Jamie's Italian: A kid-friendly restaurant worth visiting
Read our review of Jamie's Italian, a restaurant that is perfect for families with kids.
Jamie Oliver is a popular British celebrity chef who is known for his unique recipes and cooking style. An advocate of better food education, Jamie Oliver always promotes the use of healthy, ethically-sourced ingredients.
Unique ‘graffiti’ adorns the walls at Jamie’s Italian
Another thing that Jamie Oliver does well is show people how to cook kid-friendly meals. His consideration for children is also reflected in his restaurants, which are known for their child-friendly features.
The welcoming entrance to Jamie’s Italian
The one here in Singapore is no different. Situated in VivoCity, Jamie’s Italian faces the waterfront, with decor that is fun, cheeky, modern and totally inviting.
One of the first things diners, parents in particular, will probably notice is how child-friendly the place is.
The Stokke high chairs, kids’ cutlery, View-Masters, crayons and activity sheets placed on each table will certainly put kids (and their parents!) at ease.
Children can actually use the View-Masters to take a look at the menus.
View-Master, crayons and paper — you can’t get any more kid-friendly than this!
Of course, one of the best ways to know if a restaurant will pass a certain standard is to taste its food — and that’s exactly what I did!
Antipasti: Planks and Plates
The antipasti or starters available at Jamie’s Italian are of 2 types: “Planks” and “Plates.”
Pictured below is the Fish Plank ($17), made up of cured & crispy fish, Italian cheeses, pickles, and a crunchy salad.
Seafood lovers will certainly enjoy this selection of starters. Worth mentioning are the pecorino cheese topped with spicy chili jam, and the Panko-coated seafood — a perfect combination in texture and taste.
The plank is served on tomato tins, providing a ‘home-y’ touch to your meal.
If you’re looking to have a light meal with a friend, any of the plank choices at Jamie’s Italian will certainly be enough for you. Having said that though, we’re sure you’ll still want to check out the main dishes available.
For those who want to sample just one of the antipasti “Plates,” the Cauliflower and Parmesan Fritters ($12.50) are definitely a must-try.
Crunchy on the outside, yet soft and cheesy on the inside, the fritters are served with a tasty, spicy arrabiata sauce.
Featured Mains: Cannelloni and Porchetta
There are a variety of mains available at Jamie’s Italian, consisting of different pasta & risotto dishes, and other pork, beef, lamb, chicken and fish dishes.
The Honeycomb Cannelloni Three-Ways ($19.50) is a vegetarian pasta made up of 3 types of hand-made cannelloni — spinach and ricotta, sun dried tomato and aubergine, and roasted pumpkin.
The dish is served steaming hot, and the rich, red tomato sauce sings of real comfort food.
Although some diners may wish that the cannelloni had a more “herby” flavor, it is certainly a satisfying main dish.
Pictured above is Jamie’s Italian Signature Porchetta ($35), slow-cooked pork belly filled with herbs, garlic and spices, with fennel crackling, and a watercress salad.
Although this main is as satisfying as the others, you may prefer that the salad be served separately so it stays fresh and crisp. Nonetheless, it’s definitely a dish worth trying!
The kids’ meal
One kids’ meal at Jamie’s Italian costs $11.50.
This is inclusive of a ‘Shake Me’ salad (made up of cubed carrot, radish, red & yellow peppers, chopped plum tomato, shredded baby gem lettuce and mustard cress, with optional olive oil and balsamic dressing), and a choice of apple or orange juice.
Kiddie diners can mix the dressing themselves by shaking the adorable plastic jars, such as the one pictured above. I think this is a really clever way of encouraging kids to eat their greens.
Here’s a look at what kids can eat at Jamie’s Italian:
Curly Wurly Tomato Pasta Bake
Pasta-loving children will certainly not be disappointed with this delicious homemade fusili pasta, coated in a savory, fresh tomato sauce. Perfect for little tummies!
Chicken Lollipops
Another healthy kids’ offering from Jamie’s Italian, the chicken lollipops are char-grilled and tender, and the sesame-seed coating adds a unique texture to the dish.
The regular mayonnaise you often get in other restaurants is replaced by a lemony yoghurt dip, and the wedges are baked, not fried.
Happy Fishfingers
This is not your average kids’ menu fish and chips. Why? Because the fish is harvested in a sustainable way, and the fillets are baked, not fried, making it a totally healthy dish for little ones.
Dessert
Jamie’s Italian also has a great selection of decadent desserts. Featured below are just 2 of them:
The Tutti Frutti Lemon Meringue Pie ($9.50) is infused with the classic Italian liqueur limoncello. The tartness of the lemon curd filling is perfectly balanced by the sweet, fluffy meringue.
The crunchy pistachio brittle adds flavorful texture to the pie and is simply delicious.
Meanwhile, chocolate lovers should definitely go for the Epic Brownie ($11.50).
Moist, gooey and served with homemade amaretto ice cream and caramelised popcorn, your sweet tooth will certainly be satisfied with this one.
If you’re the type who likes your brownies served warm ala mode though, you might want to try asking the able staff at Jamie’s Italian if they can heat up your brownie for you.
Location, phone number, and opening hours
1 Harbourfront Walk
#1-165-167 VivoCity
Singapore 098585
Telephone number: 6733 5500
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday,12.00pm to 10.00pm;Friday and Saturday, 12.00pm to 11.00pm
Have you ever visited Jamie’s Italian? What did you think of the food? Tell us about your experience by leaving a comment below!