Pompi Tiramisu - Must Try!! (Italy, Rome)

Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert. In Italian, "tiramisù" literally means "Life me up" (Cheer me up). In this post allow me to introduce the Best Tiramisu in Rome from Pompi which is famous and popular among the locals.

Spanish Steps

After our visit to the Spanish Steps and Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat), we walked  around aimless as we had time to spare. We had already seen countless luxury shops such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci... and were looking for something more unique. We were not looking for food as we just had lunch. We explored the small alleys and after walking for a good 20 minutes, we both knew that we had hit the gold mine! It all started when we saw many people (all locals) in this particular alley walking out holding on to a box savouring something inside it. We were curious and walked towards the 'source'.

Exterior of Pompi 

There was no fanciful decoration outside the shop, not even  a signboard. Yet a constant stream of people walked in and out of it. Those who walked out either carried a box each or had several boxes! Some of them opened the box and started eating while walking. Others stood outside the shop and ate. As we try our best not to be obvious, we 'discreetly' found out that the box contained Tiramisu and most people had one box each! I can't help but notice the happiness beaming through their faces as they ate their Tiramisu!

Subsequently, I found out that the shop is called Pompi (after walking into the shop). Pompi was started in the 1960s by Mr Giuliano Pompi. Although Pompi servers other food, they are most reputable for their Tiramisu. The Tiramisu has been improved over the years and the raw materials used to make it are carefully selected to ensure that it is of the highest quality. It was said that when Pompi was first started, the founder carefully selected a dairy farm and milked the cows early in the morning. After which, he used the cow's milk to prepare the 'perfect' mascarpon!

 If the Tiramisu is good enough for the Italians, it is definitely good enough for me!

Counter

Counter with ice cream while at the back were fridge containing boxes of tiramisu. There were several such similar fridges at the side of the shop. Few people were seen ordering the ice cream. 

Fridge with other desserts

There were other desserts such as tarts, mousse cake and cheesecakes too.

Pompi Tiramisu Menu

As shown in the menu / price list above, the tiramisu at Pompi comes in many flavours. No worries, if you do not really understand Italian, there's a menu with pictures and English words below.

Pompi Tiramisu Menu

Oh boy, am I glad they have this menu with pictures and some English words! It helped us decide what to order. As we just had lunch, we decided to order just one and share. There was a short queue of 8 person. We joined the queue after figuring out what we wanted to order. The turnover was fast as the Tiramisu were prepared and packaged properly in the fridge. 

Tiramisu Classico Caffe e Cioccolato 4 € (S$6.27)

We ordered the Tiramisu Classico Caffe e Cioccolato (Classic Chocolate Tiramisu) which cost 4 € (S$6.27).

Tiramisu Classico Caffe e Cioccolato 4 € (S$6.27)

Tiramisu Classico Caffe e Cioccolato 4 € (S$6.27)

The Classic Chocolate Tiramisu was out of the world. The coffee soaked biscuits were soft, spongy and moist. The layers of biscuits and mascarpon complemented each other perfectly in terms of texture and flavour. It had a fresh, smooth, light and soft consistency and the right balance in taste. Moreover, flakes of chocolate with cocoa dusting added on top resulted in a bitter sweet twist! What a heavenly treat! How could we stop at one!

Tiramisu Gusto Fragola 4 € (S$6.27)

We walked back and went in to order the Tiramisu Gusto Fragola (Strawberry Tiramisu) which also cost 4 € (S$6.27).

Tiramisu Gusto Fragola 4 € (S$6.27)

Tiramisu Gusto Fragola 4 € (S$6.27)

The difference between the Classic Chocolate Tiramisu and Strawberry Tiramisu are:
- instead of flakes of chocolate, generous chunks of strawberries were added on top;
- instead of coffee, strawberries were used; the biscuits were soaked with strawberry flavour.

