of near our place.

Can I just say I love the couch!

         Lombardi’s serves only authentic Italian food using only the best and freshest ingredients. From the vegetables to the dough of his pizzas, you can really tell as soon as you taste his beautiful dishes!

Starters

        They serve Italian bread with oil dip and balsamic vinegar. I honestly have had better. The bread seemed a bit stale for me. For the sauce, I personally prefer more balsamic vinegar.

This Carpaccio Di Manzo (P460) is a Beef Carpaccio appetizer marinated with lemon and olive oil, topped with fresh parmesan cheese. I liked it because it’s one of those dishes wherein the flavour is not too overwhelming. It is seasoned beautifully. It’s a good balance between the freshness of the side salad and a hint of saltiness from the beef.

                                                                                                                                                     

The Mozzarella in Carroza with Arrabbiata Sauce (P230) looks like a fancy grilled cheese sandwich but it’s actually even better because it’s fried! Mozzarella in Carroza is a classic Italian dish wherein the bread slices are pressed against the mozzarella cheese, and then floured and dipped in egg, and then finally, deep-fried (source) But Chef Lombardi of course makes it extra special by serving it with Arrabbiata sauce and a fresh salad. It’s really something you’ll crave for from time to time.

Pizzas

Brick Oven!

              
        Apart from the good quality and taste of Lombardi’s pizza, I guess one of the things I love about it is how it looks so home made. The toppings are not placed too perfectly that it’s almost symmetrical. It looks like they just drizzled the toppings on top. The home-made look adds more charm. Like I’m dining at a comfortable kitchen at a comfortable home.

            

                The Quattro Formaggi (P420) is always a classic. The taste of all four cheeses is just right. The dough was thin and crispy. A perfect starter!

             
                The Pizza Aisalumi (P500) is a tomato based pizza, with mozzarella cheese, and a number of Italian hams such as prosciutto, mortadella, salame milano, and coppa. The flavours of the meat just blend together perfectly. Although there’s 4 kinds of meat in this pizza, I don’t find it too heavy at all. Leave it to Chef Lombardi to make a meaty but healthy pizza!

                

                The Alla Siciliana (P310) is also a good mix of flavours, but a tad bit tangy for me. Also tomato based, it has mozzarella, anchovies, capers, and black olives.

                The Vegetariana (P310), is the way to go for vegetarian Italian lovers. Because of the yummy taste of the pizza sauce and the cheese, I hardly even noticed that there was no meat at all. It's made with  only the freshest zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, bell peppers and basil.

Pastas

          

               
                   The Spaghetti Frutti  De Mare (P400) seemed to be everyone’s favourite. It’s basically a seafood pasta consists of prawns, clams, mussels, and squid. The sauce itself is already addicting. I actually had to swallow my pride and ask to have the remaining bite (since everyone else was shy to get it hahaha). It’s that good! Seafood lovers will love this because of the myriad of seafood flavours. (Frutti De Mare means fruit of the sea. I didn’t know that hehe).

                The Lasagne Della Casa (P310) is a huge chunk of lasagna with stewed tomato, layered with Bolognese sauce and then creamy béchamel sauce. The béchamel sauce was the best part for me because it added the creaminess that I love.

             
                   The Taglietelle Amatriciana (P380) is another comforting pasta dish. It’s simply made with stewed tomato, Italian pancetta, and basil. I was expecting the flavour of the tomato to be strong, but it’s not. There was actually a hint of sweetness to it that my taste buds kept yearning for more.

         This wasn't actually really part of our menu that night but being the natural born chef that Chef Lombardi is, he made this cream-less carbonara on the spot when one of our friends asked for a carbonara dish.Yes, it's oil-based, not your usual carbonara. But it works!              

            
                  They also served us this steak dish in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and other herbs. The Tagliata De Manzano comes with one of the best and creamiest mashed potatoes I have ever tried. The taste of the meat for me lacked a bit of saltiness and maybe a bit of sweetness. That’s just my personal preference. Maybe it was supposed to be like that. I’m no expert hehe.

                   They serve the Tagliata De Manzano with this plate of side dishes consisting a pasta, some sort of noodles, and salad. 

Dessert

                

               
                    Aaah the Pannacotta  Del Piemonte (P160)! Do not underestimate the simplicity of this Italian cooked cream. This was one of the highlights of my dining experience! The taste had a perfect amount of sweetness of the vanilla bean. Up close you can see tiny black specs of the vanilla bean. This dessert is the perfect example of the saying “less is more”! The only comment I can say about this is it would be nicer if it was in a nicer container. Glass, not plastic.  

               

        What’s an Italian restaurant without an Italian-style ice cream? Lombardi’s offers home-made gelato for dessert. 

             
          The Barca De Gelato has all the flavours served in a boat bowl with a confetti of candies and wafer sticks. Something the whole family can enjoy!

        Kathleen Lombardi Eleazar (the beautiful daughter of Chef Davide Lombardi, as well as Lombardi's Sales and Marketing Manager), joined us that night.

               
        Surely Chef Davide Lombardi is a master at Italian Cuisine. That’s exactly what you can expect from a chef that’s born and raised in Milan, who spent a huge part of his life in their family kitchen. He now teaches cooking courses at the Center for Culinary Arts. You can’t get any more authentic than this! Bravo, Chef Lombardi! Bravo! 

Lombardi’s second branch is now open at Robinsons Magnolia. 2^nd floor, Al Fresco area.

Menu: