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Despite Singapore being a tiny island, I seldom travel to the eastern part of the country. Since I live and work in the west, and most of my friends and family live around the area, that is where I am most of the time. It is a shame though because it is well known that East Coast plays host to innumerable restaurants, cafes, hawker delights and is considered a bona fide foodie haven. The food scene at Katong, East Coast, Joo Chiat, Bedok and Changi Village areas have largely remained unexplored in my 16 years on the island. That said, I've been to many of the restaurants located in Jewel Changi (if that counts).

The westie that I am, I usually settle of some of my favourite haunts in Holland Village, Bukit Timah and Dempsey while dining out. I do like to go to Seletar Aerospace Park up north with my family in tow. Even if I have to go further towards the heart of the city when dining out with friends, Orchard, Little India, Arab Street, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay are usually as far as I'll go.

During late last year, I met up with one of my old college buddies. Since she lives in the east, we decided to meet up for lunch at a restaurant near her place. We chose Italian because, 1. Duh, who doesn't like Italian food? and 2. We were bound to have vegetarian options which was a prerequisite for the venue.

Established in 1995, Al Forno East Coast Restaurant & Pizzeria is an authentic Italian restaurant in Singapore. At Al Forno, diners can enjoy a casual dinner in a warm, festive atmosphere of Napoli created by the hands of Italians.

The restaurant is known for importing fresh ingredients like whole peeled tomatoes and cheeses directly from Italy and use of traditional wood fire oven which imparts a delightful taste to their pizzas and fresh breads.

I liked the location of the restaurant. Rather than being housed in a glitzy mall or busy commercial complex, the restaurant is located within a charming shophouse along the East Coast road in what appears to be a residential enclave.

As you enter the restaurant, your eyes are instantly drawn to the pops of red, white and green which obviously are the colors of the Italian flag. The furniture is what I would describe as rustic. I was glad to notice that the tables were spaced wide apart to maintain a sense of distancing and privacy. The walls are adorned with plaques of awards and lots of photographs. The restaurant has a quaint and cosy vibe. I could see that it is a popular hangout spot for expats.

We went through the menu which has a reasonable selection of Antipasti (starters), Primi Piatti (pasta), Pizze (pizza), Secondi Piatti (main course), Dolce (dessert) and some red and white wines. We were pleased to see that there was a decent selection of vegetarian dishes.

We were offered complimentary freshly baked bread with olive oil and good balsamic vinegar. Always a good way to begin a meal.

We ordered one starter and three main dishes which turned out to be a lot of food for two people 😆

Caprese Salad

I love Caprese Salad because I love fresh mozzarella but also because the softness of the fresh mozzarella paired with juicy tomatoes and sweet basil makes for such a great combination.

The Caprese Salad at Al Forno had fresh mozzarella cheese slices, tomato slices and black olives drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and cream of basil. It was simple, well-presented, refreshing and made for a delicious starter. I would order it again.

Pizza Al Formaggi

I have said this many times but when it comes to pizza, for me, the less toppings the better. For this reason, my favourite pizzas are the simple Cheese Pizza or Margherita Pizza.

All the pizzas at Al Forno are wood-fired with a thin crust. The Pizza Al Formaggi arrived at our table looking very appetizing indeed. The pizza had tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola and parmesan cheese. What I liked about it were the simple flavours of the toppings and wonderful texture of the crust. Cooking pizza in a wood-fired oven makes the crust crispy and imparts that smoky flavour. And the pizza was cheesy without being oily. Simple but so good. Definitely one of the better pizzas I have had in Singapore.

Recommended.

Gnocchi

(Formaggi/Siciliana/Pesto)

How could I pass up on ordering gnocchi? I'm so predictable at Italian restaurants. The little potato dumpling are served in a sauce of your choice. You can choose among four-cheese sauce, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce or pesto sauce. I never tire of basil so we went with the pesto sauce.

The portion-size of the Pesto Gnocchi was good. The gnocchi had a soft and melt in the mouth texture and the flavour was on point too. The dish was slightly over seasoned which was my only gripe with it.

Panzarotti Alle Verdure

Ravioli is another dish I absolutely cannot resist at an Italian restaurant. This dish consisted of pasta stuffed with cheese and mushrooms served with mixed vegetables in a cream sauce.

We were presented with giant ravioli that were cooked perfectly. The ravioli were smothered in a subtly flavoured velvety cream sauce garnished with flecks of Italian parsley. The zucchini and eggplant in the dish helped to cut through the richness and creaminess of the sauce.

We would have liked to order dessert but we were bursting at the seams after the starter and main courses so we had to pass up on it.

Looks like I need to pay another visit just for dessert!

Al Forno: Authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Katong

We had a nice time at Al Forno. The restaurant has a great location with the interiors designed to give it a cozy vibe. The relaxed ambience makes it a good place to enjoy a hearty Italian meal with near and dear ones. The menu isn't exhaustive but they have a good selection of dishes and plenty of vegetarian options. The portion-sizes of dishes are generous and you can tell that good quality ingredients have gone into preparing the food. The service was efficient and courteous. I would say the highlight of our meal was definitely the wood-fired pizza. Prices are typically mid-range and a meal for one would range from $40-50 (excluding wine).

I recommend this restaurant for couples, families and small groups.

My rating for this restaurant is