Words by Jolene Koh of Cupcake Weekend, Photos by ladyironchef

When I say I’m not a huge fan of Italian food it’s not because I don’t like the cuisine per se, but more so the feeling you get after having an overly hearty pasta meal where you’d go “that’s it I’m having Chinese for the next few weeks”.

Thankfully, I think I’ve found the perfect place for when I’m craving Italian without having to go through that unpleasant aftermath in my gut.

Helmed by Chef Michele Pavanello and housed at the corner of the Red Dot Traffic Building sits OTTO Ristorante. This classy, unpretentious establishment serves amazing Italian fare with a new-age influence. It’s a great place to have a business lunch, bond with the family over a good meal or even for a romantic night out.

Chef Pavanello takes what he does in the kitchen very seriously. Props for his constant drive to create new dishes and fine-tuning his style of cooking to suit our Asian taste-buds. When you meet someone who’s innovative and cares so much about what he prepares, you just know that what’s presented to you will taste good because at the end of the day, real dedication and passion for food is something you cannot fake.

We started with the Cocoa bean crusted foie gras with port wine reduction ($28). A decadent piece of foie gras coated in a crunchy cocoa bean crust on a bed of crisp salad leaves accompanied with home-made crostini.

By far one of the better foie gras dishes I’ve tasted, a palate tickler starter as I would call it. I liked that it had a myriad of textures and flavours from crunchy to soft, slight bitterness (from the cocoa), to sweet and salty.

Next we had the Slow cooked slipper lobster with leek veloute and morel mushroom ($28). I really enjoyed this other starter. The lobster was fresh, sweet and tasted of the sea. The leek veloute was flavourful & rich without being overly indulgent and complimented the perfectly cooked crustacean.

The Homemade squid ink tagliolini with lemon and chilli marinated prawn ($28) was pretty interesting for me because it’s the first time I’ve had squid ink pasta without a cream/squid ink based sauce.

I was pleasantly surprised that I actually prefer this to the former two alternatives. Homemade noodles (cooked al dente, no less) tossed very generously with prawns. I loved how the lemon zest and the chilli gave the dish some lightness and heat without over-powering the sweetness of the prawns. This one of those pastas where you’d finish, not get sick of and want more.

Homemade potato agnolotti with chicken jus and crispy bacon ($28). From plain sight this dish doesn’t look like much but it’s a whole different story when it enters your mouth. Although there’s no physical trace of chicken in the agnolotti, the flavour that bursts through was akin to a hearty roasted chicken meal complete with mash, peas and the works. The crispy bacon added a nice contrast of texture and a kick of saltiness.

The European seabass fillet with sauteed mushrooms and potato ($42) followed after. Wasn’t exactly a big fan of this main but the fish was well executed and I liked that the sauteed mushrooms and potato had strong hints of basil.

Lastly, the Pièce de résistance; Crispy “suckling pig” lacquered with acacia honey & balsamic vinegar ($48) that was accompanied with braised endives. I’m usually not a pork person but wow, this bought me over. Think sinking your teeth through perfectly crisped skin and into the juiciest, most succuluent piece of meat. All I can say is yes, yes & yes. A must-have!

Our meal at Otto Restaurant ended with Creme Brulee ($14). One thing I particularly love about this dessert (besides eating it) is the part where I get to use a spoon to tap on that thin glass of torched sugar and hear the sound of it crackle.

So I did, revealing a silky, smooth vanilla cream infused with kaffir lime leaves and citrus notes, paired nicely with marinated strawberries.

If you’re looking to try an Italian restaurant that’s authentic and classic with a modern twist, Otto Ristorante is a great place to head to (if you haven’t already). I assure you it most likely won’t be your only visit.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Otto Ristorante
28 Maxwell Road, #01-02
Red Dot Traffic Building
Tel : +65 6227 8350
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm
Mon to Sat: 6.30pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Sun)

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

Jolene Koh is the owner of Cupcake Weekend, which provides artisan cupcakes for every occasion. From media events, product launches, birthday parties, to weddings, baby showers, as personalized favours or just because you feel like having a cupcake.

Customs House along the Marina Bay waterfront is one of the popular dining destinations in Singapore.

Five restaurants are housed in the converted heritage building beside The Fullerton Bay Hotel – Kinki, a funky Japanese restaurant; Sabai Fine Thai on the bay, a fine dining Thai restaurant; Nueva Cuba, a Cuban-themed restaurant and bar; Oyster Bar, a seafood bar serving oysters and champagne; and Procacci, a full-fledged Italian restaurant modelled after the style and taste of Florence.

The food at Procacci Italian restaurant is generally good, and while prices are fairly high, it is a lovely place for a romantic date.

The menu has a bit of everything, from appetisers like Calamari Fritti ($22) to Wagyu Beef Carpaccio ($25); to main courses like Mushroom Risotto ($35), Home Made Ravioli stuffed with Wagyu Beef ($35) and Black Angus Tenderloin ($49); and desserts like Italian Cheese Cake ($15) and Profiteroles ($15).

While the appetisers were tempting, I chose to skip it and go with two main courses. The Taglierini Al Granchio ($30) arrived first – it was decent, but definitely not the best crabmeat linguine that I’ve tasted.

After taking a glance at the menu, I immediately knew that I was going for the Black Angus Tenderloin ($49).

Served with mashed potato, the Black Angus Tenderloin which came with black truffle sauce was excellent. The dish managed to achieve the right balance: the steak was cooked to medium-rare perfection, the mashed potato had the right consistency, and the black truffle sauce complemented the meat nicely.

For desserts, I had a hard time trying to decide between the Panna Cotta ($15), Tiramisu ($15) and Molten Chocolate Lava Cake ($18). I went for the Molten Chocolate Lava Cake and I am happy to say it was satisfying. The cake was oozing with chocolate, and it came with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream.

While I liked Procacci Italian Restaurant at Customs House, the above-average prices meant that I probably wouldn’t suggest going there any-time soon unless my friends really want to give it a try. But if you have always wanted to eat there, the Italian restaurant is a nice place to go for a special occasion.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Procacci Italian Restaurant
70 Collyer Quay
#01-04 Customs House
Tel: +65 6532 9939
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm

For more recommendations, please read my list of Italian Restaurants in Singapore

Il Lido Italian Dining at Sentosa Golf Club is a restaurant that has consistently been voted as one of the best restaurants in Singapore, and it is frequently praised for the quality of Italian food.

Compared to its sister restaurant, Forlino at One Fullerton, il lido Italian restaurant is slightly more casual – think of it as a semi fine dining restaurant that comes with everything you would expect from a top-notch restaurant.

With new Chef de cuisine Alessandro Delfanti taking over the helm in the kitchen, the italian restaurant has recently revamped its entire menu. It now focuses on mainly seasonal and native produce from Italy and Europe.

We entered the restaurant through a narrow walkway at the side of the Sentosa Golf Club entrance. The interior of the Italian restaurant has a dark and sexy tone, while the al fresco dining area comes with a nice sea-breeze, making it the perfect place to have a romantic dinner at night.

Like Forlino, Il Lido has thoughtfully provided beautiful stools for putting our bags. It is simple gestures as such that make a difference. We started off our meal with some bread, eagerly anticipating what the chef would come up with.

Eating is a lot more fun when you have someone who appreciates good food, loves having desserts first and has a huge appetite. My dining companion and I had two appetisers, one pasta, one risotto, two main courses and three desserts.

