Lavish Buffet

Lavish Buffet

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Ricciotti (The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Road - Boat Quay, #B1-49/50 Singapore 058416) Reservation: 6533 9060

Visited on 30 Oct 2014 (Thurs). I was very honoured to be invited by Openrice to attend the food tasting event with the other bloggers at Ricciotti @The Riverwalk. 

Ricciotti (formerly known as Riciotti Pizza Pasta Grill) was established in October 2004. The restaurant has undergone a new facelift recently with the theme of "Benvenuti Casa", meaning "welcome home". It was re-opened in mid October 2014, and celebrated their 10th year anniversary with a newly revamped menu! Let's see the photos of their new look!

This is their Alfresco area.



Their new bar for you to unwind and chill out with friends over some cocktail or wine and nibble on light snacks!



A new contemporary, rustic and industrial design. The new change reflects the concept of a trendy home-style Italian meal. There's a Private Dining room at the left!




This Private Dining room can sit up to 10 pax - An intimate dining experience for any gathering, business meeting or birthday celebration! 



Casual Italian Dining Ambience..





This painting was so beautiful.... Contemporary Art drawing done by Italian Artist, Keziat



This is their open concept pizza kitchen!



Our food tasting menu for the night!



Juices at $5++ and Soft Drinks at $4++




Cioppino Soup ($25++)

Mixed Seafood stew with garlic crostini. The seafood were very fresh - A mixture of prawns, mussels, clams & squids with robust soup. The soup was a little salty-sour, which makes it very appetizing.  Really loved this soup!!! Dip the garlic bread into the yummy soup for full enjoyment!




Carpaccio Di Polpo ($18++)
Thinly Sliced octopus with lemon, orange, tomato & fennel. The octopus has a chewy texture with refreshing taste that was stimulating on the palate. They were airflown from Spain! No wonder it tasted so nice. Great appetizer!


Eggplant Parmigiana ($15++)
Baked eggplants in tomato sauce with focaccia bread. I'm not an eggplant fan, but i was really amazed by this unique lasagna-style baked eggplant. It was so tender, you won't realise that it was actually an eggplant! Complemented with toasted focaccia bread.


Nizzarda Salad ($19++)
The salad comprises of Mesclun, fresh tuna loin, quail eggs, green beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, anchovies, and sherry dressing. I really enjoyed the black-pepper-sprinkled tuna so much!  And the quail eggs were so soft that they melted in my mouth! A very delightful salad!



Orecchiette Broccoli E Acciughe ($20++)
Ear-shaped pasta with anchovies, broccoli and cherry tomatoes. Heard from the manager that this was a popular dish among vegetarians in Riccotti. It was a tad bland to my liking but the broccoli was surprisingly very tasty.



Pollo Alla Milanese ($22++)
Breaded Chicken, potatoes, tomato salad. The breaded chicken meat was a tad tough and dry..



Grilled Seabass ($28++)
Seabass, tomato concasse capers, baby spinach salad. Wow, this is definitely my favourite dish here! The seabass was so tender, fresh and the skin was crisp too! How i wish I didn't have to share this dish that day! Haha.. Nevermind, I'll come back to order this for myself.. I never had so much potatoes in my life. This time, a few of us kept attacking the potatoes! There were parsley and other spices on it, very aromatic and addictive!



Risotto Ai Frutti di Mare ($28++)
Arborio rice with seafood. Risotto is a north Italian rice dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The seafood flavour immersed into the creamy and starchy arborio rice that has a pleasant taste..



Al Tartufo Pizza ($28++)
Black truffles, quail eggs, mushrooms. This is a MUST-Order Pizza!!! These 3 ingredients = Great combination! The quail egg was so smooth and with the black truffle fragrance to enhance the pizza, the taste of the whole pizza was truly sublime and it just simply melt in my mouth!!! 



