Ristorante Da Valentino

Think authentic family-run Italian restaurants and Da Valentino is the first to pop into my mind. I haven’t been back for more than a year (or two?) since it’s quite inaccessible to get there without private transport. It seems like nothing much has changed though, the service is still excellent and attentive, the ambience cozy and warm, and the food? Hearty and unpretentious, just like homecooked food.

Complimentary bread that’s a must in any self-respecting Italian restaurants.

A Da Valentino “tradition” is that the waiter will recite the day’s specials, which are usually your best bet since the ingredients in them are freshest and quality is top-notch. The starter of deep fried fresh anchovies ($24.90++) is a welcome change from the other ubiquitous appetisers. With the heads still intact, these were amazingly delicate with a crispy thin batter, and the dash of lemon and salad greens cut the saltiness very nicely.

The platter of grilled eggplant, zucchini, artichoke, capsicum and olives ($20.90++) could do with a little less olive oil. I’d gladly trade this for one more plate of anchovies!

The star of my Ravioli ai Funghi ($28.90++) was not the al dente pasta itself. Nor was it the liberal dose of truffle oil. What’s delicious was the extremely flavoursome sauteed porcini mushroom which packed an umami punch. Compared to this, the thin filling of the stuffed pasta came across as too bland mild-flavoured.

My de facto Da Valentino dessert: tiramisu ($8.80++)! Friends can testify to how crestfallen I was when it was unavailable on my very first visit there. So what did I do? I had two on my next visit, just to make up for that first disappointment. And ever since then, I make it a point to have the tiramisu everytime I’m there. Dryness is never an issue and it’s still as soft and creamy as before.

Mental note to self: go back again when truffle season comes around. I can only imagine how awesome it’d be!

 

Ristorante Da Valentino
11 Jalan Bingka
Mayfair Park
6462 0555

K ki Sweets ケーキ

Seriously, it’s impossible not to fall in love with K ki. With the concept of quality living in mind, owners Delphine and Kenneth have created a space filled with warmth and love, pastries and art. Do talk to the witty couple if you have a chance! They are so friendly and upbeat, and chef-baker Kenneth makes funny faces when he’s talking animatedly, haha. Cakes are sold out everyday so it really depends on your luck and timing. Not wanting to risk disappointment, the authors of Hungry Epicurean, The Simplest Aphrodisiac, This is Yummy and I were seated inside the cafe bright and early on a Sunday morning, even before the open sign was flipped over!

K ki shares a common shop space with The Little Drom Store (run by the couple’s friends), which sells ultra cool retro knick-knacks, from vintage dresses and handmade bags to old-fashioned polaroids and other whatnots. Great for browsing on a lazy afternoon, with a slice or two of K Ki’s cake for company, of course!

Loving chestnut anything and everything, Mont Blanc ($8.50+) is my favourite! No doubt, no hesitation at all. Every element was perfect: smooth chestnut puree, light whipped cream, super soft sponge and an almond tart base. Not forgetting tiny bits of sweet chopped chestnuts embedded within the cream like hidden gems. Love l.o.v.e LOVE this!

Since there’s Mont Blanc the French mountain, Kenneth decided to have a SEA mountain on his collection too. A deliberate misspelling, Kinabaru ($8+) has layers of coconut mousse, passionfruit creme and a chocolate sponge base. The heavenly sweet-tanginess of passionfruit hits you first, followed by a subtle coconut aftertaste. Very interesting!

I’d be the first to admit that white chocolate is never my favourite because it’s usually so sweet. But the teardrop beauty Antoinette ($8+) defies the norm! The white chocolate mousse literally melts in the mouth *swoon* and hides a molten yolk of mango puree within that’s a tad too mild. Incredibly light and sweetness is just nice! 

Like Antoinette, Mona ($8+) is also named after a friend of Delphine and Kenneth. The latter’s take on the classic combination of chocolate and banana is as flawless as it gets. Mellow banana sweetness, creamy chocolate mousse, what more do you want?

Cafe Dumo ($7.50+) = chocolate + coffee. Another common combination that’s hard to go wrong with. Nice, but compared to the rest, not terribly exciting.

I’m a sucker for pretty food. Doesn’t the Strawberry Tart ($6.50+) look lovely? I’m certainly no tart expert but looks aside, this was humdrum just average with a slightly-too-hard almond tart base. Got to love the smear of gorgeous custard cream with specks of vanilla beans though!