The taste of the strawberries created an unique harmony with the the mascarpon and gave a lighter and sweeter experience! So Satisfying. We both agreed that if we had to choose between one, the Strawberry Tiramisu would have our votes.

If you are in Rome, Pompi Tiramisu is a must stop destination for a tiramisu fix! The Tiramisu here are divine! One of the best Tiramisu! No wonder they have self proclaimed themselves as the King of Tiramisu! Here's the good news, Pompi has several outlets in Rome. Remember, if you are visiting the Spanish Steps, all you need is to do a 10 minutes detour! We took 20 minutes as we detoured and walked about aimlessly. 

This marks the end of my posts on Europe. I left Europe and proceeded to Dubai (UAE). For the FoodieFC's map on Europe in all the blog-posts, you can view it here.

Pompi Tiramisu - Must Try!! (Italy, Rome)   
Via della Croce, 82
Roma, Italy
Tel: +39 06 6994 1752 

Website

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Location

Pompi Tiramisu Map

Map appended below shows the location of the Spanish Steps / Fountain of the Old Boat and A is the location of Pompi. 

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La Birreria, Piazza del Campo and Siena Cathedral (Italy, Siena)

Piazza del Campo

La Birreria is a restaurant located at the edge of Palio di Siena in Piazza del Campo. There are many different restaurants along the entire circumference of Palio di Siena as is a tourist attraction. In the past,  it was the site of public events and races such as bullfights, jousting and boxing. This was also the place where the James Bond Quantum of Solace's horse scene was filmed (do you remember?). Today, this site is used for many different events throughout the year. The most notable event is the prestige horse race which is held twice a year on 2 July and 16 August. As we visited during December, the event that was held at the centre of Palio di Siena was a Christmas market (yet again)!

The restaurant was unique, it had a big sitting capacity (indoors and alfresco dining). Inside the restaurant, we were surprised that it part of it was in the basement. As you can see from the photo, the inner part of the restaurant like a basement dungeon! The picture shows the 2nd 'basement room'. Each 'basement room' was  a few steps 'deeper'. We sat at the third 'basement room'. How cool is that! There was no windows and it was just brick walls and arches; real solid bricks, not fake wall or wallpaper. Moreover, there were several TV screens showing the sports (soccer) channel. I am sure it gets crowded when there is a soccer match! 

Part of the wall was decorated with photos of the prestige horse race that the locals look forward to. The quiet and unique environment of the restaurant made me felt as if I had taken a time machine back to the  ancient days. Now where's my sword and amour? It felt good to be away from our fast paced life in Singapore.

The menu was impressive; it came with five languages! There was German, French, Spanish and English! As for the fifth language, I could not even understand some of the characters as they looked like alien language to me! Its a norm in Europe to have their menu in different languages.

Vegetable soup with bread 7.50€ (S$11.75)

We ordered the "Ribollita alla sense" which in English was translated as "Vegetable Soup with Bread" on the the menu. It cost 7.50€ (S$11.75). Although the price was on the high end, we decided to order a bowl of soup to share to 'defrost' our cold bodies in the cold winter.

Imagine our shock when the Vegetable Soup with Bread (photo above) was served to us. We even told the waitress that we did not ordered this. She went back to the kitchen to check our order and insisted that this was what we ordered. Because of our language differences (she is fluent in Italian while us in English), we resorted to pointing to the menu to show what we ordered and she told us that Yes, this is the Vegetable Soup with Bread!

Well, we did not have any hot soup to go along with our meal. The Vegetable Soup with Bread was unique. It was moist and lots of 'mashed' bread was added to soak up all the soup. Chunks of carrots, onions, beans and potatoes were mixed among the bread. It was delish and rich in flavour.

When I came back home, I found out that Ribollita is a Tuscan soup made with boiled vegetable and bread (normally stale bread is used). Interesting! 

