homey italian done right

25 people waiting for a seat outside a restaurant along the quieter stretch of tanjong katong road is a sight. especially when the total seating capacity of the restaurant is 50.

but bruno's is worth the wait. it's a convivial no-frills, no-fuss, no uppity-nose turning trattoria, good for couples, small families, big families, single diners. the "just-eat-and-go" type.

a quick glance on the menu tells you that they've got the usual bases covered - the caprese di buffala, the linguine al granchio, the penne arrabiata, the spaghetti pescatora, the zuppe, the pesce, the carne... you get the drift. if you like the familiar, the menu is more than sufficient to entertain.

look around on their saffron-coloured walls, however, and you'll see that their daily specials (covering all categories) hastily scribbled on chalkboards are also worth exploring.

being my second time there last evening, i decided to go for a "specials" menu. we chose the parma ham platter to start, and the hokkaido scallops ravioli (a house speciality), and a roasted crayfish and shrimp spaghetti with a tomato base as our mains for sharing. 

the ravioli was a real treat. a large scallop encased in firm pasta skin and generously served with olive oil and saffron cream sauce? see above. this dish turned several heads before while making its way to our table and into our mouths.

the spaghetti was also good, but got overshadowed by the ravioli unfortunately. the sauce was distinctively bisque-y, and they gave a generous helping of seafood (which generally makes us all happy, right?).

the service is warm, friendly, and fast (our mains came within 8 mins of our order). reservations from fridays to sundays are completely essential. even then, the reservation doesn't guarantee that you'll be shown a seat the moment you arrive. 

if you're in the east and looking for homey italian goodness to fill your stomach, consider bruno's on your food radar. they do takeaways as well.

rating:
 - mouth watering over.

details:
bruno's pizzeria and grill | 338 tanjong katong road s437110 | 6440 4525 | 1200 - 1430hrs; 1800-2030hrs (closed Mon)

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