Così Delizioso!

After a pleasant Restaurant Week dining experience last year at Bistro du Vin (read about the entry here), i happily signed up for the Dining City mailing list so i would be informed of the next Restaurant Week event. I actually had a couple of restaurants in mind (e.g. &Made) when i first received news that mailing listees can make reservations a few days before slots are opened to the public but i guess they had ALOT of mailing listees because slots for the popular places were filled up so quickly!! Needless to say, we couldn't pick from the more popular ones (and also according to theBF, "it's Restaurant Week and you want to eat burgers?! Like huh?!" Lol) and had to choose from the remaining list of participating restaurants. 

In the end, we picked Da Luca Italian Restaurant for its accessible location (1 Goldhill Plaza, #01-19/21, walking distance from Novena MRT) 

To be honest, the lack of reviews online for this restaurant and the fact that they had a "surprise menu", i.e. menu will only be released at the restaurant itself but not on Restaurant Week website, made us a little nervous about lunch. Also, we almost couldn't locate the place as it was so well-hidden with its unassuming signboard and plain restaurant front! haha. 

Although it was a weekday afternoon, the place was packed with both foreigners and locals alike. It wasn't a really quiet and "atas" place which we originally expected but more of a small cozy restaurant filled with families and possibly working class people from the nearby offices. 

A glance at their "surprise menu" and we were excited about lunch already!! 2 entree to pick from, coupled with a choice from their 3 main courses, ending the meal with a Chef's Special dessert =)

A cute-looking bottle sitting on our table which turned out to be containing olive oil and vinegar for our bread.

Warm bread to start off our 3-course meal, that tasted so good with the olive oil+vinegar combination. 

Black Summer Truffle-Infused Cream of Mushroom (Entree)

Both of us ordered the mushroom soup and it definitely was one of the best choices we have made. The soup was thick and flavorful with a strong mushroom taste. Sprinkled with black pepper, I would die to have another bowl!! Although it didn't come in a big portion, this comforting dish turns out to be really filling too!

My main course came next  - Roasted Pork Belly with Bed of Spinach and Potato

A thick piece of pork belly was served and as i started to slice the meat with my cutlery, you could hear that "crack crack" sound of the crisp brown pork belly skin! Just the way i love my roasted meat =) The pork belly was well-marinated and tasted delish when eaten together with the spinach and mashed potatoes. 

Penne with Fresh Crabmeat in Light Tomato Sauce

This was the other dish i was contemplating when i first saw the menu so i was glad theBF chose this as his main course. It means i get to steal a few bites! =P 

I have high expectations for this pasta as i loved the one at Ricciotti restaurant. I must say Da Luca did serve one helluva pasta dish that did not disappoint. The tomato sauce was light and not too overwhelming and they were very generous with the fresh crab meat. The penne was cooked al dente-style, which means they were slightly on the firm side when eaten. Not the kind of pasta i personally enjoy but it was theBF's favorite so all's good =)

The waitress told us the dessert would be "ice cream with some crunchy bits inside" while clearing our main courses so we were expecting something like a scoop of ice cream to be served? haha. In the end, we were each given a plate of cake-looking dessert that was drizzled with cream sauce. 

The dessert tasted like a softer version of ice cream and had a strong almond and rum after-taste. It did come with the "crunchy bits" the waitress was talking about, probably crunched nuts and cookies. Til this date, we have no idea what we were served but oh wells, as long as it is delicious who cares right? haha.

And with that, we ended our Restaurant Week lunch at Da Luca with bulging tummies and happy souls! Even though this place was not our original choice of restaurant, it certainly did not disappoint =)

Until next time~

Annyeonghaseyo!

Had a bad week last week which led to a strong craving for Korean BBQ (don't ask me how that helps or how both things are connected. i don't know. It's just my weird body. haha) so my sweetest BF brought me to Novena for some korean BBQ goodness!!

Hansang Korean Family Restaurant, Square 2

We were there for their 5pm - 7pm BBQ buffet slot so the place was pretty empty when we reached. 

Someone wore his LeeSsang cap to match the dinner theme that night. HAHAHA.

Some Korean appetizers were served while we waited for our stove to be heated up! These included sweet potato noodles (omg, so delicious! i love!) and kimchi pancakes.

Even though it's suppose to be a BBQ ala-carte buffet, all kinds of meat were served for the very first round. 

From left: Samgyeopsal (pork belly meat), marinated chicken and pork chunks and wagyu beef (one-time only)

Apart from that, we were also given a big plate of Bulgogi (beef) and Dwaeji Bulgogi (pork) but they didn't taste that good so we didn't even manage to finish our only plate =(

A variety of mushrooms and seafood (i.e.prawns, scallops...) for us that came with the BBQ buffet. TheBF and i both enjoyed the mushrooms very much!

How can Korean BBQ not come with vegetables to wrap your meat? ;)

Let the BBQ begin!!

In the middle of the meal, our bibimbap and kimchi soup were served. If you opt for the buffet like we did, each person gets to pick between bibimbap and kimchi soup as a complimentary dish =) To be honest, unless you absolutely love bibimbap and cannot live without it in a meal, i say skip this because it's really....meh. haha. The kimchi soup's a good addition to the meal to balance out the meat though.

Obligatory dining pic in the middle of my non-stop nom-ing. haha.

