At the end of a row of converted shophouses along Neil Road stands an end
unit which houses an Italian fine-dining restaurant. One fine evening in July,
we stepped into the courtyard, walked through a dark wood-panelled 'tunnel' with
large, comfortable chairs (perfect for lounging in with a pre- or post- dinner
drink from the adjacent bar) and stepped up the well-lit, glass-flanked
staircase into the restaurant, and felt like we had walked into the
sophisticated yet inviting home of Paolo and Judie Scarpa. Designed by William
Lim Associates, which is also responsible for the design of the couple's other
restaurants, da paolo e judie is slick and classy, but with the right touch of
understated charm which draws diners to linger long past their meal.
The members of staff who attended to us, including assistant manager, Velex,
were friendly,
helpful and, most importantly, not intrusive. We were shown a
wine list featuring predominantly Italian wines, which Velex informed us were
mainly sourced by Paolo himself. There were also a few Australian, French and
Chilean wines on the list. For those out on a special treat but not eager to
break the bank, there is champagne available by the glass, a Moet & Chandon
Brut Imperial at a very affordable $18 per glass. Diners who expect their
gourmet food to be coupled with equally fine wine will be happy to find ten 
wines listed under Cellar Master Wines, ranging between $90 to $230 a bottle.
With a few suggestions on drinks, we were left to peruse the menu in peace,
while sipping a well-recommended red wine from the Cellar Master Wines range.
The Ronco Dei Roseti, a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet and Merlot from Friuli,
Italy, was full-bodied yet incredibly smooth, which converted even the
non-drinkers amongst us.
Bucking the trend of equating Italian food with pizzas, the Scarpas have, as
with their other
restaurants in Singapore, focused on true Italian cuisine
which, as we were proudly informed, the Italians would cook and eat in their own
homes. As with most fine-dining establishments, the menu was not extensive, but
the dishes on offer were unique and fascinating in their combination of
ingredients. Specialising in seafood, fish, prawns, scallops and lobsters
permeate the appetisers, salads, soups and main courses. There were, however,
two meat options included in the main courses (beef tenderloin and veal),
catering to diners who may feel otherwise 
inclined. The main courses also go
beyond mere pastas and include a selection of seafood dishes.
Even with the patient assistance of the staff, we were literally spoilt for
choice as to what we should order, as every dish described was a temptation. We
finally settled on three appetisers: Antipasto della Casta, Gamberetti alle Erbe
e Polenta and Insalata di Cappesante Grigliate all' Arancia. The first was a
good, general introduction to what constitutes an antipasto: a selection of hot
and cold starters which comprised thin slices of grilled vegetables, deep-fried
calamari rings,
delicate slices of seabass carpaccio, half a deep-fried
softshell crab and a lightly grilled large, succulent oyster. The calamari rings
were thick and tender, the seabass had a wonderful fresh sweetness about it, the
softshell crab ever so delicate and the oyster juicy and fresh. We were told
that the Gamberetti alle Erbe e Polenta had been having a rather mixed response
from diners, with Asian diners not being accustomed to the taste of polenta, but
European diners 
adoring it. This dish was served with a thin, round cake of
polenta topped with prawns panfried in butter and herbs. We found it light,
creamy with a hint of grainy texture and utterly delicious! We agreed that the
Italians must consider polenta to be the perfect comfort food! The panfried
prawns were a perfect complement to the richness of the polenta. Our third
appetiser, a salad, consisted of grilled scallops with lettuce, vinaigrette,
pulp and orange. I considered this to be one of the best salads I have ever had
the pleasure of savouring: the scallops were perfectly grilled, the lettuce
tossed in a very subtle vinaigrette with a distinct flavour of freshly squeezed
orange and the presence of fresh orange segments gave the dish a lovely
sweetness.
On perceiving our indecisiveness when ordering the main courses, the
assistant manager very
helpfully informed us that the chef would be happy to put
together sample portions of two or more dishes of our choice. We settled on a
combination of three dishes: Tagliatelle in Salsa Reale (homemade pasta with
small prawns, truffles and fish eggs), Tagliolini con Aragosta in Bella Vista
(homemade pasta with lobster, garlic, olive oil, tomato, herbs and white wine)
and Risotto ai Funghi e Tartufo (risotto rice with mushrooms and truffles), the
three most popular items on the menu, and we could easily understand why when we
plunged into our sample portions. The risotto was lush and creamy, the grains
perfectly cooked but not mushy. As for the pastas, the tagliatelle stood out as
a prime example of the quality of home-made pasta to be had at da paolo e judie.
'Fragile and delicate,' sighed one of my dining companions. The tagliatelle was
thin with a fine texture and cooked perfectly, nothing like the half-cooked
pastas which some restaurants have been known to pass off as 'al dente'. It was
extravagantly flavoured with a fragrant truffle oil, which gave us an insight
into the meaning of the phrase 'dining in the lap of luxury'! We were told that
the tagliolini with lobster was the top favourite in the menu and 'selling like
hotcakes'. Although the generous chunks of lobster and the thick tomato and wine
based sauce were admirable in themselves, it was undoubtedly the inclusion of
dried chilli which gave the dish an extra bite. The combination was superbly
done: not sufficient to make this a 'hot' dish, but just enough to give it what
some would call 'character'.
The menu listed some 11 different offerings for dessert. We decided to try
the two specials for the day, Crème Brulee and Fig Bread Pudding, and the
Pannacotta ai Frutti di Bosco. The Crème Brulee came, rather unusually, with
slices of poached pear beneath the velvety soft custard, which gave a nice,
fruity edge to an otherwise rich but ordinary dessert. The Pannacotta, highly
recommended by a friend who had tried it previously, was delightfully creamy and
served with a slightly tart sauce made with blackberries and redcurrants. The
Fig Bread Pudding, however, stood out amongst the three desserts: made with
brioche and home-made marinated figs, it was a far cry from normal bread
puddings. It had none of the heaviness associated with bread puddings and was
very light in texture and mildly spiced; served with a delicious caramel sauce,
it ended our excellent meal on a wonderfully sweet note.
Our evening at da paolo e judie was made particularly special by the presence
of the owners,
Paolo and Judie Scarpa. A gracious hostess, Judie spent some time
chatting with us, as she did with her other guests (she even mentioned to us
that a member of the judiciary was dining in the restaurant and later introduced
him to our party) and her husband, Paolo, took time off from the kitchen to
speak with us and show us their private function room on the second level. The
function room, with a single long table, seats between 12 to 14 people and is
perfect for small private functions. After a meal, guests using the room may
retire to the beautifully decorated front 'living room' (filled with artefacts
collected by Judie on her trips abroad) to continue their dinner conversation in
comfort.
Although da paolo e judie was opened only in February this year, plans are already in motion to further develop this restaurant. The Scarpas informed us of their plans to make their flagship restaurant even better: the menu will be changed very shortly to focus more on home-style cooking and special set lunch menus will be offered, a great boon to busy professionals looking for a good place to entertain and/or conduct business lunches. The restaurant is also in the process of expanding its wine list. These changes will probably have taken place by the time this article is published.
We left the restaurant with strong impressions of a beautiful and sophisticated ambience, delicious Italian home cooking and warm and friendly hosts, qualities which will, no doubt, become the hallmarks for a hugely successful da paolo e judie in the months and years to come.
Anita Teo-Russell
Freelance Writer/Editor
da paolo e judie (Specialita Pesce)
81 Neil Road
Singapore 088905
Tel: 225 8306
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30 to 11.30pm