There are around 10 items on Il Lido’s antipasti menu and we had a hard time trying to decide on them as all of them seemed to be screaming “EAT ME”. Among them, I was attracted by the Pan-roasted Goose Liver with Figs, Vincotto Sauce and Rosemary Oil ($32), but then again, I always have, and always will love foie gras.

We were recommended the Venison Carpaccio with Roman Zucchini and Smoked Ricotta Cheese ($25). Instead of the typical beef carpaccio, Il Lido serves a Venison version and it was outstanding.

I would have ordered the classic Parma Ham with rock melon ($26), but we decided to try something different, so we had the Sea Scallops with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Blueberries ($28). Seared with tiny criss-crossing grilled marks on the surface, the scallops were meaty and very fresh. The use of blueberries gave the otherwise ordinary dish a refreshing twist and the accompany mushrooms were also very tasty.

Il Lido Italian restaurant has two types of risotto on the menu: Basil & Pecorino Cheese Risotto with Crispy Bacon ($35) and Baby Squid Risotto with Black Ink Sauce and Chili Peppers ($38). We had the latter, but I thought that it was only decent.

If I were with a larger group of people, I would have ordered the Tagliatelle with Rabbit & Marjoram Ragout ($38), but we only had two stomachs so we stuck with the Veal Agnolotti with Mushrooms and Truffle Cream ($38) – which came highly recommended.

We were told that the chef actually put a frozen veal juice cube within the ravioli to ensure the moistness and flavour. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to eat an entire bowl of ravioli on my own, so make sure you order this to share.

For main course, I wanted to get the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin ($58) but the manager suggested the Pan-roasted Cod with Smoked Caviar Sauce and Whipped Potatoes ($45), saying that it’s very good (although I’m quite positive that he thinks everything on the menu is good). I’m happy to say that it was excellent. The whipped potatoes, in particular, were quite interesting – you could taste the potato without the heaviness of it.

I don’t usually order chicken in a restaurant nowadays, but hey, this is a Guinea Fowl Supreme with Goose Liver and Apricot Sauce ($56) that we are talking about. It was slightly tougher than chicken, and the apricot sauce managed to bring out the flavour of the meat. However, I am not sure if I’d pay so much for a meat that has a flavour similar to chicken. The other meats on Il Lido’s menu like Suckling Pig Saddle ($58) and Wagyu Beef Cheek ($45) are more appealing to me.

That said, the Guinea fowl remains a rarity on menus in Singapore, and if you’ve never tried it before, this is a good place to start.

We were told that Il Lido’s tiramisu ($15) is probably not the best in Singapore, but we decided to go ahead and have it as my dining companion was craving for it. Only a foolish guy would stand between a girl and her craving. And true enough, the tiramisu was only decent.

Thankfully, the Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Yogurt Ice cream ($18) was pretty good. The ubiquitous Chocolate lava cake was so pretty that I thought it would be a shame to dig a hole into it, but that feeling quickly passed and I poked it with a spoon. Molten chocolate oozed out, and slowly, it covered the entire top of the cake.

The pairing of the slightly yogurt ice cream with the chocolate cake was a good decision; the sourish yogurt cut through the sweetness of the chocolate, giving it a perfect balance.

Among the three desserts that we had, the Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Blueberries ($15) was our favourite. The inclusion of berries within the crème brûlée was a lovely surprise. Every few bites or so, you would hit a pocket of blueberries. Lovely.

In terms of the overall dining experience, Il Lido Italian restaurant at Sentosa Golf Club is easily one of the best restaurants in Singapore.

I don’t think they have the best Italian food in Singapore (my favourite is still Ristorante Da Valentino), but I do think that it is a great all-round restaurant, with the right combination of good food, ambience and service.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Il Lido Italian Restaurant
27 Bukit Manis Road
#02-00 Sentosa Golf Club
Tel: 6866 1977
Daily: 11.30 – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 11pm

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

For more recommendations, read my post on the best Italian restaurants in Singapore

If I had a dollar every time someone asked me to recommend a cheap and good buffet, I’d be a millionaire by now. There are many buffet restaurants in Singapore, but most of them are only average, while the really good buffets usually come with a relatively hefty price tag.

So listen up guys, I’m just going to say it once. The buffet lunch at Basilico restaurant is one of the best, if not the best, in the $40-50 category.

Bascilico at level 2 of The Regent Singapore is a huge restaurant. It can easily accommodate up to 200 guests indoor and 30 by the poolside. I lurve (read: not love, but lurveee) the centrepiece of the Italian restaurant, a gorgeous space which houses the antipasti counter. To the left and right of the antipasti counter, you have the hot and dessert kitchens.

I eat desserts first.

People always stare at me whenever I start the buffet with desserts. I don’t know about you, but I think it makes sense to start a meal with something that you like.

Basilico restaurant has a decent array of authentic Italian desserts and a very good selection of homemade gelato.

The Antipasti counter, at the middle of the restaurant, serves an assortment of antipasti.

The appetisers like prosciutto, cold cuts, salads, cheeses and seafood were fantastic. If you ask me the formula for love while I’m eating at the restaurant, I’d reply: parma ham and rock melon.

Cheese. Lots of cheeses. Cheeeeseeee!

From freshly made pizzas to pastas, grilled meat and fish items, the Hot station offers not just Italian food, but also a small local spread.

Obviously, you will not expect good Italian pasta and pizza like the ones you get from the best Italian restaurants in Singapore, but hey, you are paying just $42++ for free flow of everything your heart desires. It is a good deal.

It’s somewhat strange to see that the Italian buffet actually has a corner dedicated to local food like chilli crabs and roasted duck, but I guess it caters to those who want something familiar. I wouldn’t waste any space on that, though.

I like the buffet lunch at Basilico Italian restaurant. Though the buffet spread is slightly limited, the restaurant more than makes up for it with the quality of the food. The antipasti counter, in particular, has fantastic choices.

On Saturday, Basilico has a full Italian buffet (without local spread) for $46++/pax, $56 (free flow juices & soft drinks) and $98++ (free flow prosecco & wine). And on Sunday, they have a Champagne Brunch at $139++ for free flow of champagne and wine. During dinner, it is a semi buffet where you can enjoy the same antipasti & desserts buffet with the choice of 1 main course at $69++. And one more thing, reservations are absolutely necessary.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Basilico Restaurant
1 Cuscaden Road
Level 2 The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3232
Weekday Lunch Buffet $42++
Saturday Lunch Buffet $46++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $69++
Daily Semi Buffet Dinner $69++

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

For more recommendations, read my list of the best buffets in Singapore

Since the start of the year, I’ve made a promise to eat less ‘Western‘ food, and try more of other cuisines. I think I have been doing quite well so far.

But there are some days when you just feel like having a hearty plate of Italian pasta. I was craving for Italian food when I met the folks from BigDeal for lunch, so I suggested going to Da Paolo La Terrazza at Chip Bee Gardens.

The place here is different from Da Paolo Restaurant & Bistro Bar. Whereas the restaurant at Rochester Park has a huge al fresco dining area surrounded by greeneries, Da Paolo La Terrazza is slightly smaller with options of eating indoors for a more formal dinner, or dining at the tranquil al fresco area where you sit along the tree-lined street.

Italian food at Da Paolo restaurant. Can you imagine me rubbing my hands with glee?