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What i wore:

Blue chiffon sleeveless top: Supplier from a long time ago

Panel skirt: ASOS

Cherie hobo bag: Yventually

Transparent bangle: MDS Collections 

Until next time~

Let's do birthday the spanish way!

TheBF's birthday just passed a few weeks ago and i decided to bring him to a Spanish restaurant at Dempsey Road for dinner, upon recommendation by a dear girlfriend of mine - Don Quijote restaurant, located near the famous Ben n Jerry's outlet there!

We were early that day hence the empty tables and seats. It felt like we have booked the entire place to ourselves. haha.

Complimetary bread and dip to start off the evening, while waiting for our food to arrive ;)

We had Sangria that night!! =) My very first time trying this unique wine punch that comes with chopped fruits. It was a refreshing alcoholic beverage that went really well with our food.

Left: Sangria de Cava / Right: Sangria Tinta

Mr Birthday Boy happy with my self-decorated wrapping paper. hahaha. This is what happens when i have too many brown papers lying around at home due to Yventually so i refuse to spend money on some ridiculously-priced wrapping papers from shopping malls =P

You can't dine at a Spanish restaurant without ordering tapas!

Since theBF was not a big fan cold tapas dishes so we decided to go for 3 hot tapas for sharing instead ;)

Gambas al Ajillo - garlic fried shrimps

This was recommended by some online reviewers and i have to agree, it was sooooo tasty. We opted for "live" prawns (which means you have to pay a little more than usual) but it was well-worth the money as the sauteed prawns were fresh. In a nutshell, the fried garlic bits and prawns was a match made in heaven!

Tortilla Espanola - Spanish style eggs stuffed with potatoes

This was requested by theBF as he had tasted this dish once in Europe and thought i should get a chance to try it too. I think the portion's a little too big for 2 of us even though it just looked like a small puffy pancake from the outside because the sliced potatoes wrapped inside the egg REALLY fills you up quickly! Taste-wise, there was nothing to rave about. You know, just eggs and potatoes? haha.

Rollitos de Esparragos y Beicon - Asparagus wrapped in bacon

Who doesn't like bacon with asparagas?! A simple hot tapas that just can't go wrong ;)

Paella Valenciana

Our main course that night! We ordered the Small size as we were not sure how big it will be. Turns out, the size was just about right for the 2 of us to share. Don Quijote was very generous with the portion of shellfish (that included mussels, clams, scallops, octopus) and small chicken chunks were also found within the al dente-cooked rice that was simmered in saffron stock.  

Another look at our scrumptious Spanish rice dish!!

Happy diners =)

My OOTD for that night:

Floral bustier: Megagamie from KissJane outlet

Side-slit maxi skirt: Topshop

Bracelet: MDS Collections

Colorblock Bowler bag: Upcoming on Yventually's 100th collection!!!! =D

I'm really excited about the next launch because it's going to be my 100th collection! I managed to rope in some past collaborators to throw in e-vouchers for my Like&Share FB page promotion!! Instead of just giving away our new bags (one more self-manufactured clutch/crossbody bag to be launched together!!), you will also stand a chance to win e-vouchers to shop at some of the wonderful online shops Yventually has worked with in the past 3 yrs ;)

Stay tuned to our upcoming preview album on our FB page ok!!! 

Until next time~

Hoshino Coffee

I am not a fan of queuing, which is why i did not try Hoshino Coffee at the new wing of Plaza Singapura when they first opened months ago. However, last weekend, I was so determined to try their pancake souffle after theBF finished his recent examinations that we finally gave in and joined the horrendous dinner crowd. Thankfully, we gotten ourselves a seat after just 15 minutes thanks to the highly efficient service staff =)

Browsing through the menu while Q-ing. 

We realised there is NO menu available online at the moment so here's the snapshots of their menu. Do CLICK on the picture to see a bigger/clearer image. Hope this helps!! =)

Hoshino blended coffee

Their signature coffee that is the first thing you see in their menu. We only ordered a cup because i was afraid it would be black coffee (based on the picture in the menu) In the end, they delivered a cup of black coffee with the smallest/cutest milk container ever! haha. Unfortunately, i think Japanese coffee is not exactly my cup of tea because of its acidic aftertaste.

Tomato Cream "Omu" Rice with Shrimps and Mozzarella

My tasty dinner! The rice, when eaten alone, was a little bland but after i mixed it with the rich tomato cream sauce, it was perrrrfect *smacks lips

The prawns and broccoli also added the necessary crunch to the dish so it was really a delectable dish =)

TheBF's Lobster Bisque Soup Spaghetti

If you are a fan of lobsters then this plate of spaghetti will blow your mind! I took a bite from theBF when it was served and the soup is very flavorful with a strong lobster taste.

We decided on the Double Pancake Souffle as our post-dinner desserts and just looking at the pictures below are making me salivate! NOOOOO T.T

The pancakes came with whipped butter and maple syrup, the must-haves for all my pancakes =D I love how the whipped butter is slightly salted and the combination of the butter, pancakes and syrup is just heavenly!

Close look at the fluffy, sponge-like pancakes that screams Yummy with a capital Y ;)

Overall, a great and enjoyable dinner with the best company (awww im so nice to you BF!! haha). This place is highly recommended so find time to brave the Q and hopefully you guys will enjoy the food there like i did ;)

Until next time~