Food Review: Lino Restaurant and Cafe At Forum The Shopping Mall | Casual Italian Restaurant By Les Amis Group

Posted on November 8, 2021 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place Taking over the space of the now-defunct Jamie’s Italian, Lino Restaurant and Cafe opened recently at Forum The Shopping Mall and this is a casual dining brand by Les Amis Group. The first outlet of Lino is at Binjai Park few years ago, and the main difference for the Forum outlet is the much spacious setting, outlet-exclusive dishes, café bites, kid-friendly menu, as well as a cocktail programme.

The Food I started with the antipasti, Smoked Salmon Trout (S$22). You get thick strips of house-smoked salmon trout with yuzu mayonnaise, salad leaves, chives and dill, with a drizzle of olive oil. I like the freshness of the salmon, and is a light starter to kickstart the meal.

Next starter I had was the Octopus (S$34), where the char-grilled tentacles is served with Palermo sweet pepper, garlic, capers and parsley. I’m not a usual big fan of octopus but I find this quite good, as the texture is not overly chewy and tough.

For pasta, I had the Carbonara Chittara (S$26). Most of us will be familiar with carbonara, though the version here uses Chitarra pasta – a square-cut thick egg pasta from Abruzzo region in Italy. The pasta is served with a sous vide egg, house-made truffle cream, and topped with crispy prosciutto crumble and Parmesan Reggiano cheese. This is a safe option to go for, though there is not much surprise element in terms of flavour.

For meats, I highly recommend the Pollo Al Mattone (S$36), which literally means ‘roast chicken under a brick’. The chicken is very succulent and flavourful as it is Served in its own jus along with sautéed baby potatoes, caramelised onions, baby spinach, and a lemon wedge. The portion is also good to share for 2 persons.

For dessert, I had the Bomboloni (S$12 for 2 pieces) where the soft Bomboloni are house-made doughnuts filled with hazelnut cocoa crème.

Rants Not much of a surprise element in terms of the menu as the dishes are quite standard Italian fares.

Will I Return Again? The first location of Lino at Binjai Park might not be as accessible, and the new Lino Forum is a convenient spot in Orchard Road for a hearty Italian meal.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

Make your reservations instantly at Lino Forum here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5