K ki is definitely more than a pastry cafe. It’s love, it’s passion, it’s an experience. It’s a place for dreaming… Because K ki is a dream come true!

K ki ケーキ
7 Ann Siang Hill
6225 6650

Au Petit Salut

I love lunching spending quality time with my 3 favourite ladies in the world. And I love striking off a restaurant from my to-go list. So I made myself happy and did both by choosing Au Petit Salut for lunch, yay. Chi-chi location it may be, the set lunch is more than reasonably priced at $30++ with many choices for starter, main and dessert. Ultra value for money with coffee/tea thrown in too!

I felt slightly cheated disappointed that the complimentary baguette is outsourced from Delifrance instead of being freshly baked in-house. That said, it was served warm and crusty so no complaints there. 

Pina colada smoothie didn’t have that thick and creamy milkshake-like texture I was craving for but I like the tropical combination of coconut cream and pineapple juice. Love the French rum La Mauny, especially when flavoured with passionfruit and mango! Current promotion: $9++ for 2 drinks.

Tuna tartare with basil and olive oil, rocket salad and crouton: A very safe and simple appetiser that served its purpose well enough.

Pork rillette served with mesclun salad and walnut dressing: I can’t attest to its saltiness personally but just to give you an idea of how high the sodium level was, we had 4 refills of the bread basket just to counter its saltiness!

Oven baked Norwegian mackerel with melted capsicum and onions, olives and basil: You know I’ll never say “no” to oily fish! Smooth and tender, this had no fishy scent at all. Nothing “wow” but good enough to satisfy.

Crispy filo pastry filled with ragout of braised duck, mushrooms purée and salad: Another salty dish…

Red wine braised beef cheeks, carrots, mushrooms and parsley potatoes: Portion was very generous! The poor cow must have been quite a whopping fellow to have such big cheeks. Anyway, the sauce was quite bland and wasn’t as flavourful as I thought a good stew should be.

Crème brulée infused with fresh Madagascar vanilla beans: This won the most votes for the best dessert out of the 4 we tried. Spotted lots of vanilla specks which got me excited! Smooth texture and not too eggy custard with a nicely burnt sugar top.

Profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream in warm chocolate sauce: Crisp choux buns and crunchy sliced almonds are always pleasing.

2 buns gone in a flash.

Passionfruit “Blanc-Manger”: a.k.a. French version of panna cotta. This got a bit too milky after awhile so the tangy passionfruit came in really handy.

Cake “Financier” served with mixed berry compote and vanilla whipped cream: Though moist and soft, this was yawn-inducing compared to the others.

Overall, a pleasant lunch with good service and lush surroundings. Food was not fantastic as nothing particularly outstanding stood out. I’d probably describe the lunch experience as “nice” but sometimes, “nice” can just be so boring.

 

 

Au Petit Salut
40C Harding Road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road)
6475 1976

Laurent Bernard Chocolatier

I say this time and again: desserts are best shared with good friends. Sweet goodies just ain’t as nice if I’m having them by myself. It’s the “oohing” and “aahing” that makes the difference! This time, I went to sugary chocolate heaven a.k.a. Laurent Bernard Chocolatier with the equally even sweeter (haha!) authors of Divine Essentials, Hungry Epicurean and The Simplest Aphrodisiac. It’s a good thing that the guys had a super filling dinner before this, which means all the more for us girls, yay!

Soufflés are totally my kind of desserts. Good and not-so-good, fruity and exotic, I’ve been there, eaten done that. What’s lacking in my soufflé repertoire is the best one. Until now. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Laurent’s Chocolate Soufflé ($16.50++). This is the standard to beat from now on!

Rich, dark, intense, soft, moist… Trust me, this is exactly the stuff worth risking a sore throat for. And forget about the calories, please. I can describe the soufflé until the cows come home and words still can’t do this soufflé  justice. It’s just awesome. Awesome! Loving the super tangy raspberry sherbet too!

Laurent’s is not all about chocolate. There’s also many other soufflé flavours like Cherry, Rum & Raisins and Grand Marnier too and we had the Strawberry Soufflé ($11.85++) for “comparison” purpose. The first one out of the oven was a pseudo soufflé, i.e. a mere shell hiding zilch innards that collapsed before we could say “strawberry soufflé!”.

Reminder to self: Send soufflé back to the kitchen if it deflats within five ten seconds flat. Something is obviously wrong!

We had a beautiful replacement within 30mins. Notice how vastly different the “before” and “after” looked? I like how light and moist this is but flavour-wise, I’d prefer the essence of strawberry to be stronger.

