Dolce Vita, Singapore - Review

Note: I don't usually do restaurant reviews, I tend to leave that to the professionals and stick to posting recipes suitable for the normal person to cook at home. But this was an opportunity I just had to take.

Less than 24 hours ago, Pete and I got back from an 8 day trip to Singapore to celebrate Pete's 30th birthday.

One of his New Years resolutions this year was to eat at a Michelin starred restaurant. Sadly there are no Michelin starred restaurants in Singapore but there are a number of starred chefs who have set up restaurants there which was good enough for us!

At our hotel was a restaurant called Dolce Vita. The chef, Marco Pedrelli, was taught to cook by his Italian mother and grandmother in Cesena, Italy then went to work in numerous Michelin starred restaurants throughout Europe before earning his own Michelin star.

Needless to say the guy knows how to cook, so we booked a table at Dolce Vita at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Singapore. We had assumed Marco Pedrelli had put his name to the restaurant and designed the menu but didn't actually cook in it. We were quite wrong - we found out a few days later he was actually cooking there and therefore most likely made (or at least supervised to cooking of) our dinner that Saturday night.

So to kickstart the evening, we had a chat with the sommelier and decided that since it was Pete's birthday, the occasion called for bubbles so we ordered a nice glass of real French champagne each which was served with olive ciabatta bread and butter that was churned in-house. Divine!

Next, out came the complimentary aperitif - a poached chicken roulade.



Whilst we were eating our chicken roulade, the laser light show at the Marina Bay Sands kicked off.



Next out was something I would happily call one of the best things I've ever eaten. Ever. Almost as good as my Mum's chocolate rum slice. (And that's a pretty big call!)

It was grilled and chilled asparagus, aged Iberico de Bellota ham, buffalo mozzarella and morel ragout. I can't even get close to describing how amazing this was. Cold, refreshing, salty, creamy. Just gorgeous!



For his entree, Pete ordered seared scallops with a creamed lobster and leek sauce.



Pete and I both ordered the same thing for our main meal - Tris di pasta. Starting from the left: braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni with creamed spinach and parmesan ; homemade crab ravioli (made with squid ink) in a champagne sauce ; and tortellini of wild forest mushrooms and ricotta with a pine nut and olive oil dressing.



Now, I'm afraid Pete and I were a little too eager when our desserts reached us. We'd eaten half of them before we remembered to take a photo of them! Oops.

So this is half a torta di mele - a slow baked golden apple on puff pastry, calvados ice-cream and Tahitian vanilla sauce.



And this is half a tarte di cioccolato e caramel - chocolate salted caramel tarte with fresh raspberries and gold leaf.



Overall, it was an amazing dinner. The service was flawless, the food was impeccable and Pete had a wonderful birthday. If anyone is heading to Singapore soon then I'd highly recommend Dolce Vita.