Food at Aura Restaurant is contemporary, modern Italian cuisine, with their speciality being the handmade pasta. Opened with the rest of the National Gallery Singapore in November 2015, Aura is fantastic place for a date given the location on the rooftop of the gallery.
The focaccia bread was fluffy and fragrant and the little specks of black olives lended an earthy flavour. Dunk it into the balsamic vinegar and olive oil dipping sauce for an aromatic dressing.
Wagyu carpaccio, asparagus and walnut pesto was quite standard, but I find the raw asparagus at loggerheads with the rest of the plate. It would fare better with a quick blanched.
Foie gras with caramelised apple and duck jus was disappointing. The crostini was black, I guessed, from squid ink. But the foie gras was totally covered by the pesto.
Serving the hot consommé in the brass pot was so touché.
Mushroom consommé with vegetable pearls was quite delicious. Very light, perfect for lunch.
Trofie is a short, thin, twisted pasta from Liguria, Northern Italy. Trofie with truffle pesto and prawns was my favourite for the day. Well-flavoured with a good shaving of truffle.
Pappardelle with oxtail and mushrooms was hearty and filling. The flat broad pasta was generously bathed in a savoury ragu of shredded braised beef oxtail. Finished with Shiitake mushroom slices, the pasta was well executed, with a texture just borderline al-dente. Best shared, or solely for a large eater, the pappardelle can be quite filling and overwhelming after a couple of bites.
Pork chop Milanese, parma ham sauce was again underwhelming. Well-flavoured but the crackling was soggy. Sous vide for a really tender pork chop, but sacrificed the grilling taste that would suite better for the pork chop.
Helmed by an expert team of F&B professionals led by De Vito, Aura Restaurant treats diners to classic Italian cuisine and a world-class contemporary dining experience. Pushed by the passion for the most humble allure of Italian cooking, the restaurant takes inspiration from Italy’s homely recipes and generous flavours and elevates them into refined, elegant meals, where guests are invited to share dishes in casual family style for them to commune over meals.
The menu is an extensive expression of Italian creativity, showcasing a wide variety of antipasto, pastas and wholesome mains that features the finest and freshest ingredients from the land and the sea, with an emphasis on seasonal produce. Every dish is an original creation unique to Aura, but maintains honest and authentic to the ethos of Italian culinary arts. (Aug 2016, PR from Aura)
Aura Restaurant is dogged by inconsistent standards of service, which I can only blamed on a new staff and complicated flavours. With its expensive fine dining price tag, dining here is hit-or-miss, a risky choice.
Aura
1 Saint Andrew’s Road, 05-03 and 06-02
National Gallery Singapore, Singapore 178957
Tel : 6866 1977
Date Visited : Jun 2016
Michelin Tables 2018
Updated : Closed in 2019
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