Ristorante Da Valentino @ Mayfair Park

Jo and I visited the above Italian restaurant for my 1st year anniversary together. Both of us wanted to find out how good this restaurant was because there were much good reviews and hype on this restaurant. So, we decided to give it a go.

This place is surely popular. It is hard to even make a reservation especially on a public holiday. And I was told by the staff that it’s best to make a reservation about a week in advance.

The food we ordered then:

Squid Ink Pasta

It's 2-thumbs up for this dish. It was simply delicious. The pasta was freshly made and you could taste the difference as compared to those commercially packaged ones. The famous squid-inked sauce was really good. It didn't have that overwhelming creamy sauce that would make you sick after a few mouthfuls. It was tasty with the hint of the ink's flavour but not overpowering the sauce of the dish. The crab meat was from fresh crabs!! I must emphasize this because most of the time you would only either get crabsticks (which is gross) or frozen crabmeat. But in this, you can taste the crab meat straight from the first bite to the last piece of crab. Awesome. Rating: 4.5/5

Cheese Steak

I am personally a steak and cheese lover. So my expectations may be a bit on the high side when it comes to either steak or cheese dishes. The potatoes were soft and sweet boiled to perfection and tasted great with a pinch of pepper and salt. Everything about the cheese steak is in the sauce. You could have the best beef in the world but if you can't bring out the intense feeling from such a dish, then it would not be worth it. In this case, the sauce didn't disappoint. Just by using your fork and dabbing the sauce slightly and tasting the sauce would make you feel good (if you are a cheese person). It had the flavour and complexity this sauce is supposed to give. Much could be improved on the steak though. The meat was rather tough though it was done to perfection (medium rare for my case).

Rating 3.75/5

Mixed Cheese Pizza

The pizza came as expected, flat and thin-crusted like an Italian pizza should but the aroma was lacking in punch. This pizza, quite disappointingly, did not come with a heavy and strong aroma with its different cheeses filling the air that makes non-cheese lovers cringe at first waft. In my view, what makes Italian pizzas stand out from the rest would be the quality of their crust. It should be flaky, light and complement the ingredients. It should make you feel that you want to have more as you savour the flavours of the toppings. Yet, this pizza's crust is not perfect and was a tad hard when it cooled down.

Rating: 2.75/5

Pricing

The bill came to around $150 if I remember correctly. It is consider a bit above average pricing.

Service

The service is good. The staff were very friendly and it gives the feeling of a homely family Italian restaurant.

Ambience

It is a very cosy family Italian restaurant. Subtle and good for dining. However, if I remember correctly, the space was a bit tight (maybe because I quite big!).

Others

We came to this restaurant expecting it to blow us away; but I must say only the Squid Ink Pasta is the dish that lived up to the reviews. This restaurant is still a good place for authentic Italian cuisine but remember to book a place in advance.

Sun with Moon Japanese Fine Dining [Wheellock Place]

The Sun with Moon Japanese Fine Dining restaurant is situated on the 3rd level of Wheellock Place if you aren't aware. This was where Olio Dome used to be. Massive renovations had been made to this place though and the setting, instead of traditional, adopts a contemporary style. I first visited this restaurant through word of mouth. I had no idea that it was fine dining and thus was taken aback by the prices on the menu. The food they serve were not the typical traditional Japanese cuisine you will find elsewhere but more of a fusion. As I scanned the menu of mainly fusion Japanese cuisine, I didn't have good vibes.

Nonetheless, I ordered the following:

Oysters with bacon and spinach
Forget your typical oyster shooters. This one is prepared in an oriental way: the fresh oyster’s grilled to perfection (with the outside a little charred and the inside soft and piping hot). This was then served with spinach and topped with bits of bacon. It was simply delicious.
Rating: 4.5/5

Scallops with spicy cheese sauce

After savouring the food, I changed my mind about 'hybrid food'. I never knew they could taste so heavenly! Though served in small proportions, each bite is simply flavourful. I would rank the scallops with spicy cheese sauce first if you're someone who loves cheese like me. The oysters were fantastic too.
Rating: 4.5/5

Foie Gras
I’ve tried the foie gras too but I had better in another Japanese restaurant at the cuppage building. This one by Sun with Moon was a tad too oily for my liking. If you haven't tried foie gras before, then perhaps you should.
Rating: 2.5/5

Sushi

Other than the above, I tried two types of sushi too. One was the rainbow sushi and another salmon with teriyaki sauce. The rainbow sushi comes with mango and avocado and has a subtle sweetness. They are good appetisers I guess. Personally, I prefer the salmon with teriyaki sauce. Its seaweed was grilled and thus crispy. Yummy! [Note: Sometimes they do serve you sushi that’s not freshly prepared and that is one big disappointment!]
Rating: 4/5 (as long as it’s freshly prepared!)

