GUSTO

GUSTO is a contemporary Italian fusion restaurant and cocktail bar. It was launched on 17th Oct 2013 and we were honoured to be one of the first to taste what the new menu had to  offer.




The engines of GUSTO is impressive, with Sharul Arrifin, former head mixologist of Cufflink Club and Joel Robuchon and Chef Tim Ross-Watson with Adi Shah helming the kitchen.

Cocktails

 
Let's get started with the cocktails. Belittle these concoction at your own risk. All those we had, "Come Fly with Me", "Made in Brazil" and "Sweet Kentucky Necktar" stands out and ALL of them packed a punch. Very delicious and a great combination of taste and liquor. Lovely.

GUSTO is doing the small plates / big plates concept, so it is really ideal for sharing or a full dinner.

Mini Burgers

Apparently the actual serving is larger but we were served the mini version because we had a huge tasting menu to deal with (thoughtful!). The brioche buns were soft and toasty, thee patty though was a tad dry, which we are sure it will be rectified with the bigger size that they are suppose to be. ($20)

Crab Shaker

This stole the show for us. Nice crunchy on the outside and still juicy on the inside, it is very well seasoned and once you pop, you can't stop! It comes with a sweet corn mousse which is nice and light, adding a nice dimension to the dish. ($22) Simply delish!

Tomato Beer

We have to admit we had our reservations when we first saw this. However, we were in for a nice surprise! Refreshing and taste-bud lifting, this is a good palate cleansing drink before you move on to the heavier stuff. Top with beer scented mozzarella and garlic toast points, this is a delight, if you like tomatoes. ($8).

Pizzas

The pizzas came out a little short for us. Maybe it was because it was served in individual portions on small round bases. Taste wise, we were divided, the chilli crab and char siew took a vote each from us. ($28)

Pasta

 
We were given the Haloumi Verdura ($25) which was a penne dish with haloumi, egg plant and zucchini and spaghetti Bolognese ($26). Both were hearty, good strong tasting pasta, especially the SB that came with a thick, thick sauce that took time to simmer down to the thickness.

Mains

 
Again, these were served in bite-sizes because of the tasting. The crispy pork belly ($28) didn't live up to its name. No crisp but it was pretty well executed. Soft and tender and totally rid of the pork smell that sometimes comes with lightly seasoned belly. The pineapple ketchup could have a  bit more kick though.

The lamb rib Milanese ($34) was pretty interesting. Slow cooked to such tenderness that it was easy to slide the meat off the bone. The Marsala wine tomato ketchup was a real cheer! Lovely and it simply dances in the mouth and great with the lamb. The only bump is we thought the corn bread coating is a tad too thick, but it's not easy to control that. A party nevertheless.

Desserts

 
We had the Banoffee Pie and Calamansi Meringue Pie (both $15). Both are nice with the calamansi meringue maybe just edging a little ahead. The meringue was well made, smooth and a good citrus kick.

Overall it was a good experience with the cocktails and crab shaker making the headlines for us. Located conveniently at ION Orchard, it is a great place for a quick bite or drink. A great selection of coffee and tea is available and... the tiramisu is something that we will go back to taste.

GUSTO
Ion Orchard
#01-15