It is said that while Malaysia has better hawker food, our neighbour down South trumps us in fine dining fare.
Armed with this belief, I asked Shirley for recommendations for a ‘nice place to eat’. She came back with a few suggestions, one of which was Ristorante Da Valentino.
Reviews on-line were overwhelmingly positive; a cosy, family-owned semi-fine dining Italian restaurant that reputedly serves the best pastas in town. Reservations, especially during weekends are a must. We decided on Ristorante Da Valentino and got a 8.30pm Saturday dinner slot.
Single obligatory interior shot. I was a bit shy to go around and take photos
The restaurant is warm, cosy and expansive. The bricked walls inspire mental images of what Carmela Corleone’s kitchen would look like. Cleverly partitioned nooks and corners encourage private dining and moments. In short, a perfect place for a good simple meal, a romantic date, a classy get-together, and if you were the couple seated next to our table that evening, an argument on the verge of a relationship break-up.
We ordered a few starters to share and thoroughly enjoyed all of them! It greatly pleased me, an appetizer lover that they do it so well here! One could argue, what is so difficult about putting together cheese, ham and melon? No, not very but with that attitude, you’re going to be eating a lot of meals alone! 😛
Gourmet Porcini mushroom soup with truffle oil (S$15.50)
Thinly-sliced Prosciutto Ham on Rock Melon (S$27.90)
Slicing up the big burrata for us to share. Thanks!
I was REALLY looking forward to their pasta as I was repeatedly informed that this restaurants makes them really good, the best etc. Well, my mistake to have too high expectations. My aglio olio was too salty, evident from the overuse of salted pasta water to bind. I found the fettuccine and risotto to be average. They weren’t bad, but I kept waiting for something explosive to happen to my taste buds.
Like I said, my mistake.
The good thing is, the seafood was fresh. If you eat out as often as I do, you’d not take this seemingly little thing for granted. I appreciated the al dente pasta; in Malaysia the de facto way to cook pasta is slimy soft because apparently, that’s how Malaysians like it (NO, NOT REALLY, STOP DOING THAT!)
The best course of the evening was Hassan’s lasagna. A small portion, but absolutely delicious! The ragu sauce tasted like ten thousand warm hugs in the bosom of a loving Italian woman, in the bone chilling cold of mid-winter.
Linguini Aglio Olio with Seafood (S$28.50)
Squid Ink Fettuccine with Crabmeat in Creamy Tomato Sauce (S$29.90)
Risotto with Seafood (S$27.50)
Lasagna with Braised Beef and Tomato Sauce (S$21.90)
The dessert that stood out was the panna cotta, wobbly and creamy and hits all the right notes. The tiramisu with alcohol-soaked biscuit base was delightful, good for sharing especially after your main meal.
Menu prices exclude 10% service charge and 7% GST. Our bill came up to S$340, and we didn’t have any wine. That’s about the same price you’d pay in a similar restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, except that you may get one or two wine by the glass out of it.
All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. Decent food, lovely ambiance, good friends. Our waiter, though incomprehensible at times, had a wicked sense of humour. When asked for directions to the ladies, he replied in a straight face,
“.. turn left, go straight on and you’ll see a bus stop..”
Ristorante Da Valentino
200 Turf Club Road,
#01-19, Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 6462 0555
Website: www.ristorante-da-valentino.com
Opens Tues to Sun. Lunch: 12pm – 3pm. Dinner 6pm – 10.30pm