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like Italian food, anyone who can say no to the best Linguine Al Granchio, anyone who can refuse to eat a slice of the best pizza, anyone who can resist having tiramisu for desserts. This is Italian food, for crying out loud; nobody, and I repeat, nobody can dislike Italian food.

Okay, I shall stop declaring my love for Italian food before you start to think that I am a psycho who goes around trying to convince everyone that it is the best cuisine. For your information, I love French food too. But that’s another story.

Anyway, back to Da Paolo La Terrazza. The set lunch is available at $24++ (for pasta) and $32++ (for meat/seafood). From what I understand, it changes periodically, but there will always be five appetisers, five main courses and two desserts to choose from.

We started with a Smoked Salmon with mixed greens, Parma Ham with Rock Melon, and a Mixed Green with shaved Parmesan.

From the pasta main courses menu, we took the Spaghetti Aglio Olio tossed with garlic, chilli and olive oil; Linguine with prawns and cherry tomatoes; and a tomato-based seafood pasta. For desserts, there are only Dolce del giorno and Gelato/Sorbet. We took the dessert of the day which was a simple slice of cake.

While there’s nothing to fault about the Italian food at Da Paolo La Terrazza, I don’t think that lunch is fantastic. I like choices. I like to be able to choose from a list of desserts, and in this sense, Da Paolo’s set lunch doesn’t quite appeal to me.

Does this mean that Da Paolo is not worth a try? Not at all. Like I said, the Italian restaurant at Chip Bee Gardens has a nice vibe, and they serve one of the best Tiramisu in Singapore. I will certainly visit Da Paolo again for the ala carte menu, but I just don’t see myself returning just for the set lunch. Am I expecting too much from a $24++ 3 course set lunch? No, I don’t think so. There are plenty of good lunch deals elsewhere.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Da Paolo La Terrazza
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56
Chip Bee Gardens Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 1332

Read my list of best Italian Restaurants in Singapore | Chip Bee Gardens Restaurants

Pasta Brava Italian Restaurant at Craig Road has been in the Singapore Food Scene for a long time. I’ve been told that they are worth a visit by many friends, but it took me until now to go there. I guess it’s better late than never, and I am really happy to tell you that it has joined the ranks of my favourite Italian Restaurants in Singapore.

It is a great place with a homely vibe. The lighting is dim and romantic, and the wall adornments give the restaurant a personal touch. The staff is equally well trained; friendly without being too intrusive, and they are very familiar with the offerings.

The menu at Pasta Brava restaurant is divided into appetisers, salads, soups, pasta dishes, rice dishes, main dishes (fish), main dishes (meat) and desserts – with average price of each dish between $19-23 for the pasta/risotto, and $25-40 for the main dishes.

We were feeling greedy, so we chose to forego the antipasti and share an additional main course instead.

Amongst the three pasta/risotto that we had, my favourite was the Linguine Regina Del Mare ($23). It was savoury and sweet and filled with luxurious seafood like prawns, clams, scallops, squid, and crayfish. Easily one of the better Italian pastas that I’ve had recently.

The Stracci Ai Gamberi E Capesante ($23), on the other hand, was average. Whilst the thin pieces of fresh pasta were good, the Saffron cream sauce was too overwhelming.

They have only three risotto on the menu (mushroom, squid ink and mixed vegetables) and we were very tempted by the seafood and squid ink version.

Eventually, we decided to play it safe and go for the mushroom risotto. Our choice was right as the Risotto Al Funghi Porcini ($23) proved to be very good. Rich yet not overpowering, moist yet not soggy, every grain of the arborio rice was flavourful and oh so delicious.

The Tagliata Di Manzo Stile Toscano ($34), highly recommended by the staff, was fantastic! It was essentially thin slices of grilled beef sirloin with herbs, rocket leaves and parmesan flakes.

I was not expecting much from it when the waiter brought the dish to our table. It was only when my friends took a bite and let out a satisfied sigh, then I realised what I was missing out (I was busy with the seafood linguine).

We enjoyed it tremendously, you MUST order this if you go to Pasta Brava.

Pasta Brava Italian Restaurant is not exactly very big, and when it’s crowded (especially during Friday and weekends), it can get quite noisy. Reservations are highly recommended. The prices here are what you’d expect from a good Italian restaurant, but the food here is definitely better than most. It is simple, hearty and very tasty.

For more recommendations, read my list of Italian Restaurants in Singapore

Singapore Food Blog Review
Pasta Brava Italian Restaurant
11 Craig Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6227 7550

Operating Hours:
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm
6.30pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Sun & PH)

Housed within the stunning Fort Canning Hotel, Gattopardo Italian Grill & Pizza Bar serves contemporary Italian and Mediterranean cuisine with a charcoal grill and wood-fired oven for baking gourmet pizzas. The Italian restaurant is under the Garibaldi Group of restaurants, who is also behind Gunther’s, Ricciotti Italian restaurant and Brotzeit.

Having heard so much about the good Italian food from my friends who ate at Gattopardo before, misstamchiak and I went there for lunch during Restaurant Week.

Restaurant Week is a good way to try out the fine dining restaurants that you always want to go. If it is a positive dining experience, you can visit the restaurant again to try their usual offerings.

Considering the fact that such fine dining restaurants usually charge $30-$50 for a main course, it is quite a steal to pay just $25++ (lunch) and $35++ (dinner) for the restaurant week’s menu.

For restaurant week, Gattopardo Italian Restaurant had two main course options: the Pan Seared Chicken Breast and Home-made Tagliatelle.

Filled with Scamorza cheese and mushrooms, the Pan Seared chicken breast was pretty decent; it was nice to find that the meat was not too dry, with the sauce a good compliment to it.

The Tagliatelle al Pesto di Trapani was slightly overcooked, but somehow managed to retain the flavour from cherry tomato, basil, Pecorino cheese and almond Pesto.

The whole point of having desserts is to end the meal on a sweet note. Unfortunately, the Creme Brulee was very disappointing and we did not finish it.

Overall, Gattopardo Italian restaurant’s restaurant week menu was not impressive, but I am still keen to come back again to check out their dinner offerings.

I took a look at their normal ala carte menu (note: they do not have a set lunch menu), and I thought that the prices are pretty reasonable for good Italian restaurants. Expect to pay around $15-$25 for antipasti, $20-$30 for pasta, $16-$30 for pizza, $30-$40 for main course and $14 for dessert.

The location at Fort Canning Hotel is rather inaccessible if you are not driving. It is probably a good idea to cab in, have a good dinner and take a romantic stroll to Orchard road to burn off the calories.

// Read my list of Italian restaurants in Singapore for more options.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Gattopardo Italian Grill & Pizza Bar
11 Canning Walk Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 5498

Operating Hours:
Daily: 12pm – 3pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm

Italian cuisine is very popular in Singapore. I have been to quite a few Italian restaurants in Singapore but somehow most of them did not live up to standards.

Let me go straight to the point: La Cantina in venezia is one of the best Italian Restaurants in Singapore, and I will definitely recommend it for that special occasion.

La Cantina in venezia is located on the 8th level of Changi Village Hotel and it has a very classy yet unintimidating ambiance. The Italian restaurant is ideal for a quiet lunch, or a romantic dinner with your date.

Sometimes, it can be quite boring to have Italian food all the time. But I certainly will not mind eating at La Cantina every day if I live in the area. Okay maybe not every day, but you get the idea.

