Food Review: Acqua e Farina At Keong Saik | Authentic Italian Restaurant With Delicious Fried Pizzas And Pastas

Posted on August 24, 2024 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place We love our Italian food and after a series of new Italian restaurants which opened in the past few months from the likes of Locanda, Fortuna and Casa Vostra, the latest to join the Italian ranks is Acqua e Farina located at the buzzing Keong Saik Road. Acqua e Farina, which means “water and flour” in Italian, was first opened in 2016 at The Rail Mall and is helmed by chefs Antonio Manetto from Naples (South of Italy) and Roberto Galbiati from Milan (North of Italy).

I have not been to their Rail Mall restaurant admittedly, but I am glad the team finally chose to open their second outlet in a centralised location in Keong Saik.

The space of the Italian restaurant is homely and cosy, and is designed by an Italian architect. I like that the dining ambience is not overly formal nor too casual, where its standout features are inspired by features of Italian architecture like terracotta tiles, creamy pale yellow plaster walls and ceilings, and green shutters.

The Food In terms of the menu, there are dishes which are only available at Keong Saik and not at The Rail Mall, such as their Montanara pizza. It is an ala carte menu, though you can also find a good value weekday set lunch menu available from S$28++ for 3-courses along with a choice of coffee or tea.

The chefs try to use Italian ingredients as far as possible, such as their staple ingredients like the flours used in the pizzas and fresh pastas, and the rice for the risottos which are sourced from Italy.

Each table is first served complimentary dough while waiting for their food. Warm and freshly baked, it goes well with some olive oil.

For a start to my meal, I had the Tegamino con Cipolle, Asparagi e Guanciale (S$32), a combination of sweet braised onions along with green asparagus. I also like the bits of pan-fried guanciale, a rich salt-cured air-dried pork jowl charcuterie, which adds that contrast of crisp texture to the onions and greens.

Moving on to pasta, I highly recommend the Tagliatelle al Cacao con Gamberetti e Nduja (S$36), which features handmade cocoa pasta. It is not common for me to come across cocoa pasta and if you are thinking if it tastes like chocolate, not at all.

The result is a savory and flavourful pasta in a luscious sauce, especially from the slightly spicy nduja salami paste which makes this pasta a very appetising dish, and not at all cloying. The tagliatelle is complemented by portobello mushrooms and shrimp.

Alternatively, there is also the Risotto ai Ricci di Mare e Bottarga (S$36), which should delight seafood lovers. The creamy risotto is cooked with sea urchin broth and the briny bursts of sun-dried, salt-cured bottarga.

Pastas aside, save space for the pizza, particularly the Montanara (S$34), which means Mountain Dweller or Mountain Farmer in Italian. The team uses dough left to rest for precisely 36 hours, where the Montanara is a traditional twice-cooked Neapolitan speciality.

The dough is first deep-fried and then baked, so you get a crispy and flavourful pizza topped with a tangy tomato sauce, savoury pork sausages, spicy salami paste “nduja”, and burrata. So good, I polished it all.

For desserts, there are simple options like Gelati (S$10 for chocolate and vanilla, S$12 for pistachio); Crostata di Mele con Gelato alla Vaniglia (S$16), otherwise known as an apple tart with vanilla ice cream; Affogato al Caffè (S$13); or for the best of all worlds, go for the special Dessert Platter (S$20) comprising mini portions of Crème Brûlée, Lava Cake, Panna Cotta and Tiramisù.

Rants I was seated at the table close to the entrance and it was a little warm (my threshold for heat is very low). I have given feedback to the team about the AC and they are aware of the issue.

Will I Return Again? A great addition to Keong Saik and I am so glad I finally tried the food at Acqua e Farina. If you are looking for a dining spot in town with a less formal setting – good, authentic and unpretentious Italian food at accessible prices, this is definitely worth trying. Oh yes, house pour wines at S$12 per glass is another plus to return.

Make your reservations instantly at Acqua e Farina @ Keong Saik here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5