Desserts
Sesame Pudding

The sesame pudding was a killer! It has a subtle sweetness and the sesame was grinded finely. It was smooth and fragrant. I haven't had it elsewhere so far.
Rating: 4/5

Mango Shavings
I wouldn’t blame you if you thought this looked like our typical mango cocktail dessert or ice kacang served at kopitiams. However, after the first tasting, you’ll realize how different and marvelous this dessert can be! The mango is the best I’ve ever tasted. It is always sweet with a strong mango fragrance and never sour. Rating: 4/5




All in all, I would highly recommend you this place. No doubt it is going to cost quite a bit, I can guarantee that you'll sure love it and return for more (like me). : )

Pricing
My bill usually comes up to $90-120 for two. For fine dining, I think it's very affordable. : )

Service
Their service was rather average. Perhaps for fine dining, we tend to expect more?

The Ambience
I love the décor of the place but for a fine dining restaurant, there’s much hustle and bustle.

Others
I would usually have the above dishes and give the set meals a miss. Their steamed rice with sweet potato isn’t to my liking at all. Please always make reservations at least three days in advance. They are always fully booked. There are two other branches at The Central and Chjmes. I’ve not patronized these restaurants though.

Last Date Of Visit: 29th September 2007

TCC – The Coffee Connoisseur

[Branches visited: Shaw, Shenton and Millenia Walk]

To begin, I’ve never thought the coffee at TCC a WOW factor. In fact, its yogurt drinks are the ones that got my attention. For that, I’ve tried the mango yoghurt drink and peach yoghurt drink. I prefer the former, for it has a more authentic mango taste.

If you had been a fan of TCC and have not visited the café lately, you will be surprised that they had a change of menu, which I would say…for the better. I haven’t had the chance to try all but I always welcome a positive change and more exotic menus. In fact, to me, TCC often succeeds with exotic menus.

Food We've Tried
Smoked Salmon Avo-bayon
I tried the Smoked Salmon Avo-bayon sandwich and simply love it! It came with a copious spread of mashed avocado with mayo (I think?). Simply marvelous. The smoked Salmon that came in generous slabs were fresh and not too salty.
My only gripe is the food presentation. Of course, it looked palatable when served but after some ravaging by me, the whole mess just didn’t look quite appetizing. :p
Rating: 4/5

Beef D'luxe NEW
This is much better than the Moo Moo burger Ken tried at Vittles. The meat was tender and not overpowered by the sauce that accompanied it. Also, there were interesting slices of apple on the patty which simply enhanced the taste.
Rating: 4/5





Potato Wedges with Melted Cheese Dip

Sadly, now they come in less quantity but they’re equally good! It’s always served hot and crispy, while the inside is soft.
Rating: 4.5/5

Mango yoghurt drink
A little inconsistent – sometimes there was more of mango, sometimes more of yoghurt? It doesn’t really bother me though because both taste good.
Rating: 4/5
Note: I’ll go Millennia or Shaw Branch for dining because they serve better food. : )

Pricing
We spent about $50+ after a 10% discount using Citibank card.
With TCC card, the discount is 15%. You may find out more through its website.

Service
3/5 for Shenton branch – our orders took longer to arrive and they seemed understaffed somehow?
4.5/5 for Shaw and Millenia branches – all waiters were polite and they constantly check on your needs to refill water and asked for your comments on the food

The Ambience
For just coffee and desserts, you may try the branch at Shenton because you can sit informally on the floor or on large bean bags provided to enjoy your cuppa.
For serious dining, I recommend having proper tables and chairs which all outlets provide.

Others
Website: http://www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com/

Last date of visit
28th September 2008

We Live to EAT

Ken & I believe in a common motto in life, that is, "We Live to EAT"!

We LOVE food (okay, only good food) so much that we work out just so we can eat more. *Chuckle*

If you're someone who would resist that plate of Char Kway Teow or Durian Pudding for fear of adding inches to your waist, then you really don't know what you're missing out in life!

Anyway, we often do a google search to glean information from websites or blogs before we venture out for a good meal. We had good experiences and also bad ones. This taught me a few things.

When reading Food Reviews online, analyse the following before making your own judgement:
1. Reviewer's intention [Was he advertising for someone?]
2. Reviewer's preferences /standards for dining
3. Date in which the review was posted [Very important! Standards do vary over time!]
4. Specific branch of the restaurant that was reviewed on [Branches do differ in standards too]
5. Consider comments made by others

Therefore, in this blog, we'll write succinct reviews on food we've tried in sunny Singapore to share with everyone. We'll try to take and upload photographs as far as possible because sometimes, the food's just so tempting that it slipped our minds! Last but not least, we welcome your views on our reviews. :p