Review: Capella

Capella is an Italian restaurant in Chjimes, one of the many eateries located there that make it more interesting than a good place to take wedding photos.

Chjimes is a pretty good location, being close to town centre, but if you're driving then parking can be a bitch.

Service is pretty good; we were served by a very chatty and helpful waiter when we there, but he may have left by now. However, the food was a little too slow in arriving.

In terms of ambience, Capella opts for the modern restaurant style, with many sleek lines and not much fussiness. Quite in keeping with its claim of serving modern Italian cuisine.

The first course was a three-starter appetiser, of which I only tried the small portion of pan-fried foie gras with porcini in apple jam. The appetiser itself cost $28, and although the foie gras was very good (4.5/5), you'd be better off going to St. Pierre for a much larger portion for the same price.

Somewhat uncharacteristically, I decided to try another two starters; scallop with portabello ($19) and a trio of mushroom soup ($12). The scallop was pretty unmemorable (3/5) and the soup was average at best, and not very hot (3/5). Soup should always be hot.

Unless it's supposed to be deliberately cold.

The main course was a grilled rack of lamb ($34). Not exactly cheap, and not exactly fantastic either (3.5/5). The lamb couldn't make up its mind as to whether it was Italian or Mediterranean, and wound up being neither.

Dessert was a chocolate beetroot pudding with honey-roasted oranges ($12), which I found to be quite thick and without much chocolate taste (3/5).

Capella doesn't quite deliver where it counts, and doesn't seem to live up to what it promises (Capella is the brightest star in the constellation Auriga). Of course, whoever named the restaurant could also have meant Capella's literal meaning of "Little She Goat", but somehow that seems unlikely.

Capella (modern Italian)
30 Victoria Street #01-29
Tel: 6334 9928
Location: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5 (would have been higher but for slow service)
Ambience: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Overall: Uninspiring, and prices aren't really justified

Technorati Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Italian Food, Capella, Singapore