Ms Skinnyfat: Zafferano- Saturday Brunch with a view

Looking for an excuse to eat, drink and be merry? Then you gotta check out the big fat Italian brunch at Zafferano. Started in Sep 2015, the twice monthly brand new Saturday brunch by Head Chef Marco Guccio will have you feasting on an extensive menu of hearty Italian favorites.

Indulgence is the key to this brunch so be prepared to stay at the table for hours.

The brunch is supposedly 4 course but that doesn't mean 4 dishes only. Each course consists several dishes and the anti-pasti course alone comes with more than 7 different items. Here goes!

Live oysters. These were a little too briny for me but certainly fresh.

Cold cuts of 24 month 'Pio Toshi' ham, pistachio mortadella and iberico salami. My favorite was the burrata that is super milky and stringy. The marinated Fjord trout with Avruga caviar and orange had the perfect smokiness as well.

The seafood madness continues with a white wine stew of clams and mussels. We could not stop dipping the crunchy rosemary croutons into the sweet stock.

We enjoyed the lightly battered deep fried seafood- calamari, anchovies and prawns though i did feel that the prawns were a tad powdery. That seemed to be the case with the lobster ‘flambé’ with brandy served with mayo sauce. We could not detect the brandy as well.

The 2nd ‘pasta and risotto’ course features 3 iconic pasta dishes and a risotto. The dishes are fired on demand and each table is first served 1 person's portion for tasting and honestly that was enough to feed 4 of us at the table. Ask for whatever that you fancy if you're with a bigger party.

I particularly enjoyed the lasagne which had the right balance of tartness from the beef ragout and creamy bechamel. Plus that crispy browned cheese on the top was perfection. The gnocchi with frutti di mare is based on Chef Marco Guccio’s mother’s gnocchi recipe and showcases lovely little pillows of fluffy potatoes with fresh seafood bites in white wine.

For something richer, the Veal Ravioli from the Piedmont region with earthy porcini mushrooms and intense truffle emulsion. The ravioli shell may be a little thick but it was decent (if you just have a couple).

Save space for the star- Zafferano’s famed superfine risotto Acquerello with Iranian saffron. It looks plain and boring but this was so creamy and yums. The rice is lovingly cooked in white wine, butter, cheese, Iranian saffron, and vegetable stock for that rich flavor and texture.

On to the main course. I loved the oven-baked sea bass (Branzino. 2 portions showed here) with tomatoes, olives, capers and fresh herbs.

The roasted whole French spring chicken with bell peppers, red onions and mushrooms (portion for 2) was also very popular with our party and the meat was rather tender and flavorful.

The tender slow cooked pork belly with potatoes and berry sauce wasn't too bad either. If you're ok with rounds of melt in your mouth fats that is!

Still wanting more? The brunch continues with a free flow table of at least 5 different desserts of Italian favourites. My top favorites? Definitely the panna cotta (they need to work on the berries sauce to custard ratio though) and tiramisu!

The chocolate cake was delightful as well with an intense fudge and a light orange jelly in the middle to break the monotony of rich mousse.

What's a decadent brunch without some bubbly right? Diners can choose to accompany their meal with free-flow Prosecco or champagne should you choose. I would say that's a perfect way to enjoy the view (when it gets less hazy that is).