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.

Otto Ristorante

Best Meal of 2009

Discovered: 26th December, Boxing Day.

I am absolutely in love with Otto.... Bewitched by Chef Michele's stunning culinary skills, impressed with the kitchen's quality insistence and showcase of fireworks-sparkling dishes.

The display of splendor over my 6 dinner courses was impressive. Otto's Gourmet Menu ($128++) encompasses several signature dishes, touching from foie gras to lobster to everything rewardingly luxurious. Under the hands of resident chef Michele Pavanello (previously from Pontini which i loved too), these luxuries transform into dishes of unforgettable excellence.

Beeeeedazzling.

From the bread selection of walnut, raisin, ciabatta, plain & onion focaccia, i happily called for 4.

Take onion foccacia and take lots of it! I fell for its dense, cushiony sponge body festooned with oiled onions, and made sure i pick up every fallen slice of them. The walnut bread was another crusty babe, especially good with a sharp balsamic dip.

Oh yes you get 12-year aged balsamic vinegar to complement your breads, beat that!

Amuse Bouche of the day: Roast beef ham with tuna sauce

elaine's Amuse Bouche of the day: Crab vol-au-vent

Folly me misheard the waiter's speech on Roast BEEF ham and was about to stash that tiny spoon into my mouth when he came in the nick of time to hit STOP button.

"Mam you mentioned you couldn't take beef? Good thing i came on time! Let me get that changed for you."

Moments later a petite Crab vol-au-vent appeared. A dwarfly clump of mayonnaised crab in dry pastry case won't make the show, but the waiter's observance did. That was more worth crediting than any pre-meal teaser.

Greetings, Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio. Fresh fork-mashable scallop circles brilliantly revitalized by hues of green. The caviar and chive snippets played important flavoring roles, while the drizzle of arugula-infused olive oil imparted moisture.

Second on the menu was Foie Gras, now a common quintessential on modern European menus. Pan-roasted glossy, with grease cut by the additions of Chianti poached pears & a condorelli liquorice dressing. The friend loved it.

Delish scrambled egg with... 3 grams of white truffle!

I opted out of FG to take a virgin jump at white truffles, via their Scrambled Egg with Blue Swimmer Crab. Avoided some unctuousness but unspared from sinfulness.

I silently observed as Chef wheeled his cart over. He carefully placed the golden baby on a weighing scale, shaved several flakes atop my dish, returned the lump onto the scale, then graciously took his leave. Leaving behind exactly 3 grams of bliss.

Chef Michele's scrambled egg is chiefly cream+milk+butter doused into egg, then meticulously cooked to Lilliputian curds... hmmm maybe even over a bain marie. It is creamy decadent, made extra scrumptious with chunks of shell-less blue swimmer crab.

ALL HAIL THE ULTIMATE LOBSTER PASTA~

People who know me should know my predictability when it comes to pasta. I've pledged my undying love for tomato-based sauces paired with seafood, and how i would assess homemade pasta with strict criteria. For years i've eaten countless renditions; satisfied at times, disappointed many times. Recollections come & go.

But when i fed myself a twirl of Otto's Homemade Tagliolini with Boston Lobster, i thought... This might just be the best ever eaten. No, it IS the bestest ever eaten!

Gawd it's heaven-sent!

Delicate, perfectly consistent strands of fine tagliolini married with a marvellous light spicy tomato sauce and juicy lobster pieces laced all around. Total stunner. I'm so having one full plate next time round!

Our fish dish was lovely too. Its a piece of European John Dory Fillet cooked in fresh tomato & basil sauce, served with thyme scented zucchini. Those strands of curly cooked zucchini were amusing... slightly crunchy, resembling noodles or way better than noodles. All seated in a light, appetizing passata.

After winning over the bread-loving, pasta-loving, white truffle-loving & fish-lovingness in me, he went on to conquer the last, not-so-pork-loving heart of mine.

I'm not usually into suckling pigs, not even at festive reunions or wedding dinners, unless forcibly offered. But right at my table, i happily mopped up the two of Otto's Crispy Suckling Pig slices lacquered with black locust honey & aged balsamic. That really says something.

