It was a special evening at Waterfall Ristorante Italiano: a dinner affair prepared by two chefs – Chef Marco De Vincentis and Chef Luca.
The Waterfall is a Mediterranean restaurant that serves Southern Italian cuisine at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. It may be my second visit, but this restaurant’s delectable pastas and seafood (served in generous portions), along with their extensive collection of Italian wines, were still fresh in my memory. Because the restaurant is located right next to Shangri-La’s tropical pool, it is as if you’re dining along the coastal straits of Italy.
Like before, there was a really cosy atmosphere as we settled down. Towards the back end of the restaurant was a private dining area with a long communal table, against the backdrop of tall wooden bookshelves, lined with literature and wines of sorts. Perhaps this is a reflection of an Italian common living space.
It was almost a full house that evening and all the diners were eagerly waiting for the food on our specially prepared menu. It was worth the wait!
We had a 5-course menu with alternating dishes prepared by either by Chef Luca or Chef Marco. The Octopus salad was a starter, followed by homemade pasta, risotto and Angus beef. We even had Rhubarb and ricotta ice cream as pre-desserts, before the final serving of Praline Feullete’ cake. What a treat!
I have to say that each dish was delicately prepared by the two talented chefs. Interestingly, the dishes looked colourful and aesthetically pleasing with the arrangement of herbs and edible flowers. There was a good play of textures in each dish as well, which made it truly delightful to taste. One of the highlights for me was the slow-cooked Angus beef that came with bugs bunny-looking carrots. It was done slightly medium-rare, making it tender and juicy. My other favourite would have to be the Rhubard and ricotta ice cream because it’s something I’ve never tasted before. It’s like having cheese made into ice cream!
Each of our dishes was paired with a different type of wine. We started with some white wine, rosé and ended off with sweet red wine. Our sommelier did a great job in selecting the right type to go with each dish.
Starter Luca
Octopus Salad with saffron potatoes, pistachios and Avocado sauce
Pasta Marco
Homemade Tagliolini with Pasley chlorophyll, lobster, red prawn and almond sauce
Risotto Luca
Acquarello rice, Porchini Mushroom, Taleggio Cheese and Black Truffle
Secondo Marco
Low Temperature cooked Angus Beef, Tomato powder, mangetout puree, marinated zucchini
Pre-dessert
Rhubarb and Ricotta ice-cream, orange coulis
Dessert
Crunchy nuts and chocolate dough, mango mousse, Grand Marnier custard cream
Our evening affair was also one of mixed feelings as we bid goodbye to Chef Marco, with incoming Chef Luca being the one to bring us new and exciting Italian dishes! We had a little chat with Chef Marco as he would be leaving for another Shangri-La hotel somewhere else in the world, continuing his dream and passion for cooking in another foreign land. Kudos to the culinary team behind this special four hands dinner! And a very special thanks to Shangri-La Hotel for hosting us as well.
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road
Level One, Garden Wing
Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 6213 4138/ 4398
Operating Hours:Daily
Breakfast (6.30am – 10.30am)
Lunch (12noon – 2.30pm)
Dinner (6pm – 10.30pm)
Email: dining.sls@shangri-la.com
Dresscode: Smart Casual
