The first time I ate at Valentino’s, was when we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary in Dec 2011. That year, we had more to celebrate, as we had just found out that our first IVF attempt was successful, and I was finally pregnant. At that time, I was still in my first trimester, and suffering from the dreaded nausea (I’m not calling it Morning Sickness because it wasn’t. It was all-day-long sickness.) but we still went ahead to have an early dinner at Valentino’s, which was then located at Jalan Bingka. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of my pasta, and the nausea miraculously disappeared throughout that meal. Okay, maybe it was because I took one of my prescribed anti-nausea pills, but it’s usually not that effective!
This year, on Noah’s birthday, C declared that it was MY special day, and brought us for lunch at Valentino’s. The man really can take a hint: I had been telling him all week long that the mothers should be the ones celebrating on their children’s birthdays, because they were the ones who gave birth to the kids, which is the real achievement.
We loved the look of the new, and definitely more spacious Valentino’s. The much larger seating capacity means that a lot more people can enjoy the excellent dishes served at Valentino’s, and I think the decor makes a lovely setting for a wedding. I know I would love to be a guest at a wedding there!
Cosy waiting area
The Godfather
Say ‘I Do’ at Valentino’s!
The wine selection
The owner enjoying his lunch at the bar
Large seating area
Recognise the lady in blue?
Pretty decor
The wait staff was extremely attentive and polite, even when Noah kept dropping his Cheerios and bread on the floor. I apologised profusely, but he very kindly told me that it was not a problem at all, and another waiter came over to joke about how the first waiter hasn’t swept the floor in ages, and that it was good that I was giving him the opportunity to do so.
Noah has been quite picky about the bread he eats recently, and he really loved the warm buns served at Valentino’s. This is him, trying to grab the bun from me because I was taking too long to give him some. (I was too busy dipping mine into the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and stuffing it into my own mouth. Heh.)
Yay! Bread!
We ordered a mixed platter of calamari and shrimp for our starter, but unfortunately, they were all out of calamari that day. The shrimp was really sweet and fried in delicious batter. I didn’t even need to dip it into the sauces provided, because they were so good on their own.
Fried Shrimps ($35.90)
Each time I visit Valentino’s, I end up ordering the same pasta, because I love it so much, and I don’t get to eat it very often. The Squid Ink Fettuccine with Crab Meat is my absolute favourite, and I wish the portion-size was larger, because it’s so good. The chunks of crab meat are quite decent-sized, and the creamy tomato sauce is so yummy that I always mop up every last drop with the bread provided.
Squid Ink Fettuccine with Crab Meat ($29.90)
C ordered the Porcini Aglio Olio pasta, which was also pretty good. I’m not a fan of garlic though, so that put me off the dish a little. The mushrooms were well done and juicy, and worth a try if you’re an Aglio Olio fan.
Porcini Aglio Olio ($32.90)
Both of us found our pasta ps too small, and were still hungry after slurping up every last morsel, so we decided to order something else to share. C recalled having ‘chicken in a claypot’ and after our friendly waiter heard his description of it, he immediately told us that it’s called Mama Valentino’s Spring Chicken Special, and not listed on the menu. He went to check if it was available, as apparently, they don’t make many of them daily, and came back to say that he had ordered it for us. It was a twenty minute wait, but the chicken was so tender and juicy that we didn’t mind waiting. I also really enjoyed the little potatoes and sinfully delicious chicken stock that it came with.
Mama Valentino’s Spring Chicken Special ($48.90)
It was a pretty pricey meal, but it was a special occasion, and the food was authentic Italian goodness. We’ll definitely be back for more, but perhaps we’ll ask if they have larger serving sizes for the pasta, because I can’t get enough of my Squid Ink Fettuccine!
All smiles after the meal
Ristorante Da Valentino
200 Turf Club Road, #01-19 Singapore 287994 Restaurant: 6462 0555 Fax: 6462 2247 Email: ristvale(@)singnet.com.sg SMS: 9463 8033
Opening Hours
12:00PM – 03:00PM 06:00PM – 10:30PM (10:30PM last order) Closed on Mondays
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