Holland Village and Dempsey areas of Singapore are just about the only places which offer abundant F&B options of all types - from al fresco bars to coffee shops to specialized international cuisine joints. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am quite the fan of these areas with the exception of possibly the Lor Liput strip which is too noisy for my liking. I continue to be most partial to the Chip Bee Gardens stretch which houses my favourite La Fromagerie (best Raclette in Singapore), the original finger licking Da Paolo (their Gastronomia, Pizza Bar and Ristorante are all at Holland Village), Michelangelo's and Original Sin (probably Singapore's only all vegetarian Italian restaurant) and of course the source of my meats - The Butcher.
I find myself returning to Michelangelo's more often than I would like. Apart from being one of the few authentic al fresco restaurants in Singapore which don't charge a bomb for being just that, I like the quiet Jalan Merah Saga lane to which it overlooks. I highly recommend Michelangelo's for lunch on weekdays when it is especially quiet and you can be assured of efficient service. Their set lunches are very popular and people rarely order a la carte during this time. Ranging from SGD 25++ for 2 course set lunch to SGD 39++ for the 3 course one where you can choose from 3 appetizers, 6 mains and 3 desserts, this is value-for-money Italian fare. Highly recommended.
Michelangelo's a la carte menu is exhaustive and there is plenty to choose from amongst the pastas, seafood and grills. The humble 'Insalata Caprese' gets a new life at Michelangelo's due to the superior Mozzarella and ripe tomatoes used. I also like their fried Calamaris served with delicious tartar sauce. It is such a pity that most Italian restaurants get this basic Calamari dish so wrong and end up serving it as deep fried pub grub rather than giving it the flash fried treatment it is meant to get. From the vast array of dishes on offer, I have to admit I haven't tried most of them on my multiple trips here since my affections are almost always reserved for the 'Penne Sambuca e Gamberi' (SGD28++). This dish of tiger prawns sauteed with butter, shallots, spicy chilli and sun dried tomatoes tossed in light cream sauce with penne and flamed with a 50cl shot of Italian Sambuca is one of my all-time favourite dishes across cuisines. For the past 5+years that I've been sampling it, the dish has never failed to satisfy me and as I write this, I am tempted to go back to Michelangelo's to dig into it again! On the rare occasions I've not been upto having the aforementioned dish, I opt for Michelangelo's take on Fish n Chips : Pesce Fritto e Patate (SGD 32++). It is not the traditional English version but a likeable one nonetheless. I haven't tried it myself but I have heard average reviews about the meats/grills section of Michelangelo's. Some say the steak is chewy whilst others say it is undercooked from the degree they prefer. There is a good variety of desserts on offer - all priced at SGD 14++. My personal favourites are the Panna Cotta and Tiramisu which are both outstanding.
Michelangelo's wine list is much talked about and awarded. You can choose from a collection of over 4,000 bottles and there is something for everyone ranging from decent quality casual wines to more prestigious labels for the wine aficionados. For about SGD 100, you can get a pretty good wine to enjoy with your meal. Apart from Italian vineyards, wines from other countries also find representation here and you won't be hard pressed for choice.
Service at dinner time is a hit and miss affair at Michelangelo's. Sometimes even with a full house the attendants are prompt and efficient whilst on other lesser crowded occasions I've seen the staff are missing from action. You have to resort to hand waving (strictly food court behaviour I detest in fine dining establishments) to get the waiters' attention. Overall, Michelangelo's scores highly. It is not the best Italian food you'll have in your life and some diners might even accuse the restaurant of 'Asianizing' the traditional Italian recipes (they indeed have a Tandoori Chicken pasta), but I for one do not care. The food appeals to me and the ambience more so. Like I said before, I've been here many times. I don't see why that should change.
Michelangelo's a la carte menu is exhaustive and there is plenty to choose from amongst the pastas, seafood and grills. The humble 'Insalata Caprese' gets a new life at Michelangelo's due to the superior Mozzarella and ripe tomatoes used. I also like their fried Calamaris served with delicious tartar sauce. It is such a pity that most Italian restaurants get this basic Calamari dish so wrong and end up serving it as deep fried pub grub rather than giving it the flash fried treatment it is meant to get. From the vast array of dishes on offer, I have to admit I haven't tried most of them on my multiple trips here since my affections are almost always reserved for the 'Penne Sambuca e Gamberi' (SGD28++). This dish of tiger prawns sauteed with butter, shallots, spicy chilli and sun dried tomatoes tossed in light cream sauce with penne and flamed with a 50cl shot of Italian Sambuca is one of my all-time favourite dishes across cuisines. For the past 5+years that I've been sampling it, the dish has never failed to satisfy me and as I write this, I am tempted to go back to Michelangelo's to dig into it again! On the rare occasions I've not been upto having the aforementioned dish, I opt for Michelangelo's take on Fish n Chips : Pesce Fritto e Patate (SGD 32++). It is not the traditional English version but a likeable one nonetheless. I haven't tried it myself but I have heard average reviews about the meats/grills section of Michelangelo's. Some say the steak is chewy whilst others say it is undercooked from the degree they prefer. There is a good variety of desserts on offer - all priced at SGD 14++. My personal favourites are the Panna Cotta and Tiramisu which are both outstanding.
Michelangelo's wine list is much talked about and awarded. You can choose from a collection of over 4,000 bottles and there is something for everyone ranging from decent quality casual wines to more prestigious labels for the wine aficionados. For about SGD 100, you can get a pretty good wine to enjoy with your meal. Apart from Italian vineyards, wines from other countries also find representation here and you won't be hard pressed for choice.
Service at dinner time is a hit and miss affair at Michelangelo's. Sometimes even with a full house the attendants are prompt and efficient whilst on other lesser crowded occasions I've seen the staff are missing from action. You have to resort to hand waving (strictly food court behaviour I detest in fine dining establishments) to get the waiters' attention. Overall, Michelangelo's scores highly. It is not the best Italian food you'll have in your life and some diners might even accuse the restaurant of 'Asianizing' the traditional Italian recipes (they indeed have a Tandoori Chicken pasta), but I for one do not care. The food appeals to me and the ambience more so. Like I said before, I've been here many times. I don't see why that should change.
No comments:
Post a Comment