I’ll take the chocolate soufflé over this anytime!

Crispy chocolate tarte ($6.80++) is my must-order whenever I drop by Laurent’s. Still as good as ever with its layers of hazelnut praline, smooth dark chocolate and crunchy almond base. And it’s pure luck that a new batch was in the oven when we ordered because there’s nothing better than freshly baked tart!

Pleasure ($9.80++) didn’t give me as much pleasure (pun intended!) as the soufflé and tart since I’m not a fan of milk chocolate. Chocolate cream, thin layers of milk chocolate sheets and a base of meringue, hazelnut and praline. It’s exquisitely made but just not the type of desserts I’ll crave for.

I totally adore the deliciously gentle assault on the olfactory senses once I step into the cafe. Just inhaling that subtle aroma of chocolate in the air is enough to make me happy. The power of endorphins chocolate!

 

Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar
#01-11 The Pier @ Robertson
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
6235 9007

Halia Restaurant

Reading food blogs is like reading the morning papers. Something to be done leisurely, and I’ve learnt that it’s best to arm myself with some comfort food within reaching distance so as to placate the rumbling stomach while drooling over the glorious food porn on the screen. And it’s a bonus that I can now put a face to the “culprits” who always make me hungry at the weirdest hour with vivid descriptions of their food escapades, haha. Our bloggers’ gatherings have become quite a regular affair and the recent brunch at Halia Restaurant in the Botanic Gardens was a smashing success with a grand total of 18 showing up! Well done, people!

Poached egg is always a favourite of mine but Halia’s rendition ($14++ for vegetarian option) left a sour taste in my mouth literally. The egg white was very sour, probably due to an overdose of vinegar in the water. Other than that glaringly obvious fault, I did enjoy the soft and thick brioche. Love it when it turned soggy after soaking up the runny yolk!

Other variations of the poached egg include: with crisp black bacon ($16++) and…

… with pan-roasted ocean trout ($24++). Personally, I think that this is overpriced, considering the small portion.

I stole more than a bite of the cinnamon french toast ($14++) with glazed strawberry and it was lovely in a very average manner. Soft and sweet, though the flavour of cinnamon was a tad weak.

Caesar salad with grilled chicken fillet, garnished with bacon bits and garlic croutons ($16++).

Kurobuta pork and portobello burger with apple aioli and mesclun salad ($18++): the controversial burger that elicited extremely mixed reactions!

Blue cheese mousse, maple-glazed roasted walnuts and wild mountain honey on multi-grain toast fingers, with young spinach and fresh fruit vincotto salad ($18++): overwhelmingly strong smell! Definitely an acquired taste.

I wasn’t impressed by the Cappuccino Dunkin’ Pit ($10++) which uses cheapo cream instead of ice cream and topped with cappuccino ice shavings. Chocolate biscotti on the side for your dunking pleasure, haha.

Meet the wonderful foodies gang:

Angeline from Simply Angeline;

Cheryl from The Baker Who Cooks;

Daniel from Memoirs of Food;

Fen & Yuan from Indulgence after Workout;

Glenn from Hungry Epicurean;

Harris from The Simplest Aphrodisiac;

Hui Yuan from Yuan Yuan;

Phoebe & Chloe from The Food Chapter;

Reiz from Sitting Wishing Eating; and

Zaylene from This is Yummy.

 

Halia
1 Cluny Road
Singapore Botanic Gardens
6476 6711

Element Restaurant

Mention “buffets” and I’m positive that Element Restaurant at Amara Hotel is not one of the first few to pop into your mind. If not for a close friend’s invitation to her birthday party, I wouldn’t have known of this restaurant at all! High tea is priced at $29++ per adult, $16++ per child on the weekends from 12 to 4pm. The spread is pretty limited and focuses on local favourites such as Roti Prata and Peking Duck.

As with all buffets, quality is a “hits and misses” issue so I won’t say much about the food itself. This will mainly be a pictorial post to give you an idea of the high tea spread.

My personal favourite was the cooked salmon (no surprise!) from the hot food section.

None of the desserts were outstanding enough to garner any raves even though there was a good variety from Italian panna cotta to American carrot cake.

The birthday cake: Strawberry Shortcake, an extremely creamy concoction from Four Leaves.

Happy 21st Birthday, babe! Love you lots.

