Da Valentino Magic

Loved the bread. Loved my pasta. Loved loved my dessert.

The verdict: LOVING VALENTINO!

Forgive my improperness. When restaurants turn me head-over-heels, i lose formal senses and write wholly to convey my honest, sincere excitement about them like little kid meets Mickey Elaine meets Doraemon.

You know, Valentino has long been on my to-try-list and i cannot forgive myself for deferring the visit with excuses like...

(1) it's inaccessible location

(2) crazy waiting list

COS NOW IM CONVINCED IT IS WORTH THE WAIT & TROUBLE & EFFORTS.

If there's a seduction i'm highly vulnerable to, it's bread. Valentino's fist-sized roll served with pesto dip was one of those hot vamps. Though not moist, it's got fluffy innards and is incredibly light-weight. Light as a pebble. You'll be tempted to ask for seconds.

Here's another place offering risottos cooked fresh upon order. Dad's Risotto ai Frutti di Mare ($23.80) was skillfully simmered, bearing all the qualities a good risotto should possess. The grains are not too mushy or hard, nicely blessed with an orangey tasty seafood broth. Plenty of seafood to go along too.

And how i adored & enjoyed my Fettucine al Granchio ($23.90)!

I'm officiallly adding this to my list of pasta favorites right after Otto & Cugini. Despite switching the smooth pink sauce to classic tomato (and highly warned by our waiter as a bad choice) the pasta completely delighted, more especially after the dispiriting advice. Their homemade squid ink fettuccine was springyly good to the bite, generously laced with fresh crabmeat chunks & dressed in a sauce so rustically flavorful... whooo uber DELICIOUS!

Valentino's dessert trolley rolls in steadfastly like movie credits. From the lot, Dad hit White Chantilly straight. Perla's signature is a light sponge cake paired with white chocolate chantilly cream that paints a decent finish.

I probed in deeper for recommendations.

'Panna cotta's good!' the waiter exclaimed before hushing to continue... 'How about a white truffle panna cotta? we've infused all our season's leftovers and... we've got only one left."

Predict the ending.

White Truffle Panna Cotta of course!

Let's heck the $20 pricetag for this big bang of fragrance. My finale came as a pyramid of opulent cream, tolerance-exceeding for some but easily supported by the cream-o-manic stomach of mine. The white truffle scent was so silencingly gratifying, i swooned and floated in truffle-dessert lalaland.... * floats away

While floating i turned to ask Dad, "Shall we make our next reservation already?"

That's the Valentino magic.

Ristorante Da Valentino

11 Jalan Bingka

Mayfair Park

6462 0555

Note: Reservations absolutely necessary.