Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
50 Duxton Road

110 Upp East Coast Road

http://etnaitalianrestaurant.com.sg/

Spaghetti Carbonara Di Mare (SGD $32)

Authentic Italian Sicilian Fine Dining

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $35 / $50 per person.


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Founded in 2006, Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is known for its authentic Italian Sicilian cuisine, use of fresh, premium ingredients, and its impeccable service. Named after Mount Etna, an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria ensures a great dining experience through its tasty, authentic Italian food and warm hospitality. It's even been awarded the Ospitalita Italiana Gold Seal, an award which is presented by the Italian government / Italian embassies to recognise superb Italian restaurants.

Ambience at Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is semi-formal. Decor brings to mind restaurants along the coasts of Sicily, with walls of red brick, brightly lit rooms, and fine tableware. Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria generally has a small floor space that is packed tightly, this causes a rather noisy atmosphere when it's crowded. They also have a small outdoor al-fresco dining area. A chalkboard along the counter lists the daily specials, and I like that tables are spacious enough to accomodate their large serving plates.

Service at Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is impeccable, befitting a fine dining establishment. Staff will welcome you, and seating is done quickly. I like that staff are knowledgable on the menu, as well as the daily specials, able to make recommendations, including pairing of wine. Orders are fulfilled relatively quickly, and dirty plates are also cleared efficiently. They're proactive, offering to change plates after several courses. I also like that staff come round to check on your dining experience, as well as ask for feedback. Excellent!

Food at Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria revolves around Italian cuisine, specifically, dishes from Sicily. Fresh, premium ingredients are imported, and dishes are crafted according to traditional, authentic recipes, in large portions suitable for sharing. I love the clean presentation of the dishes, and generally taste fresh, packed with flavour. Ingredients are prepared simply and allowed to shine. Prices are comparable to other fine dining establishments, budget about SGD $35 or more per person for a meal here.


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Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria Seating fully maximises the small floor space, giving an intimate, cozy feel. But it can get rather noisy when packed.

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria Seating

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria Signage

Freshly baked Pane / Assorted Italian Bread Basket (SGD $4) is served with a variety of bread options, including Wide Grissini / Breadsticks, Focaccia, Ciabatta, or Pane Siciliano / Sicilian Bread. While the bread is tasty enough to eat on its own, you could also dip it in Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar.

Pane / Assorted Italian Bread Basket With Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Bottle

Pane / Assorted Italian Bread Basket (SGD $4)

Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Bottle

The Zuppa Di Verdure Dello Chef Mushroom Truffle Soup (SGD $14) was lovely and warm, fragrant and earthy with the flavours of mushrooms and truffle oil. Semi thick in texture, this was rather filling as an appetizer, and the Italian bread on the side was just as good as the others.

Zuppa Di Verdure Dello Chef Mushroom Truffle Soup (SGD $14)

A daily special, the Fresh Burrata With Parma Ham (SGD $42) is not always available, but is a great appetizer to order if you see it on the chalkboard. Large enough to share between 4 people, the burrata, which is made with mozzarella and cream, is soft, creamy, and fresh. Pair each mouthful of the smooth, creamy cheese with fresh arugula / eruca sativa, juicy cherry tomatoes, and salty, smoky parma ham / prosciutto crudo for an explosion of flavour.

Fresh Burrata With Parma Ham (SGD $42)

Fresh Burrata With Parma Ham

A daily special, the Orecchiette With Pork Sausage & Saffron Cream (SGD $32) isn't always available. But the dish is lovely and fragrant, with its rich, yellow saffron cream that isn't too heavy on the palate. The skinless pork sausage chunks are salty and savoury, and pair well with the soft orecchiette / small ear pasta.

Orecchiette With Pork Sausage & Saffron Cream (SGD $32)

Orecchiette With Pork Sausage & Saffron Cream

The Linguine Al Granchio (SGD $27) features perfectly done linguine and fresh crab meat, in a savoury, reduced lobster bisque that is packed with crustacean flavour. Topped with a slightly salty soft shell crab, this is a bold dish. Pretty good!

