Canele

C says:

Canele usually isn't on our radar at all, at least not for food, but I had a sudden urge for carbonara, and I'd heard that they do a good one at Canele.

Traditional carbonara, at least in some parts of Italy, doesn't have any cream at all. It consists of all of a few ingredients - crisp bacon/pancetta and the fat rendered from it, parmesan cheese and eggs/egg yolks, all of which are tossed together with hot pasta so that they emulsify and form the sauce.

The sauce should be thick enough to just cling to the pasta, and should be flavoured with the bacon fat. The pasta certainly shouldn't be swimming in a thin, cream-based soup with insipid pre-cooked bacon. Unfortunately, the latter is almost the norm in most restaurants in Singapore, which is why I was quite keen to see if Canele's would buck the trend.

Alas, it was extremely disappointing. It ticked all the boxes of what a carbonara shouldn't be/have. Epic fail. I need to elsewhere for a carbonara fix - any recommendations?

At least Canele still get their desserts right. Their nutella crepe with salted caramel was still a winner, and their apple crumble is one of the better ones I've had.

A says:

Carbonara fail. Dessert and service both rock though. Go there for that.

Canele

350 Orchard Road

#05-21 Shaw House (Lido cinema)

Tel: 6735-5855

Open daily: 11 am to 10 pm

www.canele.com.sg