Porcini E Scamorza Pizza ($24++)
Porcini mushrooms, cow's milk cheese. Cheese lovers favourite pizza!  The taste for this pizza was lighter with generous portions of sausages and chicken slices. Not over cheesy, just the right amount of cheese.




This is Chef Akram - The man behind these awesome pizzas!



Nutella Sweet Pizza ($14++)


Nutella with chopped hazelnuts. How can we resist this sweet pizza? My first time having sweet pizza and it certainly delighted my taste buds. Very thin crusted pizza with yummy nutella spread, my favourite hazelnuts and icing sugar, what a wonderful dessert pizza!



Panna Cotta ($6++)
Silky vanilla cream pudding with seasonal fruit sauce. The Panna Cotta was very light with vanilla beans, and not too sweet. The texture was just nice too. The fruit sauce was quite sour for me so i would prefer to have it without the sauce.



Tiramisu ($10++)
Classic Italian recipe with mascarpone cream, espresso and lady finger. The must-have Italian dessert at a Italian restaurant! This tiramisu was not too rich, but lacked of some alcohol punch. The texture was spongy with some chocolate shavings atop. 





Executive Chef Gero Dimaria - The man behind for our delectable dishes!



Let's take a peek at their revamped menu!




This is a place where i will visit again & again as there are a wide variety of food selection in the menu! I like the casual and comfy ambience with good quality food!

I would like to thank SgOpenrice & Ricciotti for hosting this wonderful food tasting event that i can get to know so many bloggers with the same passion---- Food!  :-)


*Recommended*



Website: http://ricciotti.co/riverwalk


Sunday, 9 November 2014

3 Course Set Lunch at Stellar (One Raffles Place, 1-Altitude, Level 62, Singapore 048616) Reservation: 6438 0410

It's such a hassle to make reservation through phone - Book now through Chope for Instant Reservations!

Click HERE for an updated review on 14 April 2016!


Visited on 30th Oct 2014 (Thurs) during Restaurant Week Lunch. (Happened to be the Halloween week too!) 












2016 Price: 3 Course Set Lunch including Dessert Bar: $48++ per person 

2016 Price: 4 Course Set Lunch including Dessert Bar: $58++ per person 

Note: Only available from Mon-Fri, 12 - 2pm. (Stellar do not open for lunch on weekends)

Lunch Menu for April 2016 


Award-winning Stellar (Helmed by Group Executive Chef - Christopher Millar) serves modern cuisine with an artisanal mode of preparation. This is one of the highest restaurants that stands at a peak of 282 meters up high in Singapore, boasting a spectacular panoramic view of the City and MBS! An ideal place for business lunch, special occasions, a romantic date or marriage proposals!




I like the chic and posh restaurant with natural daylight ambience!















As we were early, we were seated next to the window to enjoy the scenic view! 




We started with bread paired with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as butter. The bread was served quite long after we were seated, and our appetizer came about a min after the bread. Thus, we had to start with appetizer first.





Appetiser: Crab & avocado tian, cucumber jelly & grape fruit salsa
My appetizer was really good with generous portions of crab meat that tasted a tad salty-sour, very stimulating on the palate! I didn't know that avocado complemented the crab meat so well! A very delightful appetiser for me!



Appetiser: Pigeon & Pork Rillettes, Pickles, Quince Jam, Toasted Baguette
My partner's appetizer was just "Ok" for me. There wasn't any distinct flavour or taste that left any particular impression. Probably because my own starter was too awesome. I felt that the items were too "detached" from each other, and it didn't feel like a complete dish as a whole.



Main Course: Crispy Skinned Barramundi Crunchy Cauliflower, Artichokes, Beetroot Polenta
I was really captivated by the pink crème fraiche, it has some sweet fragrance, loved it! Probably I'm a gal that naturally loves anything in sweet pink! I was quite impressed by the presentation of this simple barramundi. The super crispy skinned barramundi with very tender meat was done really well and was surrounded by the yummy crunchy cauliflowers! The chef was very innovative to use cauliflowers which were deep-fried till golden brown with a touch of crunchiness. How I wish there were more fried cauliflowers - they're super addictive! Thumbs up for this beautiful dish!

