Chip Bee Gardens, Blk 44, Jalan Merah Saga, Holland Village, Tel: 6475 9069  

The wine list in Michelangelo is renowned for its wide selection. As wine aficionados, we opened a bottle of 2001 Freestone, Merlot to go along with the food. Easy on the palate, the lush Merlot complemented all our dishes. The entrees arrived shortly. To my delight, the portion was generous. The ingredients used were authentic and fresh, just like what the local Italians would use. Thick chunks of creamy mozzerella cheese were divine when married with juicy sweet tomatoes and thinly shredded basil. The bed of lettuce was crisp and deeply flavored by pesto oil. This dish of Insalata Caprese was what I would call a taste of rustic Italy.

The plump jewels of mussels were not as authentically Italian as the Insalata, but equally delicious and fresh. Jean wanted them cooked in cream spring onion and garlic. We agreed that was a brilliant choice on “hind-taste” because the creamy, savory sauce infused with garlic and spring onion went impeccably well with the sweetness of the mussels yet not concealing their natural flavors.

By then, we could not wait for the main courses to be served. The first scent that greeted us when the Penne Vodka arrived was a mellow blend of buttery alcohol with a hint of onions that were caramelized. The penne were coated evenly with a salmon-hue sauce. It was quite interesting because I was curious as to how the rose sauce would taste. Upon the first bite, I found out there was a delicate mix of butter and tomato as the base for the sauce. Surprisingly, the part-creamy, part-citrus sauce was not too sour, nor too heavy with creaminess. It went well with silvers of freshly shaven parmesan, which I could not get enough of. This was a simple dish with complex flavors beyond my expectations at first glance.

The hearty slab of char-grilled rib eye steak won me over. It had a smokey crust that enveloped a moist, medium-done interior, as Jean wanted. Eaten on its own, without any sauce, would be good enough. But coupled it with the creamy black pepper sauce, we were in steak-heaven! The marble of fats in the fillet added more flavor to the sauce when eaten together. That also kept the meat tender thus retaining a natural beefy-sweetness.

Desserts are always essential in concluding an evening of delicious gastronomic venture. As we finished up every last morsel of our dinner, we decided there was still room for some dolci. Lacking in imagination, we decided to stick to the house Tiramisu. Turned out that was slightly disappointing because I was hoping for a stronger accent of liqueur and coffee, but that came out a mere saccharine-laden moist cake with mascarpone. It could do better.

As the evening wound to an end, I had to say, dining at Michelangelo’s had been more than just the enjoyment of good food. It was an indulging experience from the first moment you entered the restaurant. Great service, intimate ambience, I almost found myself in a little Italian town. Be it for a date, or just getting together with loved ones and family, this is the place to be. So I was proven wrong. Michelangelo’s does live up to its stellar reputation as one of the finest here in Singapore and I am now a convert.

http://www.michelangelos.com.sg/

Heres a list of the Best Hotel Buffet Restaurants in Singapore, there are many more out there but these are what we’ve dug heartily into, to the delight of our tummy and at the expense of our ever expanding waistline. Onward march!

• The Line
• Town Restaurant
• Oscar’s
• Equinox The Restaurant (1)
• The Greenhouse Restaurant (1)
• MELT‑ The World Cafe
• Olive Tree Restaurant
• One-Ninety @ Four Seasons, Singapore
• Rose Veranda @ Shangri-la
• The Dining Room
• Element @ Amara Hotel
• Terrace @ Rasa Sentosa
• Silver Shell Cafe
• ST GREGORY BRASSERIE
• Plaza Brasserie
• The Square @ Furama
• The Square @ Novotel Clarke Quay, Singapore
• The Terrace @ Sentosa
• Top 5 Sunday Champagne Brunch, Buffets in Singapore (1)
• Vibe, Restaurant at Claymore
• Cafe Georges
• CAFEBIZ
• Ellenborough Market Cafe

10 Siloso Beach Walk, Tel: 6376 2662
Operating Hours: 11am – 9pm (Sun – Thu) 11am – 10pm (Fri & Sat) 

On Siloso Beach you find what is probably the only pizzeria in the world with its own trapeze. Apart from this, the other attraction here, naturally, is their pizza, prepared a la minute in a wood-fired oven. I went for the Siciliana, a generously sized pizza, laden with Italian sausages, capsicums and black olives and served piping hot and crisp from the oven. Also satisfying was the Trapizza linguine in a tomato-based seafood sauce flavoured with garlic, basil and saffron. While the food is enjoyable for a casual meal, service staff, though eager, are generally young and under-trained. Hiccups aside, if you are in the area and looking for a place to refuel, Trapizza is worth a visit. WINE: A limited selection.

Level 2, The Legends, Fort Canning Park, Tel: 6339 8977 Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2pm (Mon – Fri) Dinner: 7pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat) Brunch: 11am – 3pm (Sun)If you are looking for somewhere to take someone on a first date, then go to Poppi. The location is fantastic, the decor is hushed and sexy, and Chef Chris Millar’s stylish, classic cooking will ensure a return visit. Our appetizers – a warm pigeon tart. with pan-fried foie gras – crumbly, soft and luxurious – and a twice-baked gruyere soufflé – soft, fluffy and creamy – gave us the urge to order the full list of appetizers as our meal. Such urges were soon quelled by my main of duck confit – crispy skinned and meltingly tender – and her lamb shank – soft, yielding and sticky. Desserts were rather safe – a warm chocolate cake and a sticky date pudding –  but still delightful. Coupled with the cracking, good value Australian wines on the list, all in all Poppi gave us a night to remember. www.poppi.com.sg

8^th Floor, The Fullerton Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square
Tel: 6438 4404

Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2pm (Mon – Fri) Dinner: 7pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat)

Parquet wood floors and a modern chandelier match the modern style of the menu at San Marco. Be sure to book ahead for one of the three tables that are right against the windows – with spectacular views of the city skyline. My starter of crab cannelloni was suitably unctuous, and one of my comrades chose fettuccine with trompet de mort,  escargot and roast beef, a truly luxurious dish. My main was a roasted rack of kurobuta piglet, with perfect, crispy crackling, tender, fatty, glazed pork belly and a peppery, bitter and crunchy salad of broad beans, mushrooms and rocket, which cut all the piggy fat admirably. Other highlights included a softer-than-butter wagyu beef tenderloin and an indulgent whole lobster wrapped in pancetta, a more extravagant version of the old classic with monkfish, which was silky, succulent, and infused with the amazing, salty, meaty juices of the pancetta. For dessert, something a bit unusual – a momotaro tomato served with rich vanilla ice cream and a balsamic vinegar emulsion – absolute, unexpected, magic.  WINE: Italian-heavy, with a limited selection from other Old World countries and a limited New World list. Of note is the cult Super Tuscan Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia: a classy, expensive wine that went well with the beef dishes.