I somehow missed out on writing about what was undoubtedly my discovery of 2012 in Singapore. So here it goes. I have previously mentioned while reviewing The Knolls that the main objective of Restaurant Week (RW) is to attract new clientele by offering a glimpse of a full menu at a discounted price. Having previously been let down by The Knolls, we stepped into Gaia at Goodwood Park Hotel with close to zero expectations.
From the time we walked in, we were impressed with the attention we received. We were asked to wait for a few minutes whilst our table was being made ready. To be fair to them, we did arrive a good ten minutes early for our booking. There is a bar at the entrance which doubles up as a waiting space and you really don't mind hanging around this very cozy corner. Gaia is a nicely laid out restaurant which gives off an aura of exclusivity. There is an outdoor seating option available overlooking the car park so not much of a view there. The place was packed to the gills and we were shown to a nice quiet table towards the end of the restaurant.
From the time we walked in, we were impressed with the attention we received. We were asked to wait for a few minutes whilst our table was being made ready. To be fair to them, we did arrive a good ten minutes early for our booking. There is a bar at the entrance which doubles up as a waiting space and you really don't mind hanging around this very cozy corner. Gaia is a nicely laid out restaurant which gives off an aura of exclusivity. There is an outdoor seating option available overlooking the car park so not much of a view there. The place was packed to the gills and we were shown to a nice quiet table towards the end of the restaurant.
Gaia is owned by the same group that runs Oso and Absinthe. Our pre-set RW menu was quite sumptuous with 4 courses being followed by choice of coffee or tea. We started off with pan fried scallops with carrots and balsamic sauce which tasted much better than it sounds. This was followed by lip-smacking ravioli filled with pumpkin cream, sauteed S. Daniele ham and butter sauce. For the main course, I opted for the Oceanic Trout fillet innovatively cooked in a paper bag with cherry tomatoes and 'taggiasche' olives. This was simply fantastic and probably the first time I've had a fish fillet preparation when it is not just plain steamed or fried. My husband opted for the slow cooked wagyu beef with thyme mash potato and braised mushrooms for his main course and this was quite decent. We rounded off with a portion of chocolate and hazelnut mousse with pistachio sauce and hazelnut crumble. Not the best dessert I've had but definitely the best I've seen being offered on a RW menu.
I would rate service at Gaia as superlative and very personalized to the extent you feel there is one manager allocated per table. Our assigned manager Miguel Pereira was a complete gentleman who couldn't apologize enough when my glass of champagne hadn't arrived for twenty minutes. He offered a complimentary glass of Prosecco to make up for the service lapse and I found that incredibly remarkable considering this was RW and we were paying a slashed price of SGD 55++ per pax for the food (and super premium service). Miguel has previously worked with Singapore Airlines in their business / first class lounge division and that explained his knowledge of discreet and top-notch service.
A quick glance at the a la carte menu revealed mains ranging from SGD 22-40 which is far more reasonable than what non-hotel Italian restaurants charge minus the ambience and service. Regarding prices of drinks, I have to say they looked relatively reasonable with the French bubbly costing SGD 12 vis-a-vis the atrocious SGD 30 I paid for it at The Knolls at Capella! My husband was pleasantly surprised to find his favourite gin : Hendrick's (SGD 17) available on the menu since most restaurant bars don't stock it.
I would rate service at Gaia as superlative and very personalized to the extent you feel there is one manager allocated per table. Our assigned manager Miguel Pereira was a complete gentleman who couldn't apologize enough when my glass of champagne hadn't arrived for twenty minutes. He offered a complimentary glass of Prosecco to make up for the service lapse and I found that incredibly remarkable considering this was RW and we were paying a slashed price of SGD 55++ per pax for the food (and super premium service). Miguel has previously worked with Singapore Airlines in their business / first class lounge division and that explained his knowledge of discreet and top-notch service.
A quick glance at the a la carte menu revealed mains ranging from SGD 22-40 which is far more reasonable than what non-hotel Italian restaurants charge minus the ambience and service. Regarding prices of drinks, I have to say they looked relatively reasonable with the French bubbly costing SGD 12 vis-a-vis the atrocious SGD 30 I paid for it at The Knolls at Capella! My husband was pleasantly surprised to find his favourite gin : Hendrick's (SGD 17) available on the menu since most restaurant bars don't stock it.
Like I have already mentioned Gaia is the discovery of the year for me in Singapore. It scores a hat trick on all 3 counts - ambience, food and service which undoubtedly is the best I've experienced anywhere in Singapore. I have since returned to Gaia already and Miguel has remembered our meal preferences. Let me add here that we've become fans of the Prawn Gamberoni and Tagliatelle with Lobster in Tomato Sauce (SGD 40 each). Italian wines are very attractively priced and the highly rated 2007 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino can be yours at Gaia for SGD 90. If you are wondering about corkage, you have to purchase one bottle for every bottle you bring of your own. You might want to skip desserts as the Triple Layered Sponge Cake and Tiramisu both have missed my expectations. Your DBS credit card should get you a 15% discount on your total bill. I am game for yet another visit to Gaia as soon as it can happen and look forward to being back here.
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