Happened to chance upon the 1-for-1 Lunch Promotion at The Esplanade Mall... and so I paid it a visit with my long-lost Ah Ma for a lunch date =) Left the decision to her and she was craving for western food, hence Al Dente Trattoria, which proves to be an extremely excellent decision!!

Oh, by the way, I just realise it is another restaurant managed by Creative Eateries. But the service here was so much better than that at 西门町.


Raisin Bread
Raisin Bread was served moments after our orders were taken, and we were taken aback as we did not ordered any. But I soon figured out that it is part of the pane e coperto charge.
Okay, I admit, I have not dined at any Italian restaurant before, so I don't know how it goes... I believe the bread can go with the bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar available on the table, but I'm not sure how to go about dipping the bread, since no sauce dish is provided =X Please do enlighten me on the procedure of consuming the bread, and if dipping is the correct way.
Anyway, the bottle is so cute!! and space-saving! I would love to have one at home too! You can find both the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in the same container, just that it is a container within a container. Unfortunately, I have forgotten to take a photo of it =(((

The bread is extremely soft and fragrant, such that I believe it was freshly-made instead of what normal restaurants did - order from a bakery, then warmed up before it is served. It tastes fabulously good on its own without any dips! But like most breads, when exposed to the air for too long a time, it hardens. Even though the taste is still there, the texture is different, destroying the experience. =( So my advice is, if you really like breads, eat them when they are served! *P.S. Not sure if it goes against any Italian dining rules*


alla Vongole
Sauteed Fresh Clams with Garlic, Chilli and Parsley in White Wine Sauce
Have been craving for Pasta in White Wine Sauce ever since Pasta Mania removed it from their menu, and I'm glad they have it!! XD
I was a little disappointed when it was served as there doesn't seems to be any sauce within the plate. And so I thought maybe, the sauce has seeped and immersed into the spaghetti, as such without the sauce would not make any difference. I was expecting the seafood freshness from the clams amidst the taste of the white wine sauce, but to my dismay, there ain't any. =S Not to mention, they did not provide me with any side plates for the clam shells =X
So, without anything to lose, I added a tinge of olive oil to the spaghetti, and yeah! I felt so much better =P It was unintentional, since I am keeping to a healthy diet as part of my Human Nutrition module coursework, and the taste was not up to my palate, I might as well try to make it more "healthy"... and it definitely did!! Elevating the taste to a whole new level without the "oily" feel =D
Though it was a disappoint in terms of taste as I've got something to compare against with, I wouldn't want to put down the effort of the chef. It was still a dish well done!


Carbonara Asiago
Sauteed Smoked Pork Belly and Caramelised Onion with Cream SauceThis is dish taste way better than mine, but a little too creamy to finish the whole course though. The taste of the smoked pork belly is immersed within the cream sauce and would most definitely surprise you as you taste it. It felt as though you are eating the smoked pork belly when there's none on the pasta that you have scooped up.


Hoi Yan aka Ah Ma enjoying her meal =)


Warm Chocolate Cake
On Almond Vanilla Sauce served with Yoghurt Ice Cream
OOO LA LA~! I CAN LITERALLY MELT INTO THE DESSERT AND ONTO MY SEAT! HA!
YES!! IT WAS THAT GOOD AND FULFILLING!! I WAS SHOWERED WITH BLISS AS I WAS TASTING IT, AND I CONTINUED TO SUN IN BLISS AFTER I'M DONE WITH IT!!
The warm chocolate is not runny as I imagined it to be, and has a certain consistency to it, complimented by the yoghurt ice cream. It is a perfect match, thick chocolate with runny ice cream, bitter sweet chocolate with sour sweet yoghurt ice cream, warm chocolate with cold ice cream, heavy on the palate versus featherless on the palate. It is that HEAVENLY!!! I highly recommend people with sweet tooth to try it out!


The food was well-worth the price, overall, we paid about SGD$40 for 2 main courses and a dessert. What seems a little lacking is the scenic view of the Waterfront, at least not from where I was seated - by the window on the first floor, but I do noticed that the restaurant has 2 storeys, and perhaps the view there might be better. But the interior design made up for it and I was taken away.
Nevertheless, this would be a great place to come to for a dinner date. I can imagine the lighting, ambience and decoration merge and forms up a lovely romantic surrounding. ^.^

Labels: Food review