Osteria Italia Restaurant, Bukit Timah

Just as we were thinking of Italian food last night, a very timely suggestion was posted about a place out on Bukit Timah, so we went to take a look. Located next door to the Hyundai dealership, this place (891 Bukit Timah Road, 6462-0838) was shockingly small: the dining room was literally not much bigger than my bedroom, and didn't really have too many tables to sit at as a result, excluding some of the tables outside. Size aside though, it did take on a bit of an upscale approach to the decor.

So how was the food? It was fine, and had some potential, although there were a few things to pick on. The lamb rack was very tender, but also seasoned so minimally that it lacked a "fun" edge (the cheesy potatoes underneath were good enough for me to inhale quite quickly though). The penne granchio had the right idea, although the pasta was slightly undercooked and the crab meat could have been fresher. The panna cotta and hot chocolate lava cake both did the job, even if the latter was quite amusing in appearance (as if someone had dropped it on the plate or smashed it from above to get the chocolate to ooze out).

By and large, it wasn't bad. But yeah, it could be tough for these guys, considering that there are several great Italian places out on Bukit Timah already. Perhaps if we lived right next door, this would be a dependable neighborhood eatery to walk over to and grab a bite. But since we have quite a trek all the way out to the Bukit Timah area, we might very well just choose Borgo down the street instead (or simply just go straight to La Braceria).