My partner decided to have the Prime Beef Ribeye, which was done medium well and laced with barolo wine reduction. Good enough to silence the beef-lover for minutes.

Because our set's dessert ran out, we were open to the full list of options. #1 restaurant's recommendation: a respectable Warm Chocolate Cake oozing cocoa richness and fluffy thick lava. pretty yums. The Haitian Vanilla icecream burst full vanilla tunes, particularly reeking of extract, decadent to the max.

Again i admit, i never was a Creme Brulee fan. Given a choice i'll usually pick up a panna cotta or tiramisu but Otto's Haitian Vanilla Creme Brulee is one not to be missed.

I'm utterly impressed by its awesome balancing act.... Rich yet not cloying. Creamy yet not over-creamy. Eggy yet nowhere near egg-intolerance... You'll instinctively dig up to the very end! Along came a cup of mixed berries cooked in vincotto (a sweet dark grape must) i also loved. These dark syrupy reductions are right up my alley.

Otto executes top-notch finesse and is the best, if not, one of the best modern italian food you can get on this island. To be sampling white truffles for the first time in my life, nestled atop those creamy egg plateau, was great pleasure indeed. Chef Michele splendidly closed my 2009 with another few best discoveries.

Totally Otto-fied.

Otto Ristorante
28 Maxwell Road
#01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building
6227 6819

OSO Ristorante

After my last paper i soared into the skies with lightest mood and landed at Bukit Pasoh. Right next to Absinthe. Just me, my favourite person & my favourite cuisine...

Oso blissed the evening. They executed every proper demeanor a fine dining should possess, with service matched by few others. Chef Diego's food was spick-and-span and nothing to fault about.

If there's one thing to nitpick about Oso, it would be their breads. Sad to say none of the focaccia, wholewheat loaf & flat grissini arrived warm or particularly appetizing, even for a ravenous bread junkie like me.

For starters we shared a panfried eggs 'tegamino'. Here's half a portion, for the kitchen thoughtfully split it into 2 individual portions for us. There's black truffle puree, melted cheese and a cheery sunnyside up melded altogether within each little pan, served with bread crisps & a rosemary stalk for smells.

It takes diligence to whizz up a good pesto, and punctiliousness to use it well. At Oso the Linguine Vongole with fresh baby clams is coated in a basil pesto dye, making it a welcoming change from the usual white vongole. Dad enjoyed his green vongole.

Because monkfish cheek tagliolini was removed from the menu, i opted for my next best alternative...what else but Seafood Pasta haha.

The kitchen kindly obliged to switch spaghetti to tagliolini for me and served up a marinara prim & proper. Its real heartening to tuck into a virtuous plate of nicely cooked homemade strands, fresh seafood, garlic pieces and a subtle yet palatable red sauce. I didn't go head-over-heels but i happily slurped up to the very end.

yums.

And then i have to share about my love-hate relationship with the Dark Chocolate Crostata.

Loved the semi-oozy 70% dark chocolate fillings seeping out of its immaculate tart shell, blessed with a petite scoop of milk gelato. Think Hokkaido-milk-richness possessed in italian body, melted over those decadent gooey innards.... Totally sublime!

Hated the lingering cocoa aura that got me thirsting for more.

chef slicing cold cuts ala-order!

OSO easily clinched my favour. Having endured weeks of grueling exams, a spotless dinner like this is exactly what i needed. I'm officially putting them in my list of Italian reliables; one of those you could go knowing you won't be disappointed.

OSO is for keeps (:

OSO Ristorante

46 Bukit Pasoh Road

Singapore 089858

6327 8378

Cugini Trattoria

Somebody save me... i think i am sinking into the Cugini well!

He endorsed it. He too, seconded the thought of appraisal.

Tempt me like this (words & photos responsible) and chances are, my resistance vanishes. I just had to leap to Club Street one evening to experience that stupefying Frutti di Mare dish.

Whenever a 'Marinara red & hearty' craving strikes, i know exactly what i desire.. It has to be fresh handmade pasta cooked aldente or slightly beyond, coalesced with a rich flavorful tomato & herb sauce, fresh seafood and a sprinkle of ground black pepper to seal the deal. Amateurish renditions would only leave it awkwardly hanging.