 

Element Restaurant
165 Tanjong Pagar Road
The Amara
6879 2555

Mad for Garlic

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s all about garlic at Mad for Garlic. With a name like that, it’s a no-brainer! The theme of garlic was evident from the moment I stepped into the restaurant. Strings of garlic hang on the wall, above the light fixtures, along the tables… You get the idea. Most tellingly is the menu where all of the savoury items have an element of garlic incorporated in it. If not for Google and the introduction by Marcus, the operations manager, I wouldn’t have known that MFG is actually a popular restaurant chain that originated from Seoul and the Singapore outlet is the first outside Korea.

Think Sprite flavoured with Japanese yuzu (a.k.a. yuja in Korean) and you get Yuja-ade ($4.20++). The citrus tartness was too subtle and refreshing, though it got a little too sweet for me after awhile. Perhaps, more yuja would do the trick?

I was worried that Skinny Pizza has spoilt me for all other thin crust pizzas but MFG’s special Garlic Snowing Pizza  ($16.90++) shot that theory to hell. Topped with shrimps and pineapples, the crust retained its crispness and I particularly love the baked cloves of garlic and honey-sweetened sauce. The thin flakes of garlic deserved a mention too! Kind of cornflakes, just so much more aromatic. If there’s only one thing I’d go back for, this is it.

Though MFG is supposedly an Italian restaurant, the Red Devil ($19.80++) is as un-Italian as it can get. Pasta with lots of prawns, clams, squids and… beansprouts! I have to say that this is the first time I come across the combination of beansprouts and pasta, and surprisingly they go quite well together. Clearly, this is a dish tweaked to suit the Korean tastebuds. Note that this is an extremely spicy dish, great for chili+seafood lovers!

My first question to Marcus when I saw the Garlic Butter Shrimp ($20.80): “Why aren’t the prawns de-shelled??”. Turns out that since this is a franchise, there are so-called “rules” that the franchisee has to abide by. And one of them is that the prawns are to be served in their shells since Koreans like it so they’re perceived to be fresher. Okay… Anyway, though the prawns were fresh, they were secondary compared to the garlic butter sauce with lots of minced garlic and onions. Tasty tasty. But now that I know that the prawns are not de-shelled, I’ll have second thoughts about ordering this again. Too tedious. I know, lazy me, haha.

Don’t worry, desserts are spared the garlic touch! Rather than sprinkle the cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu ($7.90++), the chef created a cocoa-garlic on the plate instead. Cute! Taste-wise, I thought this was very nicely done, with a moist base, distinct coffee liqueur and a good balance of sweetness and bitterness.

What I like about MFG is its unusual creative take on Italian cuisine, though it’s far from being an authentic Italian restaurant. Since I belong to the camp of garlic lovers, I may be a little biased in my raves but just to provide a different perspective, the friend who’s totally NOT amoured of garlic was equally won over! I suppose it’s all thanks to special recipes (Marcus refused to reveal the trade secret, haha), the garlic’s pungent smell has been reduced drastically.

I walked out with garlic-free breath, I swear.

 

 

Mad For Garlic
#01-039, Suntec City (Galleria)
6333 1507

Skinny Pizza

Wheelock Place is fast becoming my favourite mall for dining in town. First, there’s the ever-reliable Cedele; now, Skinny Pizza is vying for my attention with its cheery vibe, funky retro decor, cute waiters and of course, the skinny goodness of its namesake. My first encounter with it was at Barrack Cafe a month ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Time to get it out of my system!

Still loving the Sweet Potato Nibblets ($7++)! Not oily and the sprinkle of salt and sugar is just right. Great consistency there.

I declare these the most addictive fries. Ever.

With heaps of well-marinated tuna chunks, crunchy pistachios, plump port-wine soaked raisins, avocado and herbed roasted tomatoes, Ahi Taki Pizza ($25++) was oh-so-delish! Nothing makes me more happy than chomping down all my favourite toppings in every bite. This is messiness in the best way possible.

You know how much I love squid ink, don’t you? Topped with calamari, fresh tomato salsa and onions, the magic with Squid Ink Pizza ($23++) lies in the squid ink paste. Briny and umami-rich, it’s perfect with the plain papadum-thin crust! This won more votes than Ahi Taki from the friends, but I’m not choosing sides since I’ll probably take ages to decide which one I love more. Both are equally delicious!

Lemon Cake ($12++) was a good choice even though it was not the birthday girl’s first choice for desserts since the ones she wanted were unavailable. Be warned that it may too sour if you have a low tolerance level but the tartness was just right for me. Light and zesty, this is a classic with layers of lemon butter cream, moist madeira sponge and lemon curd with a dollop of baked meringue.