Enjoying my meal with a beautiful view... makes everything taste better ;)



Main Course: Stellar Signature Roast Chicken Breast, Orange, Parmesan cream, Bacon ash
This dish for my partner may look simple but it tasted great! I was tempted to think that the chicken breast would be dry or hard, but it turned out to be surprisingly tender! It felt like eating juicy ham rather than chicken breast. The sauce with bacon ash worked really well too, giving the chicken extra tanginess. One thing that "failed" though, was the orange... It was bitter and sour,  almost marred the overall taste of this dish... Maybe I should have left it as a garnish... 



Chocolate Indulgence Dessert Bar
A showcase of delectable desserts and seasonal treats.
Here you can find their Signature cakes, French Pastries, Petit Fours and Macaroons to complete an exquisite lunch affair













Peanut Mocha Shooters
Creamy but not too rich. Would have been perfect had it been chilled.




Garlic Macaroons
This is something you probably wont get to taste elsewhere... Maybe garlic lovers will dig this... Pungent at the first, but as the garlic taste wears away, there's a lingering buttery taste. I guess this is a "love it or hate it" item. 





White Chocolate Pralines




Strawberry Yogurt Shooters
Light and balanced, worked with the peanut-mocha shooter as a pair. And also would have been better if it was chilled. 


Red Velvet Cake
A little bit dry, but otherwise your standard sweet rich red velvet cake..




Black Forest Cake
Light and fluffy, nothing like your usual black forrest cake. So light, you can have more than one.. ;P  This was my favourite!!



Chocolate Mud Cake
No complaints about this. Rich and chocolatey, and definitely one of the most beautifully presented cakes. 




Chocolate Berry Lust Tart
Another one of my favourite! Chocolate tart with berries and golden pearls. The pastry was crispy, the chocolate filling was so yummy and the berries worked wonders to balance the flavour! And have you ever seen a more "expensive" looking tart?





Chocolate Banana Cobbler *Hot*
Crunchy, fragrant topping, savoury filling infused with the smell of hot bananas. A must-try!






Beautifully presented assortment of fruits, all looking fresh and tasted sweet and juicy. Noticed how they cut the watermelon? You can hold by the "handle" to enjoy the whole piece. Great idea! 



This is my 3rd Course - From Chocolate Indulgence Dessert Bar. Warning: They're addictive!!!



Flat White ($4.50++ each)
Single espresso shot topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of froth. You can top up $4.50++ for a Choice of Espresso, Long Black or Flat White & daily selection of tea.



Overall Impression: 

Service was good except the initial long wait for the bread & appetizer. The staff will give a brief introduction of the dish when served to you. The dessert bar items were very high quality that did not disappoint me except 1 to 2 items.  Both dessert bar items & fruits were replenished fast. 

Most fine dining food are costly & not filling. So I really like their concept of making the last course dessert to be a dessert bar. We get to try different variety of dessert & will not leave the restaurant still hungry. I hope more fine dining restaurants will have a mini dessert bar selection like Stellar too! It would be perfect if coffee or tea were included in the course as well. We were pretty satisfied with everything here that day! Will definitely visit Stellar again, if only for their dessert bar which is truly to die for! :-)

*Highly Recommended*


Opening Hours:


Lunch (Monday to Friday) 12:00pm to 2:00pm 

Dinner (Monday to Friday) 6:30-10:00pm 
Dinner (Saturday) 6:00-10:00pm 
Dinner (Sunday) 6:00-9:00pm 

Dress Code: Smart Casual 
No shorts/bermudas, and slippers/sandals

It's such a hassle to make reservation through phone - Book now through Chope for Instant Reservations!