Ristorante Da Valentino - More Good Pizza

Pizza Porcini, Rucola, Prosciutto di Parma
Tomato, Mozzarella, Italian Gourmet Mushroom, Parma Ham & Rocket Salad - 9/10

i was looking for a place to get some good italian food and squid ink pasta when i came across this joint. it was on hungrygowhere, and listed as one of the best restaurants in singapore for food. for those of you who don't know, you can categorize the restaurants according to whatever you want, for example, food, or overall ratings, or ambience if you desire. i usually filter out those with less than 5 reviews to have at least a mildly significant sample size. this is one of the highest rated restaurants for italian food. its not listed in wine and dine though. i somehow think that wine and dine favors larger establishments with slightly better ambience. they leave out little places like borgos or valentino, even though the food can be better or at least on par. i guess they try to take into account other factors besides just food. but it's usually these smaller establishments where you can get warmer service and better value.

Linguine al Nero di Seppia - 5/10

this place is really small. it's about the size of borgo's. i went there on a friday afternoon and was greeted by really friendly waitstaff. the service here is extremely warm. they're not the snobby professional waitstaff that you see in 5 star restaurants or cova-types. over here, the service is polite and down to earth, very warm and friendly, making you feel right at home. the served us our bread with a parsley dip. the dip was incredibly good. initially, i mistook the dip for a pesto dip, but i was later told it was parsley instead. i finished all the dip up greedily and they gladly gave me another little bowl and more bread. the bread was freshly baked, hot from the oven.

i ordered the Linguine al Nero di Seppia, or squid ink linguini. up to now, i haven't had better squid ink than the one at borgo's, though i admit i haven't had the chance to try a wide selection yet. alot of people on HGW commented that the linguini was the best they've eaten, so i decided to try the one here and see how it compares. but i was quite disappointed. the dish wasn't as tasty as i'd like, the only flavor that pushed through was a slightly sourish, vinegar flavor that i didn't find all to appealing. i honestly thought the one at borgo's was much better.

Ristotto ai Frutti di Mare / Traditional Italian Rice cooked with Seafood - 8.5/10

the risotto, however, turned out to be much better. the rice was very flavorful, and the seafood was cooked very well. a tad salty if you eat to much of it, but very bold and tasty nonetheless. we also had the pizza with parma ham and rocket salad. it came a little later than the first two, but it was freshly made, and the wait was definitely worth it. it wasn't so much the toppings that were good, more the pizza itself. the crust was thin and baked to perfection. crispy and authentically italian. just the way i like it. it was crispy without being too dense. i think this is a must-try here. but pick a topping you like though. i didn't like the ham and salad topping too much. i don't like greens on my pizza, and the ham was a little too salty for my taste. i think the seafood pizza would be great. but the pizza itself is really one of the best i've had. next time i think i'll try the trio cheese or the seafood.

overall, a very nice casual place to come around to. its a little hard to find, but i think the warm service and comforting food make for a great visit. do try the pizza though.

Restaurant Website:
http://www.valentino.sg/index.html

Menu:
http://www.valentino.sg/ristorante_dineinmenu.pdf

11 Jalan Bingka
Mayfair Park

Tel: 6462 0555