BOCCINI
Revisiting the modern Italian eatery By bazaar staff
There’s nothing more delicious than a well prepared meal, and at Boccini you’re guaranteed to get exactly that. With our minds set on having a good hearty meal, we made our way to Boccini at The Avenues to indulge in their unique take on modern Italian cuisine. Their beautifully reimagined space, with stunning light fixtures and typography-adorned wall, makes for a stylishly cool space. Looking past the décor, you get wafts of freshly prepared pastas and the unmistakable aroma of a wood fire oven with baking pizzas – our ears and eyes were tantalized and we were more than were ready to eat. Flipping through their menu, we knew that we were going to be in good hands. Every creation is fantastically curated to exude an air of contemporary elegance and finesse, mixed with some Italian spices and beautifully finished with cheese. After we were seated by Boccini’s friendly staff, our food started to make its way to us. To start us off, we went with their wonderful Burrata Salad – fresh burrata, grilled asparagus, leafy greens and a thick slice of juicy tomato topped off with a basil pistachio vinaigrette and balsamic glaze. As for their appetizers, we went with two – the Fried Tortellini and the Boccini Nachos (the house special). The Fried Tortellini was gloriously stuffed with succulently spiced braised short rib and chili beef mix and topped with cheese sauce and finished with barbecue aioli and a drop of Sriracha. Every bite brought new flavor profiles that enhanced the experience further. As for the Boccini Nachos – if you’ve never had them, we suggest you drop everything and make your way to Boccini NOW! Unlike traditional nachos, the Boccini Nachos are created from towering triangles of fried, fluffy pasta dough amid layers of cheese, tomatoes, olives, onions and finished with Parmesan cheese sauce, pistachio pesto and an Italian spice mix. Having demolished our salad and starters, we couldn’t wait to see what else they had prepared for us! For our mains, we got two kinds of pasta, a risotto dish and a pizza – we knew we were in for a treat. Our first main was the Chicken Porcini Penne and it was delectable! The penne, topped with a porcini mushroom cream sauce, is mixed beautifully with basil chicken, porcini mushrooms and fried portobello mushrooms then finished with a generous helping of shaved parmesan. Wonderfully balanced, the flavors complimented one another brilliantly. The next 100