From its name and location right down to its quirky décor, Stiff Chilli, a branch of a restaurant chain which originated in Bali, oozes an offbeat charm rarely found in our local dining scene. One of the novelties at this year‑old unassuming trattoria is definitely the burata Parma ham ($22 for two to three persons), a creamy ball of fresh mozzarella cheese flown in from Italy weekly. Served with rocket salad and paper‑thin slices of Parma ham, it was the perfect introduction to our mains—tasty and interesting, but not too heavy. Next, we sampled their thin‑crusted pizza gamberi ($17), which was topped with cheese, prawns and cut chili. It was good—with the wonderful, slightly smokey flavor that wood‑fired pizzas have. The linguine aglio ($12) was nicely done and truly al dente, despite being a tad too salty. For dessert, we had our pick from the gelato counter ($4 for a very generous scoop), and to our delight, it was one of the smoothest and finest we’ve ever had—must‑tries being the rum and raisin, and various chocolate flavors. We could definitely do with more of these hole‑in‑the‑wall gems.
