Da Paolo Ristorante (Holland Village)

Bearing the best traditions of a good italian restaurant, the Da Paolo Ristorante is a true depiction of the original Trattoria Da Paolo that was established in 1989.

With 2 locations in Singapore, the original Club Street and Holland Village, the menu bears reference to the European/Italian Chef Gleb Snegin and heads the kitchen at Holland Village. His risottos is one of his most accomplished dishes.

These asian influenced scallops are pan roasted and served with cauliflower cream and red sweet-sour onions, giving it a balanced yet elegant meal. Cauliflower cream is a good alternative to potato if you are trying to cut down on carbs. It has a sweet and clean taste.

Squid ink pasta is a dish made for poor people in Venice as they used unwanted scraps of squid. The restaurant’s squid ink is collected by squeezing out the fresh ink from squid. It adds both a sea tang and a deep black glow to the dish.

For something lighter, go for pan fried sea bass with celeriac cream and celeriac chips. The sea bass is soft and tender, and the chips added a little crunch to the dish.

Parma ham with rock melon salad is one of the favourite starter that is served in most Italian restaurant. The melon plays a important part of bringing out the taste of the parma ham. The savouriness of the prosciutto offers an interesting contrast to the sweetness of the melon.

Lobster risotto is a fantastic way to use the lobster meat. I think the most important factor of making a good plate of risotto is the stock. Here, carnaroli rice is cooked in lobster bisque with tomato paste. Well executed!

There were too much pasta on our tables that day but I must say all of them taste good. The guys seem to enhoy the beef cheek ravioli more than the ladies. Perhaps the ravioli gives a good texture and is flovoured with veal jus and shaved parmesan.

If you aren’t a fan of celeriac, go for pan fried grouper. It has a firm meaty texture and is paired with grilled asparagus and season greens.

Although this photo is not well taken, but I have to show you guys my favourite dish for that day: Tagliatelle al Granchio ($26). With lots of juicy crabmeat, tomatoes and cream were blended to give a aweet and rich texture. The fresh egg tagliatelle makes a big difference!

Da Paolo Ristorante has daily specials too. We had Mushroom Risotto, a delicious variations from the classic risotto. The risotto was richly flavoured with wild and dried mushrooms, adding some truffle oil to go with it would be nice.

After a heavy meal, don’t forget to have some desserts. There is Tiramisu ($12), Cheesecake with raspberry and rose jelly ($14), Homemade crepes with citron sauce ($12), Coconut Pannacotta ($12) and many more. The restaurant also offers set lunch at $28/pax, which includes choice of daily appetizer or soup, choice of daily pasta, risotto or fish and daily dessert.