La Cantina in venezia’s menu has a good selection of Antipasti (from $15-$20), Pizza ($20-$30), Pasta/Risotto ($20-$27), and Main Course ($27-$35). Amongst the twenty pasta/risotto available, I’d probably come back again to try the squid ink linguine and seafood pasta in spicy tomato sauce.

The pizza section had interesting choices (with unique names) like Ferrari (pomodoro, mozzarella, bacon, salami, capsicum & fresh tomato) and Raikkonen (pomodoro, mozzarella, bacon, salami & sausage). If you are a big eater, go for the meats like grilled lamb in rosemary ($35) or rack of veal in italian mushroom sauce ($35).

Our lunch started with the Parma Ham on Rock Melon ($18.50) which was absolutely delightful. The paper thin slices of Parma ham came with the extremely sweet melon.

My dining companion is a big cheese lover, so it goes without saying that we ordered the Mixed Cheese Platter ($31) when she saw it on La Cantina’s menu. It was a lot of cheese, and even with the others helping us, we could not finish everything.

Our table ordered a few thin-crust pizzas, and they were huge. It was impossible to finish a whole pizza by yourself – definitely recommended for sharing.

La Cantina Italian Restaurant’s Linguine Al Granchio ($26.90) was PERFECT. The al dente linguine had huge chunks of crab meat and it was definitely one of the best pasta I’ve had. The portion was also quite substantial – I’d advise you to share this as the pasta was pretty rich and heavy.

Throughout lunch, I was pacing myself to save room for desserts. La Cantina does not have that many options for desserts, so we went for safe choices like the Tiramisu and Chocolate Lava Cake.

The Tiramisu was competent. It had a rather heavy dose of liquor and since the others were too full by then, I had the whole dessert to myself.

It took around 15-20 minutes for the Molten Chocolate Lava Cake to come, and luckily, it was worth the wait. After having under-par chocolate lava cakes elsewhere, I was relieved to find that the one here had a molten centre.

After trying the Italian food at La Cantina in venezia, it has joined Ristorante Da Valentino as my favourite Italian Restaurants in Singapore.

Valentino has a very homely vibe and serves really good authentic Italian food. On the other hand, La Cantina in venezia is stylish and it is definitely one of the most romantic restaurants in Singapore. The Italian restaurant at Changi Village Hotel may not be the most accessible place, but they are definitely worth a try.

Singapore Food Blog Review
La Cantina in venezia
1 Netheravon Road
#08/09-02 Changi Village Hotel
Tel: +65 6546 9190

Chef Mario Batali’s first foray into the Singapore food scene is with the opening of Osteria Mozza & Pizzeria Mozza at Marina Bay Sands.

Pizzeria Mozza is probably the most affordable option amongst the Marina Bay Sands celebrity chefs’ restaurants. The pizzas on Pizzeria Mozza’s menu are priced between $18 to $38. I’d think this is extremely good value given that most of the pizza restaurants in Singapore charge around the same price for a pizza.

My foodie friend visited Pizzeria Mozza a while back, and he told me that they have the best pizzas in Singapore. I was sceptical initially, but I finally managed to try it for myself during a recent media tasting at MBS.

The Italian restaurant has two different dining concepts. Pizzeria Mozza comes with a wine bar and it has a variety of pizza selections. Located just beside the pizza bar, the upscale Osteria Mozza features a Mozzarella Bar, and it serves pasta, seafood and meat dishes.

Pizzeria Mozza has quite a few interesting choices on the menu. Amongst the antipasti (priced under $20), there are Bone marrow, fried goat cheese. While some of the pizzas (ranging from $20-30) that caught my eye were the Yukon gold potato & cippolini, and the Burrata with slow roasted tomato.

There are many people who refuse to touch foie gras or pig liver, but I absolutely love it. Naturally, I was quite excited when they served us the Chicken liver bruschetta. Acquired taste was probably the best way to describe this appetiser. The chicken liver was kind of overwhelming and we did not really fancy it.

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the Cauliflower Fritti which was essentially deep-fried Cauliflower. It was brilliant.

The special thing about the pizzas at Pizzeria Mozza is definitely the big and crispy crust. I know most food lovers in Singapore seem to prefer thin crust or skinny pizzas. But trust me, Pizzeria Mozza’s pizzas are worth a try.

We had the Margherita Pizza (with mozzerella, tomato and basil), Fennel Sausage Pizza, Funghi Pizza (with a generous spread of mushroom) and the Tomato & Oregano pizza. The Funghi pizza was definitely one of the best pizzas I’ve had, while I thought that the Margherita was exceptionally ordinary. But still, the light and airy crust was good.

For desserts, we had the famous Butterscotch Budino which was way too sweet for my liking. This is coming from a guy who has an incredibly sweet tooth.

If you want the experience of eating in a Celebrity chef restaurant without breaking a hole in your wallet, both Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro and Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza are your best bet. They are the only casual dining options out of the 7 Celebrity Chef Restaurants in MBS.

Is Pizzeria Mozza the best pizza restaurant in Singapore? I don’t know… It is really hard to say since there are so many pizzerias in Singapore. But I think it is definitely amongst the best. From what I heard, it is quite difficult to get a table during weekends, reservations are required at least a week in advance.

In your opinion, which restaurant has the best pizza in Singapore?

Singapore Food Blog Review
Osteria & Pizzeria Mozza
2 Bayfront Ave #B1-42/46
The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Tel: +65 6688 8522
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

“Have you tried Da Paolo’s tiramisu? It’s the best tiramisu in Singapore!”

I have always wanted to go Da Paolo Restaurant & Bistro Bar because of the tiramisu. All my friends who had it before have nothing but praise for their tiramisu.

Like the other Rochester Park restaurants, Da Paolo Restaurant & Bistro Bar offers a superb al fresco dining option. It’s great for dinner (maybe not for lunch under the scorching sun), otherwise you can always choose to dine indoor.

Da Paolo Bistro Bar at Rochester Bar is a cross between their restaurant and pizza bar. The restaurant has two open kitchens, with the pizza bar being positioned near the entrance of the restaurant and the main kitchen on the further end.

It has a very extensive pizza menu which includes selections: Pizza Bolognese with tomato, mozzarella, minced beef, béchamel and parmesan – Pizza Salmone with tomato, mozzarella, smoked salmon, mushrooms and pesto – Pizza Napoletana with tomato, mozzarella, capers, anchovies and oregano; and folded pizzas: Calzone Prosciutto e Funghi with mozzarella, mushrooms and cooked ham.

My brother chose the Pizza Mozzarella di bufala e crudo ($25) which has buffalo mozzarella, parma ham, sliced tomatoes and basil. We also shared the Pizza frutti di mare ($20) with tomato, mozzarella and seafood. Out of the two pizzas that we had, I would pick the latter as the spread of seafood (calamari, salmon, prawn and mussel) was more appealing in taste and flavor.

Da Paolo’s Tagliatelle al granchio ($26) was excellent. The home made egg pasta with crabmeat, tomatoes, cream and vodka was creamy yet not too heavy, and every slurp of the pasta was so good.

I felt powerless when the waiter brought the famous Da Paolo’s Tiramisu ($10) to our table. Thankfully, the tiramisu didn’t disapppint. It was fantastic, and wasn’t soggy like ordinary tiramisu and the marscapone was light and airy. I scrambled to lick my dessert spoon clean.

