Good Day Everyone,
For a while there I’d gotten into a good routine of posting
blog posts on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday but I missed this Monday – I’m
sorry. I’m struggling a fair bit at the moment with my right hand. Another
finger has become arthritic and my wrist just seems to be getting weaker so I’ve
been avoiding typing for a few days but I’m hoping to get back on track :o)
Mandarin Oriental pool and view of the Singapore Flyer |
On the weekend my hubby took me for dinner at the Dolce Vita
restaurant based in the Mandarin Oriental (MO). Whilst we’ve stayed and dined at the MO
in Kuala Lumpur (amazing!) we’ve never dined (or stayed) at the MO in Singapore
and so I was super excited. The Dolce Vita restaurant is a poolside restaurant that serves Italian cuisine. As we were going for a romantic meal, I didn’t have any
intention of taking photos, other than a few for myself but not for my blog
and so I didn’t take my grown up camera. However, as soon as we arrived and I
saw the stunning views I immediately (mentally) kicked myself. So I only have photos
taken with my iphone which are pretty rubbish but hopefully they give you a bit
of an insight into our experience.
Pool view indoor table |
My hubby had reserved an indoor table with a poolside view
so that we could take in some of the Singaporean skyline as the sunset (the
restaurant is on the 5th floor). We had partial views of the
Singapore Flyer (London Eye equivalent) and the famous Marina Bay Sands (MBS)
hotel. It was lovely to see the colour changes in these landmarks as we
transitioned from daylight into darkness and the Flyer was colourfully lit up
and room lights came on at the MBS. We even saw parts of the laser light show
that happens from MBS three times a night.
View from our table of MBS |
View from our table of the Singapore Flyer |
I loved how comfortable
the dining chairs were. Being a pool side restaurant the chairs were
beachy-esque in that they had thick padded yellow and white striped cushions to
sit on and as backrests. One of my biggest gripes is uncomfortable restaurant
chairs and that gripe has only gotten worse since I developed arthritis in my
spine and hips because my joints start to ache if I’m sat down for too long
esp. on a hard surface. The chairs made me very happy indeed… what can I say, I’m
easily pleased ;o)
The service was impeccable, as you’d expect from the MO. Our
waitress asked about any dietary requirements and advised accordingly. She also
highlighted dishes where ingredients could be omitted so that they were in line
with our dietary requirements. Whilst we are not vegetarian per se, both my
hubby and I eat a predominantly vegetarian diet. We’re not keen on fish, don’t eat
seafood and rarely eat meat. Typically, in a lot of restaurants I often feel
that vegetarians get the short straw. The food options tend to be rather
predictable and boring. However, the Dolce Vita did an amazing job!
One of the
things that I love about dining at the MO restaurants is the old school
practices from the waiter/waitress draping the cloth napkin over your lap to
the complimentary table water and breadbasket through to the amuse bouche and
asking how we enjoyed each course. These little touches really make you feel well cared for and special. I really could not fault the service or the
experience at all.
Amuse bouche of tomato gazpacho |
Bread basket with an assortment of spreads |
To start, I had the wild mushroom soup with mushroom duxelle
and white truffle foam. When the starter was served it came minus the mushroom
soup which the waitress brought separately and poured into the white truffle
foam from what looked like a teapot... it felt like a bit of a soup ceremony ;o). Whilst the portion size of the soup may look small, partly down to the huge rim of the bowl it is
served in, I can assure you it was not a small portion. This has got to be
hands down the best mushroom soup I have ever tasted! I cannot put into words
how tasty and altogether delicious this was. Even my hubby, who is not a fan of
mushroom soup in the slightest, was compelled to admit that this was incredible
and he even said that he would be ordering it next time!
My hubby started his meal with the traditional Apulia burra
ta mozzarella cheese served with heirloom tomatoes, black olive soil, micro
rocket cress and basil pesto. The mozzarella portion was simply huge, and according to my hubby it was the best mozzarella he’s had since we moved to
Singapore. Needless to say he thoroughly enjoyed his starter.
For main, I decided to have a pasta based dish. I rarely eat
past (don’t like the effect it has on me) but I figured if ever I was going to
have good pasta, an Italian restaurant based in a five start hotel would be the
place and so I had hand crafted tortellini stuffed with semi-dried tomatoes, pecorino
and pine nuts, served with basil pesto. The serving came with five large pieces
which were crafted to resemble swans (I think). The stuffing was full of flavour and very generous in size, and on the whole the pasta was cooked to perfection. The corners of
the tortellini were a little bit too al dente for my liking but the actual
stuffed part of the pasta was cooked perfectly. Having had way too many bread
rolls and filled myself with the amazing mushroom soup I could only manage
three of the five pieces of tortellini. Our waitress did ask whether there
was something wrong with the dish, as I hadn’t finished it but it was simply a
case of lack of belly space. My hubby had penne pasta with cherry tomatoes, fresh
basil and parmigiano reggiano which he enjoyed but also struggled to finish.
Unfortunately I don’t have a photo, not even a rubbish one, of his main course
but as you can see from the other photos the presentation was beautiful.
After a bit of a breather, we opted to share a dessert
between us and had this fantastic mango and pineapple custard encased in a soft
yet firm, but not kept for hours in the fridge firm, short crust pastry base
with coconut ice cream. As well as tasting the coconut you could also feel the shreds
of coconut within the ice cream which was very nice indeed. The dessert was
decorated with meringue and fruit pieces and coulis.
The service throughout the meal was excellent. Our waitress
asked how each course was and if everything was ok after she noted
that my hubby and I did not finish our main courses. We were given enough of a
breather between each course, our table water was topped up regularly, and we
were offered black pepper and Parmesan for our starters and main courses. All
in all it was a wonderful meal and experience. After we finished and my hubby
settled the bill, we stood out by the pool and took in the stunning views of
Singapore by night.
Being the MO the Dolce Vita isn’t cheap, as you’d expect,
but it wasn’t as expensive as I thought it might have been either. After trying
a few of the hotel buffets around Singapore where we’ve paid upwards of SGD$100
(£50) per person for food that has been luke warm and bland we’ve come to the
conclusion that buffets are just not for us, not even at the five star
restaurants. Buffets are great if you have a large appetite and/or love seafood
as that’s where people get value for money, but my hubby and I don’t eat
seafood nor are we big eaters and so we would much rather go for a fine dining
a la carte experience. Our meal at the Dolce Vita cost less than SGD$100 per
head and we had two (non-alcoholic) drinks on top of the aforementioned food.
With delicious Italian food coupled with stunning views and
excellent service, the Dolce Vita makes for a wonderful dining experience whether
it’s a special occasion or not. I have recommended it to so many of our
friends and am eagerly looking forward to our next visit… after all my hubby
did say he would have the mushroom soup next time… so I guess there will be a
next time ;o)
Have you dined at the Dolce Vita? What was your experience?
Which other restaurants would you recommend in Singapore for a great dining
experience?
Love Sheen xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to leave a comment and you don't have to be a blogger to do so. I love reading each and every one :o)