Pizitalia @ East Coast Beach

When we got an invitation to PizItalia @ East Coast Beach, I could not help but think the restaurant looked like a lost tourist in Chinatown – an Italian restaurant in a sea of local seafood favourites. Skeptical initially, I was pleasantly surprised with the Italian twist to our traditionally Singaporean food when it was served.

PizItalia is located at the hub of the seafood restaurants at East Coast Beach. It boasts a large selection of wine, but the table setting cheapens the restaurant – plastic chairs coupled with Daiso tablemats and cheap plastic chili and tomato sauce bottles (do they even have that in Italy?) definitely does not put one in the mood for wine.

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes was the Fish & chips ($15.50). The “signature” lies in its unique masala breading which oddly, is neither Italian nor local seafood in taste. Nevertheless, the subtle herb taste gave the dish a unique taste. Ease up on the mayonnaise as nothing good is going to come out of it – it drowns the fragile masala and makes you fat. The Chef also went to add that the fish would remain crispy for the next 30 minutes, but we were obviously too hungry to wait that long.

The Napoli crab cakes ($8.50) were probably one of the better starters we had. It was sardine-packed (loving the seafood references) with crabmeat that was mildly spicy and not too oily.

I definitely liked the Butter prawn linguine ($15.50).  Imagine your favourite butter prawn – fried in butter crumbs, shreds of omelet, and deshelled. Now take that, and toss that buttery sauce over a bed of linguine and you have yourself a successful fusion dish that is signature Italian and Singaporean. Yes it may have been a bit greasy, as mentioned by Nathanel, but it is after all, butter prawn linguine and that is what makes it that more delectable; it is akin to ordering kong bak (stewed fatty pork) and claiming it is too fat.

The Cippino ($33.50), a traditionally Italian seafood stew, was another highlight of the mains. It tasted like minestrone with seafood – bursting with flavours from the sea. I admired the Chef for protecting the integrity of the seafood stew by presumably cooking the ingredients individually (as different seafood need different times to cook), but the fish was a tad over done.

Finally, PizItalia’s signature Italian chili crab (market price) was served. I have had Jumbo and Long Beach chili crabs one too many a time, but I was definitely impressed with PizItalia’s take on this dish. While the Chef claimed that the unique taste of the crab originates from the secret Italian herbs used (he was not willing to divulge such knowledge), what impressed me the most was the spiciness of the dish.

Most Singaporean dishes are spicy, and if you order Chili crab, it has to be spicy; many a times, tourist traps such as Jumbo and Long Beach mellow down the spice level of these dishes to make it more palatable. The crabs were assuredly fresh, and chockfull of meat.

I would suggest you end the meal after the Italian chili crabs, as the desserts at the restaurant were hugely disappointing. For a partially Italian restaurant, I was surprised the desserts were such a let down. The ice cream was flaky, and looked like it was sourced from a house brand cheaper than Marigold or Walls. The brownie, which was recommended by the waitress, was terribly hard and dry.

The pastry chef’s attempts at reconstructing the traditional Tiramisu ($8.50), was a noble but futile try. The ladyfingers were replaced with a breadstick – while this was aesthetically more pleasing, it did nothing to enhance the taste of the dish.

PizItalia’s main courses definitely left me impressed, but the restaurant needs to work on its image. The music, a mix of Adele, Kenny G, and I think I heard Backstreet Boys once, leaves diners confused with the ambience, and the table layout definitely needs to improve – no cheap bottles of chili and tomato please. The menu is another horror riffed with bad food descriptions.

That being said, it is not too late for PizItalia to fine-tune its image, as it is still a new establishment. It will definitely have to work hard, as it is playing with the big fishes in a very small pond.

PizItalia
East Coast Seafood Centre,
1204 East Coast Parkway #01-06
Singapore 449882

Tel: 6445 8554 | Website

Opening Hours
Weekdays: 5pm – Midnight
Weekends: 12pm – Midnight