Mercato (Closed)

Item: Mercato
Rating: 4
Author: sharla

64 Reviews

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

5818

Central

$201-400

Italian Pizza Bar

sharla

Level4

119

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The Shanghai restaurant made an impression a year ago at The Bund and Mercato suddenly came back to me this Mother's Day. We came in early enough that the sun was still setting and only a few guests were around (not enough body heat to out win the aircon).

I was happy to see a set menu that was reasonably priced on a festive day and all the dishes were excerpts from the regular menu (no made up, profit pinching dishes) AND in sharable portions~ The ingredients revolved around seafood and hacka-lots of parmesan cheese and lemon. The menu sounded "female friendly" - light and Spring-y.

Loved the cheddar sticks from the bread basket and rather than using balsamic, they use red vinegar for the olive oil dipping. The burrata with lemon jam was utmost enjoyable and with a few sprinkle of salt flakes, the oozy-milky cheese was addictive and the jam made it more refreshing to keep my appetite going.

Then the endive honey pea salad got my attention. The leaves were big and crunchy. Each leaf held a garden of dill, parsley and pea like a little boat. I enjoyed how the chef made the "decorative plants" (dill and parsley) a main focus and they surprisingly partnered well with the bitter endive like bff. Parmesan covered all the greens like snow and a hint of salty parmesan dressing made every bite a little sadder... BECAUSE I didn't want it to end!

The rest of the entrees and desserts were good but with not much climax. The arugula under the salt-baked sea bream were a bit tough but the meaty white fish was cooked just right. The St. Honore had a natural strawberry flavor and the tiramisu was an inside-out looking sponge cake that lied about its alcohol content~ so we enjoyed the desserts and EVERYTHING though my lactose intolerance dad would probably have a rough night ahead.