* * *

The pizza at Da Paolo is good, but not great. I won’t go all the way just to have them, but it’s a different story if I’m in the Rochester Park area. When it comes to Italian-style Pizzas in Singapore, my pick will still be Bella Pizza at Robertson Quay. While they are both Italian restaurants that specialized in Pizza and have a similar price-point, it’s not fair to compare them since I didn’t order the same pizza.

Da Paolo Restaurant & Bistro Bar at Rochester Park is a nice chill out place after work, and you must order the tiramisu! Which is your favorite Italian restaurant for Pizza?

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Da Paolo Restaurant & Bistro Bar
3 Rochester Park Rochester Park Singapore
Tel: +65 6774 5537

// Da Paolo group has other dining concepts like Da Paolo La Terrazza, Da Paolo Pizza Bar, Da Paolo Dolci, and Da Paolo Gastronomia at Chip Bee Garden.

Did I get your attention with the title – “Best Pizza in Singapore?”

Good. Now that you know what we are dealing with, please grab a chair and some snacks before we continue. Here’s the story: for the longest time, I have been wanting to check out Bella Pizza at Robertson Quay.

“You must go to Bella Pizza, they have really good Italian food — but DO NOT BLOG about it!”

A couple of friends gave me the same warning. Bella Pizza is an open secret for good Italian food in Singapore. The problem with Bella Pizza, though, is the location. It’s at Robertson Quay along the Singapore River, and there are simply too many restaurants at Robertson Quay! Epicurious cafe, Red House Seafood Restaurant, Boomarang bistro and the list goes on and on. I am glad that I finally made it to Bella Pizza.

Since there wasn’t any salmon pasta on Bella Pizza’s menu, my salmon-crazy friend chose the Pizza Salmone ($21) and was rewarded with a very good pizza.

I am not a big fan of thin crust pizzas, but Bella Pizza’s was thin yet filling, moist but not overly wet. Rolled up like a taco with all the fillings, or simply wolfed it down directly on the thin dough – the Pizza Salmon’s a winner! This is a very good option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Yay for all salmon lovers!

After checking out a few Italian restaurants in Singapore for Squid Ink Pasta, I preferred to have the tomato-based pasta that is infused with squid ink, rather than one that comes with the slimy black squid ink sauce. For one, there isn’t as much stain on the teeth and the lips after dinner, and it is also because I have yet to find a squid ink pasta that’s truly memorable.

The Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia ($22) at Bella Pizza was very well-executed. Every slurp of the pasta blended effortlessly with the charcoal black squid ink sauce. Needless to say, we enjoyed the squid ink pasta very much! Bella Pizza’s rendition of the squid ink pasta is definitely one of the best I’ve tried so far.

Tossed with clams, squids, scallops, and a king prawn, the Linguine Al Frutti Di Mare ($22) caught our eyes immediately as we scanned through Bella Pizza’s menu. We wiped the plate clean and the pasta would be perfect if there’s a heavier dose of tomato!

My middle name is sweet.

If you have been reading my food blog for a while now, you’d have noticed that I have an incredible sweet tooth for a guy. Bella Pizza’s dessert menu has some interesting choices like the Panna cotta, Warm Chocolate Lava cake, and the tiramisu. For a minute, I was sorely tempted to order all three!

Since there’s only room for one, the obvious choice was the Tiramisu ($7) which was very reasonably priced. We took up the dessert fork and crowded around the tiramisu; literally like ravening vultures circling around the prey. We gobbled the tiramisu as though there wasn’t a second to spare, as though it would run away if we didn’t eat it fast enough.

* * *

It wouldn’t be fair to say that Bella Pizza has the best pizza in Singapore when we only ordered one pizza from their menu. But I really like the pizza there, and I will definitely come back to try the other pizzas. Bella Pizza is surely among my favorite Robertson Quay Restaurants now.

Have you been to Bella Pizza before? Do you agree that they have one of the best pizza in Singapore?

Restaurant Review
Bella Pizza
30 Robertson Quay #01-14
Riverside View Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 0139

All of us love Wednesday. It is the middle of the week, and it is the timely message to tell us: hang in there, Friday’s coming soon! Here’s one more reason to love Wednesday – there’s an ongoing 1-for-1 pasta promotion at Ricciotti Italian restaurant,

Ricciotti is a Singapore Italian Restaurant under the Garibaldi group of restaurants which include Gunther’s and Garibaldi at Purvis Street. The Italian restaurant has a series of 1-for-1 dining promotions for lunch and dinner. On every Monday, the beef lasagna (usual price $17) goes for $12, Tuesday is 1-for-1 Pizza, and today they have the 1-for-1 pasta. All one for one dining promotions refer to items of same or lower value, which in my books, is a very good deal.

I like the tangy tomato sauce of the Tagliolini Neri Con Capesante ($24.50), the scallop was fine but I’d prefer prawns. Ever since I had the out-of-this-world squid ink pasta from Valentino’s Italian restaurant, everything else was bland and tasteless in contrast. I know this is an unhealthy obsession. It’s like the feeling of not being able to forget your ex-girlfriend which leads to the inevitable comparison between the two.

For everything that Ricciotti’s Linguine Al Granchio ($21.50) lacked in looks, it made up for it with the abundance of crab meat and the creamy rich sauce. This was the classic example of the plain Jane. Even though it had a seemingly average appearance, the pasta had a robust and flavorful taste that would make you forget about everything else.

At the bottom of the hollow Soffiato ($8.90), the satisfying ooze of the immensely dark melting chocolate and the component of the dark chocolate cake were flawless. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would be the ideal companion to the warm dark chocolate cake. But the chefs at Ricciotti had a much better idea, there was a twist in the form of the chocolate chip ice cream instead of the typical vanilla flavor. Yum!

Tiramisu and I have an inexplicable relationship. All I wanted initially was to stand from far and admired her. Though I harbored no illusions, I found myself falling for her, and I became greedy. She is my tiramisu and I am her lover. The timeless favorite, Tiramisu ($7.80) is the dessert that everybody love – mascarpone cheese cake with ladyfinger biscuits, coffee and cocoa.

* * *

1 for 1 dining promotions at Ricciotti

Monday // Beef Lasagne at $12 (Usual Price $17)
Tuesday // 1 for 1 Pizza (Choice of any pizza)
Wednesday // 1 for 1 Pasta (Choice of any pasta)
Thursday // Any Panini or Salad at $9 (Usual Price $14.80)
Friday // House-pour Spirits at $5 (Whisky, Vodka, Gin etc)
Saturday // 1 for 1 any Wines (On Bottles or Glasses)
Sunday // 1 for 1 Homemade Gelato
* All 1 for 1 promotions refer to items of same or lower value.

In case you are still confused about how the Ricciotti’s 1-for-1 dining promotion works, we paid $24.50++ (the higher value) for two pastas, which makes it very value for money. The 1-for-1 dining promotion is available all day for lunch and dinner. Now you know where to find me during lunch every Wednesday!

Restaurant Review
Ricciotti Italian Restaurant
3 Pickering Street
#01-36/37 China Square Central – Nankin Row
Tel: +65 6438 8040

20 Upper Circular Road
#B1-49 The Riverwalk
Tel: +65 6533 9060

“With so many restaurants at Holland Village, where should we have our dinner?”

Holland Village is like a foodie paradise in the West of Singapore. Tourists love Holland Village, and there are also plenty of locals who always frequent the area. Meanwhile I have been on the lookout for a good Italian restaurant to add to my list of Best Singapore Italian Restaurant. Since Amici Italian Restaurant is one of the few Holland Village restaurants that has been around for some time, we set off for an Italian feast during a weekday dinner.

