Al Dente Trattoria

Today Maxim is giving his fans in Singapore a chance to hear him in Esplanade concert hall. It was a two-day concert but I thought the first day is better as the playing is fresh. It was just an excuse, I know, cus he played perfectly each time. It was starting around 8 so we were having some dinner before that. There are not much that you could choose in Esplanade, but at least some of them are really decent.

We settled for Italians at Al Dente Trattoria. A month before Christmas, the decor was holiday-ish already. It was raining a little, so we sat indoor at the lower floor. The service was very curtious and attentive, reminded that this is a pretty fine restaurant. We shared some bruschettas (or at least I thought there would be some of them), which came in a single toasted foccacia square, topped with some tomatoes, arugula and pesto. I love the combination of arugula and pesto but I think they could do more with the presentation. Everything scattered as we tried to cut it and the pesto weren't distributed evenly.

For the mains, we all had the pastas. A friend of mine had this Wagyu Bolognese Parpadelle. The look was very tempting and he said it was good too. Using wagyu as a substitute for the usual ground beef is genious, I think, as it will bring more flavour to the dish. As the name promised us, the pasta is cooked al dente; meaning it's not too soft nor hard. In other words, cooked til perfection.

The Aglio Olio Linguini appeared differently from what we normally had. It has some kind of watery sauce despite the usual dry combination of chili, garlic and oil. The taste, however was undeniably delicious. Though it was weird to be having it wet, the sauce actually brought an additional goodness to it. The buttery flavor mended well with the garlic and chili, making the dish more aromatic and tasty.

The last dish on the table was Penne Arrabbiata, which is what I was having. It sounds simple: penne and tomato sauces, but came suprisingly rich in flavor. Red crushed tomatoes are mixed with some aubergine, onions, mushroom and parsley, producing the most scrumptious arrabbiata I've ever eaten. All dishes are served hot, which gave them an additional score.

I would definitely visit this place again if my pocket allows me. It was a little expensive for pastas, but are still affordable compared to those high-end Italian dining places. They are currently having this promotion for the wood fired pizzas, priced at $10 each. I'll definitely checking them out.

Al Dente Trattoria

Colors by the Bay #01-13

Esplanade

Singapore 039802

Tel: 6341 9188

Graze: Table for Three, Please

"There you go, finally we're here!" said my friend I when we first spotted the sign. It was half past eight, no doubt we were very hungry. Walking down the road from the valet-service, the air was full of food aromas, musics and chattering sounds from the cafes along the way.

The lounge seen from our table

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It was our lucky day, since there was only a table left available. We didn't mind outdoor seating at all but rather pleased as the weather was supportive that night. Another good thing that I like about the seating's in Graze is the lounge, where you can relax a little bit before or after dinner while watching some classic movies.
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The complimentary breads that were gone by the first minutes

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I noticed some changes in their menu, the main entrees are mostly replaced by a longer list of some exquisite meals. They're also serving some grilled stuffs and a wider range of pastas, as well as vegetarian foods.
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The tiger prawn linguine ($29), with a generous serving of wild rockets, has that subtle flavour of white wine and a sharp garlic taste. I like the simplicity here, less ingredients doesn't always means taste-less.

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Just like it's name, the trio of cheese risotto ($27) starred three cheese in the rice: stilton, mascarpone and taleggio. Not that spectacular, but just deliciously smooth and creamy.

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This is the star of the day. Taken from the vegetarian menu, this organic pumpkin ravioli ($27) dressed in shallots, hazelnuts and some fresh herbs. The pumpkin fillings was a true winner, very rich in flavour, a little spicy with some chermoula.
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Clockwise from the top left: sour soup sorbet, banana fritter with ice cream, bittersweet chocolate tart with banana, Graze black and white puddings with their ice creams, homemade strawberry and honeycomb ice cream, classic afrigado, chocolate creme brulee, apple, pineapple and cherry crumble, and in the middle, pavlova with mango sorbet.

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We were stuffed; but I still wanted my dessert. The last time I was here I had the dessert tasting platter ($35) which I found very amazing. Since my best friend I was only staying for a short trip here, I really wanted her to taste it. It's basically a sample of all the desserts on their menu but only in mini portions.

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We're really glad that we had to walk back since we need that extra move to get the foods down the throat a little before we sit again. It was a real delectable dinner though, a stunning meal with my closest friends.
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Graze

4 Rochester Park

Singapore 13921

Tel: 6775 9000

Website: http://www.graze.com.sg

The Marmalade Pantry

I took my best friend T for a dinner yesterday at Marmalade Pantry in Palais Renaissance. I've been telling her about their amazing sticky date pudding but she never had a chance to try it. Since it was during the weekday, I decided to just walk in without reservations. Sure enough, though it was around 8 p.m., we were the only guests at the restaurant.

We ordered this homemade pita wedges ($9) for starter. It went very well with the dips.

T had the warm spinach & roast onion salad with bacon & mozzarella ($21). It came in a quite huge portion and served with the poached egg on top. The caramelized onion gives a subtle flavour to the fresh spinach and crispy fried mozzarella.



I had the penne with fresh pesto, tomato and grilled butternut ($18). I've always love pesto and pumpkin, the combination of both in a pasta is just wonderful.


Finally, the sticky date toffee pudding with vanilla bean ice cream ($12) that we shared between us as we were quite full. Though it was my fourth time eating this dessert, it gave me an "oomph" feeling. The warm date pudding is not too overly sweet, perfectly paired with the toffee sauce and cold vanilla ice cream. I personally think that this is the best dessert from this place. Even T has agreed with me now.

We got a little surprised when it came to the bill. They are having a "ladies night" every Wednesday and 20% discount is given to every girls dining in. Now girls, you know the best time to visit them. And don't forget the sticky date pudding! ;)

Marmalade Pantry
390 Orchard road
#B1-08 Palais Renaissance
Tel: 6734 2700