Platters Bistro & Wine Bar - Guest Chefs Oscar and Tracy Pasinato

Till end June 2013, Buko Nero’s husband-and-wife team, Oscar and Tracy Pasinato, helms the current guest chef ‘semester’ at Platters Bistro & Wine Bar, where they showcase an array of tantalizing morsels available during dinner that are distinctively theirs yet different from what they offer up at their renowned, 13-years old restaurant.

If you don’t already know, Platters is named after the wooden boards food is plated on, and focuses on the idea of communal dining. What keeps diners going back for more to Chef Oscar’s tiny, 22-seater restaurant—with a waiting list of usually a month, or more—is his unique style of fusion cuisine that he develops from his travels.

His seafood platter Dal Mare ($42 half board, $82 full) boasts jumbo, flesh Hokkaido scallops cooked with rosemary for that lovely fragrance, juicy prawns with a contrastingly flavoursome parsley and garlic ‘salmoriglio’ dressing that really adds depth, and—most interestingly—a Asian-influenced salsa of mango and pickled green chilli paired with crunchy then luscious crab and corn croquettes.

Combining inspirations from his time in New York, Thailand and Japan is the Il Giro del Mondo ($34 half board, $64 full). Traditional sliders are given a slight twist with a choice of succulent braised beef cheeks sandwiched between the buns; breaded chicken thighs are nicely executed with a coating of curry leaves for added depth; and the chunks of seared salmon deliciously wrapped in smoked salmon, then finished with savoury seaweed dusting.

For those who like their meat, the Dalla Fasttoria ($46 half board, $88 full) is the absolute go-to. Chef Oscar presents a classic Tagliata—the combination of Parmesan cheese and arugula brings out the beefiness of the sirloin—alongside lamb-mint sausage meat-stuffed Portobello mushrooms for a juicy, umami touch. The pork ribs could have been more tender, but the caramelised pineapple bits and sweet maple syrup glaze was plenty enjoyable.

Pooling together both husband’s and wife’s memories of Christmas when they were young comes the creation of the Dolce Finale ($26 half board, $48 full) dessert platter. I did not quite understand the thin, mini pancakes topped with even tinier caramelised bananas, but the tangy lemon curd with petite, homemade shortbread cookies will definitely not disappoint. The rich, fudgy ginger and dark chocolate ‘salame’ with bits of crunchy, crystallized ginger turned out to the highlight of this board, making me feel like I’ve just discovered ice cream for the first time.

Oscar and Tracy Pasinato’s menu will be available at Platters through end June, and is only available during dinner service.

Note: This was an invited tasting.

Platters Bistro & Wine Bar 42 Club Street Singapore 046920

Tel: +65 62238048

Operating hours: Mondays – Saturdays: 12pm-3pm, 5pm-12mn Closed Sundays