iO Italian Osteria is located at HillV2, a short distance from Hillview MRT station on the downtown line. It is surrounded by all the condos, and hardly any HDB is in-sight. I would not have even known about this restaurant if not for this Smart Local video. Anyway, the restaurant seems to be quite busy, and reservation is necessary, so I reserved a table for two 5 days in advance for lunch on 9 Aug, our national day.
The restaurant front is typically Italian, which is totally uncharacteristic, and looks very run down. My friend even commented: For such a restaurant, is reservation really necessary?
Once you step in, it is a different story. The place was almost full, and the vacant tables had already been reserved. People seemed to come in large groups, as we were the only group with 2 persons and we were relegated to the very back of the restaurant, tucked in one corner, in company with all the carton boxes.
The interior design is simple and no-frills, yet very sturdy. The wooden chairs are heavy, so if you wanna start a fight here, don't even try to throw a chair. The cutlery is of the same level of sturdiness. Forks, spoons and knives are all gold-plated and heavy.
We ordered the porchetta, which is baked pork belly with wild fennel for starter. There are two sizes available, small & large. The waiter said small is for 1-2 persons, while large is for 3-4 persons.
The skin of the pork belly is super crispy. You could hear the 'catcha catcha' sound when you bite it. And the smell was so fragrant. Usually baked pork belly will tend to be dry, but for this one, the meat was still very juicy and bouncy, you can feel it bouncing around in your mouth. Like German pork knuckles, it is a bit salty, but it is much less intense compared to German pork knuckles.
What is special about this dish is they inserted some wild fennel in the pork belly. Wild fennel has a similar taste to black pepper, its slight spiciness enhanced the flavor of the meat, making it more appetizing. This is a must-order dish if you come and visit this restaurant.
For my main, I ordered beer braised beef, served with mashed potatoes. The beef is slow-cooked till super super soft. It is so easy to eat. The beef will separate when your knife presses on. The good part is that the beef can still remain in shape after cutting. You can cut it to whichever size, big or small, and then eat like a nobleman with elegant manners. In terms of taste, I can only say: This is heaven!
Service-wise, they are acceptable, the local staff, or say the Asian staff, are more friendly. There are two Caucasian ladies there. One is quite senior in age, and is dressed in a chef's attire. She is quite friendly, and would like to talk to the customers. The other is at the cashier, who is quite dull and keeps the conversation to the minimum.
The restaurant front is typically Italian, which is totally uncharacteristic, and looks very run down. My friend even commented: For such a restaurant, is reservation really necessary?
Once you step in, it is a different story. The place was almost full, and the vacant tables had already been reserved. People seemed to come in large groups, as we were the only group with 2 persons and we were relegated to the very back of the restaurant, tucked in one corner, in company with all the carton boxes.
The interior design is simple and no-frills, yet very sturdy. The wooden chairs are heavy, so if you wanna start a fight here, don't even try to throw a chair. The cutlery is of the same level of sturdiness. Forks, spoons and knives are all gold-plated and heavy.
Baked Pork Belly with Wild Fennel, $9.00++ for small
We ordered the porchetta, which is baked pork belly with wild fennel for starter. There are two sizes available, small & large. The waiter said small is for 1-2 persons, while large is for 3-4 persons.
Close-up of Baked Pork Belly
The skin of the pork belly is super crispy. You could hear the 'catcha catcha' sound when you bite it. And the smell was so fragrant. Usually baked pork belly will tend to be dry, but for this one, the meat was still very juicy and bouncy, you can feel it bouncing around in your mouth. Like German pork knuckles, it is a bit salty, but it is much less intense compared to German pork knuckles.
What is special about this dish is they inserted some wild fennel in the pork belly. Wild fennel has a similar taste to black pepper, its slight spiciness enhanced the flavor of the meat, making it more appetizing. This is a must-order dish if you come and visit this restaurant.
Beer Braised Beef, $24++
For my main, I ordered beer braised beef, served with mashed potatoes. The beef is slow-cooked till super super soft. It is so easy to eat. The beef will separate when your knife presses on. The good part is that the beef can still remain in shape after cutting. You can cut it to whichever size, big or small, and then eat like a nobleman with elegant manners. In terms of taste, I can only say: This is heaven!
Service-wise, they are acceptable, the local staff, or say the Asian staff, are more friendly. There are two Caucasian ladies there. One is quite senior in age, and is dressed in a chef's attire. She is quite friendly, and would like to talk to the customers. The other is at the cashier, who is quite dull and keeps the conversation to the minimum.
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