Pappardelle with Wild Boar 11€ (S$17.23)

For mains, we ordered Pappardelle with Wild Boar which cost 11€ (S$17.23). Pappardelle are large and broad flat pasta noodles. It was hard to compared the wild boar to other meat (e.g. chicken, pork) as it was minced. It tasted like minced pork meat. The pasta with wild boar was delicious though I would have preferred a pasta that was not so wide.

I remember when I was a kid, I ate braised chinese style wild boar meat at a hawker centre. However, now its rare to be able to find such meat at hawker centres (if you know of any, please let me know). You can still get wild boar at western (Italian) restaurants in Singapore.

We also ordered a Prosciutto e Funghi (Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham and mushrooms) which was priced at 8€ (S$12.54) . The Prosciutto e Funghi was freshly made upon order and took more than 20 minutes to prepare. It was fantastic; great Italian pizza! The freshness of the ingredient and execution was perfect! You can pop by into any Italian restaurant and be assured that the quality of their pizzas are top notch! It was a pity that we did not manage to take any photo of the pizza as we were in a rush.

Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena)

The Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) located at Piazza del Duomo was a 10 minutes walk from Piazza del Campo. 

La Birreria and Siena Cathedral (Italy, Siena)

Piazza Il Campo 58 

53100 Siena, Italy

Tel: +39 0577 284424

Website

Location

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Caffè Mezzaparte and Attractions in Verona (Italy, Verona)

At Verona (Italy), we visited the Arena, Juliet's Balcony and Piazza delle Erbe (used to be a gathering point in the past during the Rome period). 

Arena

Arena

The Arena was a Roman Amphitheater, which is now being used for concerts and events. As you may notice from the photo, there was a Christmas Market (tents in white) next to the Arena. 

At the centre of Piazza delle Erbe, there was a Chrismas market too! There seemed to be a Christmas market everywhere in Europe. Having seen so many different Christmas markets and they all basically sells all kinds of products (including Christmas products) and local food. Its a good chance to savour their local food at relatively cheap prices.

Lamberti's Tower

The Lamberti's Tower, a 14th century tower is the tallest tower in verona built at the Piazza delle Erbe. 

There were many restaurants around the area and the price were on the high end. After looking around for sometime, we decided to patronise the restaurant called Caffè Mezzaparte which was located next to the Christmas market. 

Main entrance 

Caffè Mezzaparte had a cozy environment with a nice quiet ambience. There were lots of seating capacity  with indoors and alfresco area. There were no one at the alfresco area as it was freezing cold. In Caffè Mezzaparte, there was even a unisex toilet in the basement! 

Menu cover

Although the menu is in Italian, the good news is that there are English, German and French translations in the menu too!  

Minestrone di verdure 8 € (S$12.54)

Minestrone di verdure 8 € (S$12.54)

We ordered a bowl of Minestrone di verdure (Vegetable soup) which cost 8€ (S$12.54) to share. During winter, its always ideal to start off with a bowl of hot soup, especially since we are not used to the cold weather. 

The Vegetable Soup was heart warming. Although we were in an Italian restaurant, the soup reminded me of home - Chinese Soup. It tasted like a Chinese cuisine too (perfect cure if you are sick of european food)! Clear, tasty soup that was full of cubes of potatoe, carrot, cucumber, onion and leek. Simple yet delicious! 

Tortellini panna e prosciutto 8.50 € (S$13.32)

For our main course, we ordered a plate of Tortellini panna e prosciutto (Tortellini with ham and cream) for 8.50€ (S$13.32). Tortellini are navel shaped or ring shaped pasta filled with a mixture of meat and cheese in it. (you can imagine it as our local wantons, with meat in it.) Most freshly made tortellini without artificial preservatives have a shell life of a few weeks.

The Tortellini with ham and cream was served with shredded ham. The pasta was on the outside was firm and the inside was filled with meat.  It was cheesy and tasty. 