My friend had never tried any Squid Ink Pasta before, so I was keen to convert her to a fan of the black and slimy, but absolutely delicious pasta. Unfortunately, Amici’s Spaghetti Nero Di Calamari E Merluzzo ($20.90) was a letdown. It was subtle, bordering on bland, with no distinct taste and the only saving grace was the two tiny pieces of fried cod – definitely not the best place to have Squid Ink pasta.

The Fettuccine Alla Russa ($19.90) on the other hand, was delightful with the bits of smoked salmon and caviar in vodka cream sauce giving the dish a robust and flavorful taste.

Tiramisu is a must-order in an Italian restaurant, and we had the ‘award-winning’ Tiramisu ($10.90) from Amici Italian restaurant. It was a competent rendition, but nothing extraordinary.

The other dessert that we ordered, Country Apple Crumble Pie with gelato ($9.90) was excellent. Each bite brought a refreshing apple chunk under the tooth, and the cold gelato complimented the warm apple pie perfectly.

Among the Seven deadly sins, I’d most likely commit ‘gluttony‘. I am willing to be a sinner just for this apple crumble pie from Amici Italian restaurant.

* * *

I am still undecided as to whether I will return to Amici Italian Restaurant. While it’s interesting to watch the chefs perform in the open kitchen, but it wasn’t very pleasant to leave the restaurant with the smell lingering on our clothes. If I am craving for Italian food, I will probably choose to go to La Nonna at Holland Village instead.

I have only been to Mykii Brasserie Cafe so far, please share with us which restaurants in Holland Village do you usually go to?

Restaurant Review
Amici Italian Restaurant
275 Holland Avenue
Holland Village
Tel: +65 6469 9989

There are many times when I have this dilemma if I should blog about a particular restaurant.

I have to admit that I didn’t include La Nonna into my Best Singapore Italian Restaurants list for selfish reasons. But on second thoughts, this blog is about sharing the best restaurants in Singapore, and I think it is a shame if no one knows about this great lunch deal.

La Nonna is having an ongoing lunch promotion, 50% off their ala carte menu for their weekday lunch. Personally I think that it is value for money, and the lunch promotion is available at both the Holland Village and Namly Place outlet.

Before Arnold (Mr Gadget) left for Melbourne, Valerie (dweam.com) and I brought him to La Nonna Namly Place for lunch. We had the Linguini al Granchio ($19.0 before 50% discount). Linguine pasta served with crab meat in tomato cream sauce and fresh basil.

The La Nonna Signature Pizza ($19.0 before 50% discount) reminded me of the Carbonara. A raw egg was cracked in the middle of the thin crust pizza that had tomato, cheese, asaparagus and hints of black truffle.

I believe I met my perfect mate. It was lust love at first sight the minute my eyes fell on the Tiramisu ($12.0 before 50% discount). “It’s rude to keep staring at it” I heard a voice at the back of my head. Against my freewill, my body commanded my arms to pick up a fork and gobbled up the dessert.

Valerie beckoned to me when the waiter emerged from the door with a flat white plate. Inside it was the Panna Cotta ($12.50 before 50% discount). The fresh berry coulis was like sexy red lipstick on the pale white skin of the smooth vanilla custard – it was totally irresistible!

* * *

La Nonna’s 50% lunch promotion is quite a good deal, do check it out for lunch while the promotion is still available.

Restaurant Review
La Nonna Singapore Italian Restaurant
76 Namly Place
Tel: +65 6762 1587

26 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village
Tel: +65 6468 1982

Note: 50% off ala carte Lunch promotion is from Mon to Fri, 12noon – 2.30pm

I have a dilemma, and yes it’s about food. You see, when I was compiling my Best Singapore Italian Restaurant list, I was wondering if I should include the new il lido cafeteria at Suntec City into that blog post.

Our dinner was good and affordable. but does it really warrant a spot in my top 10 Italian Restaurants list?

Judging from the no-frills decoration, to the reasonable pricing of the menu, one will probably not guess that il lido cafe is managed by the Italian fine dining restaurant if not for the name. All along, I have been intrigued by il lido cafe ever since I heard that they opened at Suntec City.

Thin crust pizza with tomato, mozzarella, ham and mushrooms, the Ham & Mushroom ($13.90) was a good way to start our dinner. Okay first of all, here’s the disclaimer: what you see in the picture is not the right way to have a pizza. It was done intentionally that way to show you that it’s not appropriate to use a fork and knife to eat pizza.

How to eat pizza

1) Never, I repeat, never use a fork and knife to eat pizza.

2) Use your hand and tear off a slice of pizza from the edge, and put additional condiments like cheese, chili flakes if necessary.

3) Roll it up, nibble from the crust, put the whole slice into your mouth; whatever ways that you prefer and EAT IT!

i know you are sitting there going, “Right. What’s so different about about your eating method?” You will be surprised, but there are so many people who eat pizza using a fork and knife! Pizza tastes the best when you eat it from your bare hands, and lick off the lingering taste on your fingers.

It was a close fight between the Seafood Vongole and Spaghetti frutti di mare ($13.50) and we went for the latter. I don’t know about you, but whenever someone mentioned seafood pasta, a picture of the luxurious seafood with al dente spaghetti will come into my mind.

Tomato base > Cream base

When it comes to pasta, I always prefer to have tomato rather than cream base (with the exception to Carbonara). All of us thoroughly enjoyed the seafood spaghetti, or maybe we were just hungry. But anyway, the spaghetti was gone in a flash!

I have to admit, I am a very visual guy. When I saw the photo of the Chicken Parmigiana ($13.50) on the menu, it was like love at first sight. Fine, I exaggerated, but clearly, I was attracted/enticed/seduced by appearance. It looked good, but unfortunately it didn’t taste as good. The fried breaded chicken breast was too dry, and there wasn’t enough Parmesan cheese to go along.

How can an Italian restaurant not have Tiramisu?

We were devastated when the waitress told us that the Tiramisu was sold out, but at least there’s the excellent Panna Cotta ($7.50) to keep us occupied.

* * *

I always have problems when I’m at Suntec during dinner time. Even though there are many restaurants at Suntec City, somehow none of them appeals to me. Even though I didn’t put it into my Best Singapore Italian Restaurant list, I could see myself coming back to il lido cafe. The food here isn’t like amazing, but from the items that we ordered, the pizza and pasta were competent, and for the price, there’s really nothing to complain about.

Which restaurants at Suntec City do you usually eat at?

Restaurant Review
il lido Cafeteria
3 Temasek Boulevard
#B1-012 Suntec City Mall
Tel: +65 6883 2341

OChre Orchard Central’s Agello – Australian Lamb Chops

When it comes to dining in Orchard Central, there are so many restaurants and eateries that we are really spoilt for choices. There’s a couple of restaurants at Orchard Central that I have been wanting to check out; for instance I have heard a lot of good things about Ootoya Japanese restaurant but the long queue always puts me off.

Like what I mentioned in my previous blog post on the Best Singapore Italian restaurants, I have been going to many Italian restaurants recently, one of which was OChre at Orchard Central.

When Mr Gadget was in town back in March, dweam and I brought him to OChre – an Italian restaurant on the 11th floor of Orchard Central. It seems inappropriate to start my introduction by jumping straight into the main course, but the picture of the Almond and herb breaded Australian lamb chops ($34) was too irresistible.