Enough said, Skinny Pizza is my latest obsession! What a crack.

 

Skinny Pizza
#03-04, Wheelock Place
6235 7823

Ma Maison

When I was in secondary school, the friend and I used to talk about living in a traditional English-style cottage. I know I know, we live in Singapore, so that’s highly unlikely but hey, you can’t blame two 14 years olds for daydreaming right? 7 years later, I’ve found the perfect cottage facade in Singapore: Ma Maison, with its English cottage theme for decor. It’s impossible not to get sucked into the quaint and homely setting, what with the timber panelling, parquetry flooring, and charmingly cute memorabilia on the walls. The cuisine is supposedly fusion, which is not really helpful. So is it Western? French? Japanese? I reckon it’s a combination of all that and more, with a touch of Chinese thrown into the mix as well. Talk about confusing.

The grilled seabass ($16++) was fresh and nicely grilled but I didn’t fancy the heavy Chinese-style sauce, which was thickened with too much cornstarch.

Sometimes, good desserts things come when I least expect it! The homemade caramel pudding ($4.80++) deserves a spot in my list of ”mind-blowingly good desserts”. It’s not as cloyingly sweet as the word “caramel” may suggest – instead, it’s surprisingly light with a perfect level of sweetness. Übersmooth with a silky texture, this may very well be the best one I’ve eaten so far. Ok, it is the best.

Gotta love a place with such an inviting setting, good service and fabulous pudding to boot. Big eaters, take note: portions are on the minuscule small side so it may be a good idea to drop by for desserts after a proper meal elsewhere. That’s what I’d do, anyway.

Ma Maison
#02-51, Bugis Junction
6338 4819

Tao’s Restaurant

I’ve never heard of Tao’s Restaurant until recently when the friend mentioned that this is one of her favourite restaurants. Of course I have to go check it out! Apparently, Tao’s has been around for years and belongs to the same group as JuJu Hokkaido Hot Pot and Dozo (on my to-go-list!). The concept is straightforward: “One price, One Menu, Many Selections” ($19.90++ for 6 course lunch/ $29.80++ for 7 course dinner) and the fusion menu is a mishmash of modern European and oriental dishes.

Love the tangy and refreshing sour plum juice! This actually belongs on the menu of sister restaurant JuJu Hot Pot next door but the staff kindly brought us a serving each.

The bacon and mushroom gratin pairs well with the free-flow toasted bread but it was slightly salty and way too cheesy for me.

Instead of the gratin, my starter is off the menu (it’s actually the starter on JuJu’s menu, how convenient to have a sister restaurant next door haha) and this is my favourite dish of the day! Hard not to love eggs, especially when said egg is a 70% semi-boiled  beauty with a semi-solid yolk, served with cold tofu and a small slice of yellowtail. Extremely simple but terribly good! 

I happily polished off the slices of smoked salmon on my salad but neglected the pile of romaine lettuce which looked wilted and browned to me.

To my surprise, the waiter noticed and after knowing the reason, he insisted on letting me try another salad on the menu. So I had the fruit salad, a timbale of apples and peaches, topped with finely chopped crabsticks. Sweet and fruity (duh!).

Both the cream of mushroom (with lots of mushrooms!) and pumpkin soup had a strong dose of cream that I didn’t take to.

I hardly ever find fault with unagi, just because I like it so much that even an average one will make me happy. Thumbs up for Tao’s rendition of the grilled Japanese unagi which was soft and tender. I like. Pity that the portion was very small though.

Seriously, the stingray is a steal of a deal! The portion was so big that it put my unagi to shame. Very meaty and juicy, with a robust spicy chilli for that good kick to the palate.

The only complaint the friend had for her oven roasted steak? Portion was too generous! Definitely a plus for big eaters.

I don’t think dessert is Tao’s strong suit as none of the ones I tried are good enough to impress. Don’t get me wrong, they are decent and passable, just not something I would come back for. From top left, clockwise: cheesecake, tiramisu, yangsheng poached pear and creme brulee.

With so many choices and no ala carte options, there’s bound to be some hits and misses in our selections. While I won’t go so far as to say that this is one of the best meals I’ve had, I think that the value for money aspect offered by Tao’s can’t be denied. And did I mention that the service is impressive? Friendly and efficient with an attention to details, those guys bring “genuine service” to a whole new level.

 

Tao’s Restaurant
#B1-19, PoMo
6339 8858