If you still remember these guys from Robertson Walk (formerly known as Cugini Ristorante), they've now relocated as a casual Trattoria in Club Street. Much ceremoniousness axed but a new comfortable, laid-back charm exudes from the Ristorante-to-Trattoria transformation.

When food comes to talk, chef-owners Mauro & Gerri don't disappoint.

As usual, nothing better activates my stomach than a warm yeasty homemade hunk. We nibbled on soft dense whites and decorous focaccia cubes centered with cute tomato depressions. What's most interesting, is their unusually diluted tomato-based dip that lends a veneer overlay to the bread.

This was it. Cite Seafood Pasta to the waiter and he'll nod.

Just look at that brilliant sauce yelling phenomenal. A unique seafood-enriched flavor beneath sheens of country italian notes, olives & full-bodied tomato goodness i fell for. It tasted so so robust and complex, like as if a million ingredients had gone in there to mystify you.... practically impossible to decipher.

The chef adorns it with (paltry) pieces of mackerel, squid & shrimp and made the sauce ultra thick in consistency for close-knitted coating. The homemade spaghetti was cooked firm to the bite, hitting aldente almost immaculately. I twirled & twirled, scraped & scraped until everything was polished off. Delizioso.

This is indeed an addiction.

If pasta happens to not be your cup of tea, Cugini's risotto is another made-to-order alternative.

Rejoice when restaurants notify you of a 15-minute wait for your risotto, cos likely you'll be getting grains cooked from scratch just after you say "one risotto please". And this is a determining sign of quality. Pre-cooked (& reheated) risottos are habitually overcooked mushy or congee-ish, which puts the honourable dish to shame. Yet unfortunately due to the grains' fortified nature, it is unfeasible for most restaurants to accede to the demanding duration.

Cugini's Risotto mari e monti ($22.90) is clearly a lighter version, creamed simply by stock and the natural starches of italian riso. You don't get much creamy-cheesy gratification but the result is comparably palatable. Prime issue: too little seafood again, almost too beggarly to uncover.

We wrapped up with a White Chocolate Panna Cotta ($7.90) with raspberry sauce. Soft jelly-like cream pudding with a pronounced body of white chocolate. Beware this can get potentially gerlat if not for the small size.

one last closing shot bcos this is one darn good pasta!

I wonder why despite its popularity & credibility (almost like a signature!), the seafood pasta is still absent from the menu. Is it not available everyday, or are they trying to create a mirage of exclusivity?

Anyways. Since we cannot rewind it, the other 3Rs apply. I'm gonna have to Recollect, Revisit & Repeat it. Soon.

Cugini Trattoria Pizzeria

87 Club St

#01-01

6221 3791

Mykii

Say mee-kai.

Restaurants do me a huge favor when they insert a pronounciation pointer beside their names. Talk about moments of mooting 'ab-SIN-th' at Absinthe while Maitre d' Philippe Pau was lingering around; Or years of blazoning my love for (Cedele) SEE-deli's artisanal bakes when the trendsetting cafe was named to read SIR-deli. How embarrassing, elaine.

I learn from lessons. Now i make it a point to unearth all verbal verities before risking ignominy again. And to my greatest surprise, when i quizzed mum about Mykii, she actually answered mee-kai. Spot-on.

I'm picky when it comes to our rare family meals, mindful to ensure our dissimilar food preferences are regarded. Ideally Mykii had the refreshing decor & asian-hinting western menu to please all cards.

Beginning our set lunch with a Creamy Tomato Soup definitely hit the spot. The usually-sharp tomato piquancy is nicely shielded by a moderate touch of basil and cream, making it appetizingly welcoming.

Sis the all-cream pasta fan opted for the Mushroom Linguine ($13.80) in cream sauce, recounted as decent but a tad bland.

I am anti thin fish fillets.

I am anti fish-in-thick-flour-coatings.

When the two happen to superimpose, you get disgruntlement twofold. Their Pan-fried Dory Fish ($13.80) with roasted root vegetables is dunked in liberal batter that a jacket forms. It is not inferior, just bomb-denotating for me. Nonetheless the viscid garlic cream sauce was sugary nice~

I read enough about their Seafood Linguine with Laksa Pesto ($15.80) to summon an order. The condiments in soupy broth resembled your routine prawn-fishcake-taupok laksa, reformed with pasta, squid & clams instead of see-hums. You don't get bubbling hot gravy at your neighborhood coffeeshops too.

