Address: 6 Raffles Blvd, #02 – 03 / 04, Singapore 039594
Opening Hours: Daily 11:30am – 10:00pm
Official Website: thevermilionhouse.com
Phone number: +65 6908 6800
Instagram: thevermilionhouse
The Vermilion House Menu
Italian restaurants are the trickiest in Singapore. Often, these restaurants serve the same dishes. The battle boils down to sourcing the ingredients, from the ubiquitous olive oil to the freshest cheese produce the restaurant can procure. Even then, there’s no assurance that an Italian restaurant can command a steady stream of customers just by that. Customers in Singapore nitpick on the price. In TikTok, there is no greater shame than an Italian restaurant getting roasted and be told to head to Saizeriya for cheap pasta thrills.
But that trend has to go away. Take for instance, The Vermilion House. Like its namesake, it’s a revival of the lost art of Italian cuisine in Singapore, so diluted by Saizeriya cult lovers. Vermilion House just opened a couple of weeks ago in Marina Square serving Italian food fare with quality Italian ingredients. It carves a space that Singaporeans need — affordable lunch and dinner sets with a luscious Italian spread.
There’s no better way to start your Italian meal than a Smokey Marrow, Pacific Oysters or Constellation Scallops. But I encourage you to get the Flamed King Prawns, a dish to whet your appetite. King Prawns grilled to succulent perfection. Sourdough breads that’ll make you wonder where to get one for breakfast. Dip that in rich prawn broth, and you’ll get a smack of Singaporean fusion.
That crispy basil leaf leaves you wanting for the mains. You’ll shy away from the Carbonara, but it’s the Carbonara done right. Guanciale. Pecorino Cheese. No cream. No milk. And don’t forget the egg yolk. The fettucine isn’t the usual fresh pasta or Roma al dente, but it’s one traditional Carbonara your nonna would like.
Vegetarians will love the Truffle Mushroom Risotto. With Vermilion House’s rendition doesn’t scream for attention. You don’t get the annoying smell that comes with truffle dishes. There’s no resistance at the risotto, no mushy-ness I dislike. Add crispy fried mushrooms for a crunchy texture with the risotto. I’m a huge fan of simple dishes with a little something, so my vote goes to the risotto over the carbonara.
Lunch diners would only need to pay for $30* for set meals, and it comes with either a soup or dessert, a main, and a drink — coffee or glass of wine. (We’ll get to that later.) For dinner, you can get the same set meal for $59++, and opens up a wider range of entrees from the A4 Wagyu Ribeye to the Pan Seared Salmon and Squid Ink Risotto.
For dessert, a must order: tiramisu. Vermilion House serves the Amaretto Tiramisu as a cocoa cube, hiding all of the beloved tiramisu layers we are familiar with. They don’t use cream and just use egg whites, beaten to form its cream. I get these hints of nuts and spice in each spoon. On the side, there’s a tiny coffee jelly, a buzzer beater to break the creaminess of the tiramisu. It’s great with their coffee, freshly brewed with Brazilian coffee beans (I’m told they also have Ethiopian Yirgachefffe beans as well) — the same coffee used to make the tiramisu.
Dining at Vermilion House comes with a plus: it’s a hidden gem, away from the noisy bustles of Marina Square and Millennia Walk.
The ambience is great for romantic dates, blind dates, meetings, and friendly reunions, without going too formal. The price points are affordable enough for a return visit, and you’ll question how many times you’ve wasted your Italian palate on Saizeriya.
* $30++ lunch sets and $59++ dinner sets are promotional prices until end of year 2022.