Rossini on right, Fegato Grasso on left

And then it was foie gras, and more foie gras! Our appetizer was the Fegato Grasso ($27), hot and cold foie gras. It was the virgin experience for both my dining companions when it comes to foie gras.

I was like, “Oh my god, how can you guys never tried foie gras before?”

It’s definitely one of the must-try food in the world! All of us preferred the hot foie gras, with a texture and taste that was consistent with the melt-in-the-mouth effect. On the other hand, the cold foie gras was a bit too much for us to stomach, with an overbearing gamey liver taste.

One of the main course that we ordered was the Rossini ($36). Done medium, the seared grass fed beef tenderloin also came with a piece of caramelized foie gras that sat smudgy on top. A bite of beef tenderloin and a bit of foie gras, I can’t think of a better combination!

If the chef is the artist, then surely the Doppio Carpaccio ($22) will be the piece of artwork. It was so pretty that we did not know where to start. Essentially it was a double carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallop and Parma Prosciutto. I’m a sucker for all things pretty, this is a feast for the eyes as much as for the stomach.

I couldn’t remember which pizza we had. All I knew was that: it was thin crust, with a very subtle tomato base topped with wild rocket.

The Acqua Pazza ($32) was the most disappointing among the three main courses that we shared. Fillet of red snapper braised in broth of clams, anchovy, capers and dried tomato – it was exceptionally ordinary.

Luckily, the Squid Ink Pasta and Duck Risotto were much better. The pasta was infused with squid ink and tossed in tomato sauce, the Squid ink pasta is one of my all time favorite pasta! We were intrigued by the Duck risotto, thin slices of duck meat were prepared with the risotto and lots of cheese, it’s very creamy and delicious!

It will be foolish to have an Italian dinner without trying the Tiramisu ($11). OChre’s rendition was generous not only in portion, but also in terms of the alcohol level. Give me a tiramisu and I will be a happy boy!

One of the must-order dessert at OChre Orchard Central will be the smooth and bouncy Pannacotta ($11). In addition to that, we also had the Creme Brulee ($10), which came in a trio of orange/espresso/pistachio flavors. Personally I preferred the orange over the other two flavors.

OChre Orchard Central has a complicated system in placed; there’s two different menus with the degustation set dinner menu at $68 per head for the interior dining, and the causal ala carte bar menu for the al fresco dining area.

In short, it means that you must order the set dinner menu to dine indoors. At $68, the dinner set menu includes antipasto, soup, pasta, main course and two desserts. While prices for the ala carte menu are around the $20s for appetizers and pastas, and $30-ish for main courses.

While the complicated system ‘forced’ customers to have the degustation menu; dining at OChre Italian Restaurant at Orchard Central is pleasant and doesn’t have the fine dining vibe. It will be better classified as a semi-fine dining Italian restaurant, and I wouldn’t mind having dinner at the breezy al fresco area.

From what I understand, OChre’s chef Kentaro Torii has been trained in Japan and Italy, naturally there’s a blend of the Japanese cuisine with Italian food. OChre Italian restaurant is a good option for a romantic dinner, with prices being slightly above mid range.

Which restaurants at Orchard Central will you recommend me to go next?

Restaurant Review
OChre Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#11-03/04 Orchard Central
Tel: +65 6634 0423
(Note: This was an invited tasting session)

Most people has the impression that I plan for all my food adventures. Usually, I’d choose the place for dinner based on my cravings at that point in time. Imagine this like a ‘wheel of food’, or a magic mirror of sorts: stomach, stomach, what are you craving for today?

My brain will conjured an image and there – the plan for dinner. After a particular cuisine/food has been decided, the next question will be: Where? This is when my lists of restaurants in Singapore come in handy.

Say if I want to have buffet for dinner, I will look at my Singapore Buffet List and it really makes life easier. I think everyone should jot down a list of must visit restaurants in Singapore! So how about you start from now? Take out a notebook and a pen, and start scribbling down the next restaurant you want to try.

Somehow, I have been visiting quite a few Italian restaurants in the past month, and I only noticed it when I was looking through the photos. So for the next two weeks, I will be blogging on some of the Italian restaurants that I went to.

Here’s a list of the Top 10 Italian restaurants that I want to try (or revisit) this year.

Basilico Italian Restaurant
1 Cuscaden Road
Level 2 The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3232
// Weekday Italian Buffet Lunch $38++
Saturday Italian Buffet Lunch $40++
Sunday Italian Buffet Brunch 55++ (Non-Alochol)
Daily Dinner $62++ (Semi buffet: starter & desserts buffet counter + choice of 1 main)

Bella Pizza
30 Robertson Quay
#01-14 Riverside View
Tel: +65 6734 0139

Da Mario Pizza
60 Robertson Quay
#01-05/06 The Quayside
Tel: +65 6235 7623

Da Paolo Bistro Bar
3 Rochester Park
Rochester Park
Tel: +65 6774 5537

La Cantina in Venezia
1 Netheravon Road
#08/09-02 Changi Village Hotel
Tel: +65 6546 9190

Osvaldo Ristorante Italiano
32 Maxwell Road
#01-03 Maxwell Chambers
Tel: +65 6224 0978

Pasta Brava Italian Restaurant
11 Craig Road
Tel: +65 6227 7550

Ricciotti Restaurant
20 Upper Circular Road
#B1-49 The Riverwalk
Tel: +65 6533 9060

Ristorante De Parma
14B Kensington Park Road
Serangoon Garden Estate
Tel: +65 6281 3380

Ristorante Da Valentino
11 Jalan Bingka
Mayfair Park
Tel: +65 6462 0555

* * *

Note that I didn’t include Il Lido at Sentosa nor Garibaldi Italian restaurant; both are arguably the biggest name in Singapore when it comes to Italian fine dining restaurants – but it’s just me, not them if you get what I mean. Among the 10 Italian restaurants that I have included in the list, I have only went to Ristorante Da Valentino, and to me it is definitely one of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore.

I have also heard a lot of good things about Bella Pizza and Osvaldo Ristorante Italiano, while La Cantina at Changi Village is definitely the restaurant to go for a special occasion like a birthday treat or anniversary celebration.

All right folks, now it’s your turn to tell me where is the best Italian restaurant in Singapore!

Right on the heels of a romantic dinner at Forlino, I had another amazing Italian feast – the following day. The original plan was to have a simple lunch somewhere else.

“Why don’t we go to Valentino?” I asked jokingly.

Apparently, my lunch date took it very seriously. To cut the story short, we ended up at Valentino’s after calling to confirm a table. Stepping inside Ristorante Da Valentino, it feels like we are in our charming Italian neighbours’ house for dinner.

Most squid ink pasta, or at least the ones that I’ve tried, had the quirky and murky flavor. This one tasted like squid ink. It tasted like fresh ink extracted on the spot.

Like the one that I’ve at Forlino the night before, the Fettucine al Granchio ($23.9) here was also infused with squid ink. Huge chunks of crab meat with the fettucine, tossed with the creamy tomato sauce – it was absolutely wicked!

Now we have a problem. I want every slurp of the pasta. No, I do not want to share.

Option A: Finish everything and re-order before my partner returns from the washroom.

Option B: Try to convince her that the mushroom risotto is better than the squid ink pasta.

I could see no Option C, even though I was secretly praying that she’d not like the pasta.

