An Italian Weekend Lunch Affair With Osteria Mozza

You’ll be glad to know that the quality and authentic Italian flavours that you love from the famed Osteria Mozza restaurant is now made more accessible thanks to their new weekend lunch service. While this seemingly nocturnal restaurant ran on a dinner-only service previously, diners now need not have to wait till the sun sets to enjoy the brilliant food that Osteria Mozza has to offer. For two hours every weekend afternoon, you can busk in the company of their bright and hearty contemporary Italian menu.

We started our cucina adventure with the Butter Lettuce ($21), which tasted far from how simple it looked or sounded. Interserpsed between layers of butterhead lettuce was strips of bacon, sliced eggs, chopped hazelnuts and dollops of gorgonzola dolce cheese – the result was a refreshingly savoury pile made by a build-up of textures and flavours.

Believe us when we say that the Housemade Gravlax ($22) tasted as vibrant as it looks. Like a kaleidoscope of colors, splotches of yellow lemon zest, green chives and avocado slices, auburn croutons and shaved eggs laid on a canvas of salmon. We liked how the bright citrus note helped awaken the dish (and our appetite) and cut through the saltiness of the fish, and that every bite tasted slightly different depending on the ingredients you managed to fit in your folk.

And no Osteria experience is complete without sampling some of the finest cheeses from their famed Mozzarella Bar. Our favourite was the quintessentially Italian Caprese Of Bufala Mozzarella ($28), which came with vine ripened tomatoes topped with basil pesto and a drizzle of olive oil. The sweetness of the tomatoes and fresh herbaceous note was the perfect complement to the smooth and light cheese.

The Bufala Mozzarella ($30) was a meat bouquet with slivers of Prosciutto di Parma surrounding some mozzarella cheese – great for meat lovers. But we found this combination a little too salty for our liking.

With pasta made entirely from scratch, you’ll definitely want to sample some of Osteria’s diverse pasta offerings which brings you past the usual spaghetti and penne pasta. The Garganelli ($24) pasta is a chewy tubular pasta, which we thought was a good contrast to the minced meat in the hearty ragu bolognese.

Think of the Rotolo ($24) like an open-faced lasagna, where the pasta shell envelops a luxurious stuffing of cream cheese and spinach. Undoubtedly intense and decadent, we would have preferred a little more of the tangy tomato sauce at the side to cut through the richness of dish.

We really enjoyed the Farfalle ($23) which might sound like it was made with humble ingredients such as wild mushrooms, asparagus and walnut, but the flavours were intricately bold. The smooth mushrooms and tender-crisp asparagus paired nicely with the al dente pasta, and the crushed walnut topping added a nutty finish to the dish.

Those looking for something less carb-intensive can turn to their selection of mains. The Tuscan Roast Pork ($30) took an intensive two-day preparation process to get to our table, but was wiped out from our plates in mere minutes. The crackling was a deceptively light and additive crunch, while the pork was tender with hints of garlic aroma from the garlic cloves studded within the meat. The salsa verde and sharp arugula were also nice additions to help to cut through the richness and mild gaminess from the meat.

If you like your weekend brunches to come with runny eggs, order the Eggs And Polpette ($32) where two soft-boiled eggs come resting on chunky meatballs and served with fresh ricotta. The runny yolk was the perfect hue of amber, while the meatballs and cheese made for a winning and comforting combination.

You’ll find it hard to say no to the Soft Scrambled Eggs ($48) once you see the generous shavings of winter truffles over it. What used to be a comfort breakfast food is now embellished with potent truffle fragrance that will make you go ‘delizioso’ in delight. This smooth, creamy and outrageously decadent dish is good on its own and even better with slices of toasted sourdough bread. Certainly a breakfast (or an anytime meal) for champions.

And with so much bold flavours going on from the start, it makes sense to reel it in and enjoy a slice of Torta Della Nonna ($17), or Grandmother’s tart in English, which is as homely and classic as it sounds. The warm and cheesy custard middle melts in your mouth and comes encrusted with a crumbly shortbread exterior, making this a light and delicate finish to a rich and hearty meal.