Family Friendly Dining: New Sunday Brunch Menu at Latteria Mozzarella Bar!

Mama, if you’re super organised and always manage to get everything done on time like me (read complete last-minute-nut-who-scrapes-through-by-the-skin-of-her-teeth way too often), you’ll be familiar with the concept of having important things fall between the cracks once in a while despite your best intentions. One thing that almost got away from me this year was Father’s Day. Luckily for me however, I was saved from guaranteed embarrassment with the opportunity to try the new family Sunday brunch menu at Latteria Mozzarella Bar with my partner in crime and our kids.

Located in the foodie enclave of Duxton Hill, Latteria Mozzarella Bar is a casual dining, family friendly restaurant that serves rustic Italian food in relaxed surrounds. Brought to you by the folks from Il Lido, it’s the perfect fit for mamas who look beyond pizza and pasta to satisfy their Italian food cravings, especially if mozzarella cheese is what they crave!

Serving communal style to pass around the table, Latteria’s new Sunday Family Brunch menu features 5 different delicious antipasti, a trio of artisanal pastas, fresh wild fish and gourmet meats for mains, plus desserts to end. The menu focuses on fresh produce, with practically every ingredient flown in twice weekly from Italy, with weekly changes depending on availability. A sampling of their typical brunch menu includes Buffalo Milk Bocconcini, Avocado and Olive Oil Cream — a classic starter truly representative of Latteria’s mozzarella bar status, Sea Bass Fillet in Acquapazza poached in “crazy water” of wine and herbs, and Beef Sirloin Tagliata with Truffle Sauce, a traditional grilled beef steak that’s carved into thick, juicy slices.

On the Sunday that I visited with my family we opted to sit indoors rather than on the al fresco terrace (no reason, although the outdoor space is great if you’ve got noisy little ‘uns) and started our culinary fiesta with warm, freshly baked crusty bread accompanied with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Next up was a selection of classic antipasto featuring Buffalo Milk Bocconcini, Avocado and Olive Oil Cream, Parma Ham and Rock Melon, Baked Eggplant Parmigiana, Hot Bruschetta with Mushroom and Affumicata and Eggplant Caponata and Pine Nuts. Needless to say, the Bocconcini certainly upheld the mozzarella bar’s reputation with its freshness and fine notes. The Parma ham and rock melon was a huge hit with our 7-year-old twin boys, as the dish was presented with the ham ‘sitting in the middle of a flower made of rock melon slices’. Trés cool! Aesthetics aside, what’s there not to like in this classic dish? I can never seem to quite get enough of it. Overall, the family favourite, hands down was the mushroom bruschetta – warm, crisp and very garlicky – yum! And if you’re an eggplant fan like yours truly, do not pass up on the Caponata. Simply translated as a cold aubergine stew, it was just right – not too oily either!

Soon to follow were the mains – Trofie, Genovese Pesto and Prawns; Seafood Stew in Tomato and Red Wine Sauce and Beef Involtino with Zucchini and Green Asparagus Gratin. The melt-in-your-mouth beef was delicious, as was the freshly made trofie (a short, thin, twisted pasta from Genova) and the homemade pesto. To finish were the trio of desserts with the usual coffee and tea offerings – Sicilian Cannoli, Classic Tiramisu and Pannacotta with Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar. While I found the cannoli to be a little bit too sweet, the tiramisu was lovely and the pannacotta was smooth as could be. The best part was the ‘vinegared’ strawberries, which added the right amount of tang to even out the sweetness of all three desserts.

By the time we wrapped up brunch, the restaurant was more than half full and there was a lovely mix of giggles and laughter from all the kids over the din of adult conversation. We came away feeling quite relaxed, almost as though we had been at a close friend’s house. And the hearty Italian meal we had just enjoyed was sending very strong signals to finish the afternoon in true Italian style – with a well deserved siesta!

So mama if you’re scrambling for a great spot for a weekend brunch with the fam, do yourself a favour and make a reservation at Latteria – its relaxed vibe, good food and attentive service are sure to make you happy!

Bon appétito!

The new Sunday brunch menu is priced at $78++ per person with free flow wine of $48++ for food only. For every order of the brunch menu OR any two a la carte items ordered from the menu on Sundays, kids below 12 years will enjoy a complimentary pasta – a choice of penne or spaghetti Pomodoro, Arrabbiata, Bolognese or the Baked Penne al Telefono.

Latteria Mozzarella Bar
40 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089618
Tel: (+65) 6866 1988
Hours: Sun to Fri 12-2:30pm, Mon to Sun 6-11pm
www.latteriamb.com