Uh-oh Rose meringue unappreciated. Rawish-centered, awfully sweet, artificial barbie pink were just characteristics out of the folks' tray. A pity no choice was offered for the set's dessert.

Reluctant to leave with a dessert grudge, i popped another Raspberry Macaron ($2) down my sugar-well. Here's more barbie pigment in a light acceding shell but i wish they would revise their rickety buttercream.

Despite the disconcerting surge of small cafes, characterized or characterless, i'm loving the service of these modest businesses. They value feedback, earnestly try to ensure a satisfying exit (lest you ruin their reputations haha) and i admit service is a huge hoo-ha to me. Shame on some profit-driven establishments who fail to even take cognizance of diners' dissatisfactions. Small is good.

Mykii Brasserie Cafe

17d Lorong Liput

Holland Village

6468 2838

Dolce Vita

Sweeeeet Italian cuisine on my birthday.

I knew for myself how a dinner of bread & pasta would gratify so i fluttered down to Dolce Vita to effectuate it. Chef Marco Pedrelli totally charmed me over that evening with his upstanding Mediterranean fare & sincere affability to boot... Life is sweet indeed.

Dinner here can be a formal or relaxed affair, depending on your choice. Dining by the poolside bodes a calming retreat but i chose the warm interiors instead. Either way you're assured of laudable service from Mandarin Oriental's groomed waitstaffs.

The Olive bread had ciabatta's crust, but moister clingier insides. Escorted by a trio of sun-dried tomato paste, evoo+balsamic & flavored salt dips.

Amuse Bouche came in the form of cold cuts platter, sesame grissini & oil-marinated eggplant with capers. The cured meats sodium balanced in accordance to my liking. Twirl twirl twirl your Parma ham round the light grissini stick....

For mains, Linguine di Gamberi ($30) clinched an easy win. The prawns were sturdily enormous and strands spiced up in garlic-chilli olive oil glaze. I emphasize, glaze. Chef deployed a simple sticky viscous glaze to draw the dish's intensity. No sauce pools required.

My Spaghetti Marinara ($28) grasped similar execution. Seafood shelled primp & proper, glaze still as marvelous. A light coat was all it took for the strands to bloom in flavor... Every forkful released powers of evoo, garlic & savory tomato bodies yum.

Chef Marco insists all pastas to be handmade daily using a pasta machine hailed from Italy. His pasta is out-of-the-ordinary. Spaghetti comes Size L in full expansion, bearing firmer-than-usual bites... i totally took to this unique rustic rendition.

Stunning Olive Oil Macarons pre-dessert. Tender shells. Full-bodied EVOO fillings. These may change your perceptions of sweeetaphobic macarons.

Tiramisu ($14) was a literally neat slice (probably the neatest i've came across) binding firm mascarpone between thin sponge layers... there's even tiramisu icecream & almond biscotti to counter potential bitterness.

FRANGOLA- 14 year old balsamic-marinated sweet strawberries, vanilla cream, strawberry sorbet * Imagines strawberry chunks doused in black killer vinegar. oooh i got excited...

Until Frangola ($14) arrived on plateau and proved my apprehensions wrong. It was a good tart with almost-too-little yummy vanilla bean custard & toppings of strawberry slices interweaving white chocolate sheets. On the side a gummy Strawberry sorbet that pleased.

They ought to amend descriptions to "strawberry & white chocolate TART, vanilla custard, strawberry sorbet".

Then the restaurant successfully ambushed me with a slice of cake+song from the entire service team whoa before Chef's appearance with a red rose...... Really really sweeeeet of all of them!

*wish made, fingers kept crossed.

Chef & me (& rose) under unflattering incandescent lighting

This meal definitely climaxed my Nineteenth.

What can beat a birthday dinner with your favourite cuisine, a winsome chef & the person you love most in this world? Nothing comes close.

elaine had a happy, happy birthday...

Dolce Vita

5 Raffles Avenue

5F Mandarin Oriental Singapore

6885 3551