Tucked away at the shophouses of the Jalan Peminpin, Rubato Modern Italian Trattoria is a hidden gem among the industrial warehouses.

The small restaurant opened in early 2011 without much fanfare, but it’s apparently already a firm favourite amongst those in the know, and local celebrities looking for a place to host private functions. The restaurant entices diners with its sumptous spread of handmade pastas, freshly baked pizzas and freshest seafood.

Chef/Owner Marcus Edwin Wu is definitely a very talented chef. He got his scholarship to study law in Australia and that is when he met many good Italian chefs and picked up from there. But he didn’t just stop there. He travelled to Italy frequently to learn about their food and he definitely has clear understanding of Italian cuisine. In addition, he is trained as a violinist under Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) concert master Alexander Souptel.

And while the name describes playing with expressive and rhythmic freedom when used in its original musical context of tempo rubato, at Rubato, it’s a reference to the creative liberties chef/owner Marcus Edwin Wu has taken with the cuisine, whilst staying true to tradition. We are honoured to be invited to the restaurant to try their Christmas menu this year.

Burratina Con Pomodorini E Basilico

Our Christmas dinner started with freshly imported burratina from Puglia, roma tomato, organic basil and artisanal-grade parma ham. Burratina cheese is said to be a higher grade than Burrata and is one of the finest dairy products in Southern Italy because of its special manufacturing technique. I love how light and creamy it is, which pairs well with the intensely flavourful 36-month aged parma ham.

Aragosta Cappuccino

Next, the hearty lobster cappuccino is served with asparagus slivers, with a hint of truffle oil. Live lobster is being used and the waiter calls it “life changing” soup. It is indeed very thick and flavourful!

Veal Ravioli with Truffle Porcini Sauce

The best dish I had for that night is this plate of Veal Ravioli and according to Chef Marcus, this is what makes them famous. Having eaten at Joël Robuchon in Paris, Taiwan and Singapore, Chef Marcus loves the restaurant’s Foie Gras Ravioli and hence decided to create a variation of it. The Italian dumplings were made to perfection and were very flavorful, with the truffle and porcini sauce blending immensely well with the ravioli.

Torta Di Cioccolato Fondente

Ending the meal on a sweet note is the valrhona bittersweet chocolate fondant with home-made vanilla gelato. Served hot, the fondant oozes rich and thick chocolate.

Thank you The Trunkshop for picking out this lovely dress for me for the dinner.

Service was, unfortunately, very slow on a weekend dinner as we have to wait for 15-20 mins for one dish. But that is because the ingredients here are handpicked, pastas are homemade and cooked a la minute, and pizzas are cooked to perfection in a wood-fired oven. We will definitely come back for their pizzas!

In fact, the Chef Specialities vary each day depending on what Chef Marcus finds on his nightly journey to Jurong Port, where he selects the freshest seafood to serve. They also sell artisan wines which is specially selected by Chef Marcus when he travels around. One of the best great wine in italy – Amarone Satinato 2007 ($90 per bottle) is also sold here. Heard they only have 5000 bottles in the world!

The Christmas set menu is available till 31 December 2012 and only for dinner. It costs $78++/pax. These dishes are variations of the dishes found in their ala-carte menu.

Rubato Modern Italian Trattoria

3 Clover Way
Tel: 62523200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rubato.sg

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