Risotto con funghi porcini 9 € (S$14.1)

We also ordered the Risotto con funghi porcini (Risotto with procini mushrooms) which cost 9€ (S$14.1). I thought that this was well executed. The al dente Risotto rice (firm but not hard) was evenly cooked and had the right creaminess - slightly creamy. It was slightly sticky (which is a norm) due to its ability to adsorb water and release starch. The Risotto was incredibly tasty and flavourful, with each mouthful, a rich, strong and distinct fragrance of mushroom would burst out. Mushroom lovers will definitely like this dish. The only issue I have is the lack of ingredients considering the price!

The food that we had was decent but pricey. Please note that the drinks here seemed to be even more expensive. We did not order any drinks and instead drank from our own bottled water. Oh yes, the pizzas are quite good too and can be shared among 2 persons.

We also visited the Juliet's Balcony (Museum).

As you walked into Juliet's House, you will notice this wall filled with love notes and graffiti. There were even chewing gums stuck on the wall. As a result, this wall has been proclaimed as the dirtiest wall in the world. Many visitors believed that writing love notes on the wall would make their love everlasting. 

Left to right: Bronze statue of Juliet, Juliet's Balcony

Juliet's House and Balcony, located in Verona just off Piazza delle Erbe is one of the most visited place in this town. It has been claimed that this is the property of the Dal Cappello family since the 1200s. From this, derives the name Capuleti, the house of Juliet. Hence, since the 1800s, this location has been a tourist attraction  Even Charles Dickens has recorded his impression the this residence in written word. 

Did you notice that certain parts of the bronze statue of Juliet seemed to shine? It was the most touched (worn out) part of the statue. This maybe because there is a legend that if a person strokes the right breast of the statue, that person will have good fortune. Now the question would be how come even the left side seems to shine?

Caffè Mezzaparte (Italy, Verona)

Piazza dell'Erbe, 8/a, 37121 

Verona, Italy

Tel:  +39 045 590590 ‎

Location

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Duomo di Milano, Leonardo da Vinci's Statue & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (Italy, Milan)

Leonardo da Vinci's Statue 

The Leonardo da Vinci's Statue sculpted by Pietro Magni was erected in 1872 at Piazza della Scala. Under his statue, there are four statues of his favourite students. If you are wondering what is Leonardo da Vinci's Statue doing in Milan? This is because Leonardo da Vinci painted the renowned Last Supper in the 1490s in Milan at Santa Maria delle Grazie. 

The statue is located just in front of famous La Scala Opera House. 

La Scala Opera House

Behind Leonardo da Vinci's Statue is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. 

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II built in the 19860s is the world oldest shopping mall. It connects Piazza della Scala with Piazza del Duomo. The street is covered with arching glass and cast iron roof offers a stunning sight and allow daylight to shine through. 

Glass dome in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The Glass dome at the centre of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Coat of Arms can be seen hanging high up at in the middle of the glass dome. 

Having cut through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) stood prominently at Piazza del Duomo.

Duomo di Milano

If you are sharp enough, you may have noticed that there was a Christmas Market next to Duomo di Milano.  

Duomo di Milano

Duomo di Milano is the largest Cathedral in Italy. It took nearly six centuries to build; from 1386 to 1965. The exterior facade of the Cathedral looked incredibly beautiful although the walls seemed to have turned dull brown over the years due to pollution and poor maintenance. 

Duomo di Milano

Entry into Duomo di Milano was free. However, if you would want to take photos, you would have to pay a token fee. Only the person holding the camera needs to pay and he/she would need to be the one taking photos for the entire visit. 

After we came out from Duomo di Milano, we decided to visit the Christmas Market next to it. The Christmas Market was surprisingly big, it stretched till the back of the Cathedral. 

Christmas Market

Christmas Market

All kind of things could be found in the Christmas Market. It was not limited to food. Even for the stalls that sold food, there was such a wide variety. In addition, they provides samples too which was ideal for tourist like myself who wanted to try before we decided if we should buy.

That's all folks. Ciao! 

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