Linguine Al Granchio (SGD $27)

Linguine Al Granchio

A daily special, the Capelli D’Angelo All’Aragosta Angel Hair Pasta With Rock Lobster (SGD $48) isn't always available. Featuring smooth, silky angel hair pasta, perfectly done, in a savoury seafood bisque gravy with asparagus and cherry tomatoes, and a fresh lobster on the side. During our visit, the lobster was caught just that morning, and it's served half in the shell. Very tasty, very satisfiying dish!

Capelli D’Angelo All’Aragosta Angel Hair Pasta With Rock Lobster (SGD $48)

Capelli D’Angelo All’Aragosta Angel Hair Pasta With Rock Lobster

The Tiramisu Al Pistacchio Di Bronte (SGD $14) didn't have that intense coffee flavour normally associated with this dessert, but it has a sweet, crunchy pistachio crust, made according to an authentic recipe from the town of Bronte, Sicily, in the Province Of Catania, South Italy. Could be better if it had a stronger espresso flavour.

Tiramisu Al Pistacchio Di Bronte (SGD $14)

Tiramisu Al Pistacchio Di Bronte

The Panna Cotta Allo Yoghurt E Lamponi (SGD $14) was smooth and creamy in texture, with a hint of milkiness in taste. Semi thick, it wobbles beautifully on the spoon. Topped with a tart, tangy, sour raspberry jam, which lent a burst of brightness to this dessert. A classic, traditional Italian dessert, done well.

Panna Cotta Allo Yoghurt E Lamponi (SGD $14)

Panna Cotta Allo Yoghurt E Lamponi

The extremely filling Pizze Bianche Quattro Formaggi (SGD $24) features a cream base topped with 4 types of cheese - stringy mozzarella, sharp gorgonzola, savoury parmigiano-reggiano / parmesan, and salty pecorino. I particularly like the bright burst of flavour from the gorgonzola cheese.

Pizze Bianche Quattro Formaggi (SGD $24)

Pizze Bianche Quattro Formaggi

Loved the salty, smoky taste of the Pizze Rosse Prosciutto E Funghi (SGD $22), which features loads of parma ham / prosciutto crudo, fresh mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese on a slightly sweet, slightly tart, fresh tomato sauce base.

Pizze Rosse Prosciutto E Funghi (SGD $22)

Pizze Rosse Prosciutto E Funghi

The Pizze Bianche Etna (SGD $26) is a house special pizza creation. Savoury parma ham and fresh porcini mushrooms are layered, admist creamy chunks of cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and a liberal garnish of crushed pistachio nuts. I rather like the complex taste, but it's an extremely filling dish.

Pizze Bianche Etna (SGD $26)

Pizze Bianche Etna

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Update Oct-2018: Returned to Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria after 4 years for a colleague's birthday celebration. Ambience remains semi-formal, with the place laid out exactly as before. Service is still attentive and consistently lives up to fine-dining expectations. Food remains Italian cuisine, but now with modern presentation and plating. Also, portions have gotten smaller, and prices have risen. Budget about SGD $50 per person for a meal at Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria as of 2018.

The Spaghetti Carbonara Di Mare (SGD $32) is a modern take on the classic Italian dish of carbonara pasta. This features medium thin spaghetti pasta noodles, done with an al-dente bite, in a rich cream and black pepper gravy. Garnished with crispy pork bacon, smoky caviar, and briny mullet roe, each bite has intense salty savoury creamy spicy flavour. Good kick to the palate, but a little overwhelming for me. Portion size could have been more substantial too.

Spaghetti Carbonara Di Mare (SGD $32)

The Biancomangiare (SGD $16), also known as Blancmange, features a wobbly soft, sweet milk pudding dessert. Here, it's flavoured with almonds, sprinkled with meringue crumble, shaved almonds, blueberries, and strawberries, then covered with a white chocolate dome, and served. At the table, warm dark chocolate is poured over the dome, causing it to melt away, revealing the dessert underneath. Lovely chocolatey milky fruity sweet flavours in each mouthful. This is sure to invoke a sense of awe when served. Good!

Biancomangiare (SGD $16)

Biancomangiare

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