Unfortunately not. In case you are wondering, we wiped the plate clean. I’d die for the squid ink pasta, or less dramatically, save up and come here every week – just for this.

I want Risotto. My dear Seafood linguine, it doesn’t mean I don’t like you anymore. It just means right now, I’m craving for risotto more.

Mushroom risotto has a very important place in my heart. I don’t always order it, but when I do – it has to be good. Maybe subconsciously, we wanted more of the squid ink pasta, or maybe we had small appetite that day. Either way, just a word of caution: see the plate of Porcini Mushroom Risotto ($23.9) up there?

It might not look like a lot, but trust me, both of us couldn’t finish it.

Sweetie, it’s desserts, and Perla’s Pastry Boutique is calling!

Right beside the restaurant, there is Perla’s patisserie by Valentino’s sister. There’s no dine-in area for the patisserie, but the desserts are available if you are dining in the restaurant. It was an agonizing choice between the tiramisu, panna cotta, frutti bosco and their signature chantilly cake. But the sight of the gorgeous mixed berries were simply irresistible.

There’s a wise saying that goes like this: never trust a beautiful woman, and if I can add on to it, never trust the beautiful berries to taste sweet. Call me shallow, but I actually fall for it. Oh well, what to do, I’m superficial. Anyway I believe there’s blackberries, raspberries and strawberries in the Frutti Bosco ($8.80).

* * *

A romantic dinner for two is not necessary just about fantastic view or fanciful cuisine. Lovely, lovely place. Valentino is my definition of a romantic restaurant, it is all about us having good food in a cozy ambiance. Here’s a restaurant for Valentine’s day, reservations are definitely a must for dinner.

I’m going to bring all my friends to Ristorante Da Valentino for their homely, authentic Italian food. Rifle range road is directly opposite King’s Albert Park & Bukit Timah Plaza. Pick up your phone, and dial the eight digit numbers. Get on with it.

Restaurant Review
Ristorante Da Valentino
11 Jalan Bingka
Mayfair Park
Tel: +65 6462 0555

Ristorante Da Valentino is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore.

It is difficult for a restaurant whenever a chef left, especially for one that bears the namesake of the chef. For the longest time, I have heard about Forlino, an Italian fine dining restaurant at the second level of the swanky One Fullerton, overlooking Esplanade and the new Marina Sands.

Catherine, Ju and I had the chance to dine at some of the waterfront restaurants at One Fullerton, and we were at Forlino for their Valentine’s day six-course dinner (S$128++ per person) which will be available from Feb 12 to 14.

It can be quite a thwarting experience to find Forlino; there was the much-talked-about mysterious flight of steps leading to the restaurant. Black and white tiles, with blue paneled walls lined up the entrance right up to the main dining area – Forlino at One Fullerton is  a stunning restaurant.

Everyone was full of praises for the Jumbo Crab Salad, a garden of wild rockets with strips of crab meat. Alaskan King crab will always sound nicer, and taste better than a Sri Lanka crab.

“Is that Spam (luncheon meat)?” One of us blunted out.

I wasn’t that surprised when I saw that there’s Beetroot cake on the menu, since I just had Beetroot Halwa not too long ago. The texture of the Beetroot Cake had a close resemblance to luncheon meat. Anyway, most of us couldn’t finish this, but the Robiola cheese fondue, made from milk of cow, goat and sheep, was very intriguing – impossibly creamy yet airily light.

I can remember a while back when I tried my first squid ink risotto and I thought that the planet would stop spinning. It was one of those rare moments that made me go ‘awesome’, and I knew life would never be the same again. At Forlino, I had one of those moments again. It was a simple Homemade Squid Ink Tagliolini – or so I thought. While most rendition comes in the black, slimy sauce, the tagliolini here was infused with squid ink, and it was tossed nicely in the flavorful Sea Urchin Sabayon – no hideous black stains on the lips. The semi dried cherry tomatoes were the sweetest tiny things ever, I loved every slurp of the pasta – Awesome!

The medium Angus Prime Beef Tenderloin had a tinge of pink in the middle; subtle hint of blood, slightly charred surface – I’m sure you’d like this. Besides the beef, we also enjoyed the very tasty potatoes but none of us knew how to appreciate the bitter Radicchio.

“Where’s the black cod from?” Catherine asked.

“Atlantic” came the prompt reply.

The Black Cod Fillet was like meat in cod’s disguise. Peeling off layer by layer, I drizzled each piece of the cod and a bit of the asparagus with the Sicilian blood orange sauce. It’s a tough choice for main course: choosing between the beef tenderloin and the black cod fillet, but the Angus prime beef edged out slightly for me.

The Strawberry & Yogurt Mousse was a cliche, with the corny heart-shape sauce of peppermint chocolate sauce. But still, cliche is a cliche because it works, sometimes. I was expecting a highly complex, multi-layers dessert to wrap up the show -  oh well, a dessert’s still a dessert anyway.

* * *

This is the first part of a series that I’m doing on the waterfront restaurants in One Fullerton. I’ll like to thank Fullerton Heritage, and Lyla of Ate Consulting for arranging and hosting this dinner.

Service at Forlino was impeccable, all the staff was equally knowledgeable about the food and wine on their extensive menu. Under the lovely influence of moscato, good food, and stunning overview of the Marina bay; Forlino is definitely a romantic restaurant for Valentine’s day dinner.

Restaurant Review
Forlino
1 Fullerton Road
#02-06 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6877 6995

Senso ristorante is a fine dining Italian restaurant in Singapore that is located at Club Street.

If I do it my way, I will start every meal with desserts. A typical dinner usually goes something like this: complimentary bread and cheesesticks to keep you entertain, but that’s no dessert. Then there’s soup, appetisers, main course, blah blah blah until we reach desserts! So why do we eat desserts at the end when we are clearly anticipating for it from the start!

And when I go to an Italian restaurant, the first thing that comes to my mind will always, be the tiramisu. It is, the heart and soul, the perfect ambassador for Italian cuisine. Fine, I exaggerated. It is at least one of the first thing that you will think of when we are talking about Italian desserts. The Tiramisu Senso ($14) here was way better than the one I had at their bistro before.

And the second thing (for me) when it comes to Italian cuisine will be pasta of course! However, I was tempted to try Senso’s risotto, so we had the Risotto ($28) – carnaroli risotto served with saffron and sea scallops. It was good, but company always make the food taste better, and since my dining companion wasn’t a big fan of risotto, I should have gone for their pastas instead.

My companion also raved about the excellent Agnello (rack of lamb) that she had at Senso before, but we decided to try something new this time round. Food is always an adventure no? The choice of the second main was contested by the Manzo (beef tenderloin), Milanese (rack of veal) and the Ossobuco (braised veal shank). I was initially skeptical of having the braised veal shank since my previous encounter was a complete diaster.

But I was sweet-talked into it, and I’m glad that we ordered this; the Ossobuco ($34) was done just right, the veal shank absorbed the goodness of the sauce, I know tender is a word over-used when it comes to describing food, but yes, it was tender!

The Bruciata ($14) made its appearance in a very creative way and we were completely fascinated by the mini frying pan. Oven-baked egg custard, or more commonly known as Creme Brulee, I finished everything on my own!

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I didn’t manage to take any shot of the place, we dined in the charming al fresco area, but it was the private room that caught my eyes! That place is perfect for a group of twenty, I will definitely love to do a party there some day.

Senso Ristorante
21 Club street
#01-01
Tel: 6224 3534