Valentino is a quaint high-end Italian restaurant tucked in the corner of the Grandstand and seems to attract a decent number of regular patrons as seen in the other online reviews. I made a reservation for a table for 4 about a week in advance through the HungryGoWhere online reservation system. Everything went smoothly and my pre-order of the linguini in squid ink was properly received by Valentino. For the meal itself for 3 pax, I ordered:
1) Ciabatta Bread ($6.50)
2) Buffalo Mozzarella with Tomato and Basil ($22.50)
3) Carnivoro Pizza ($25.90)
4) Fettuccine Squid Ink with Crabmeat in creamy tomato sauce ($29.90)
5) Linguini tossed with squid ink, tomato & garlic ($35.90) Min. 1 day preorder needed
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| Ciabatta (Left) Buffalo Mozzarella (Right) |
Both are suited for starters, but the Ciabatta bread is a lot more value for money. It's freshly baked and served with a mint dip. Quite filling which is good as the pasta portions are really small.
The Buffalo Cheese comes in 5 large coin-shaped slices with tomato slices and basil. (Picture only shows 2 pieces left). The cheese itself is not too strong and has a smooth and rich texture. The tomato was sweet and extremely tender. Overall a good dish but price is quite steep ($22.50)
Ciabatta Rating: 8/10
Buffalo Cheese Rating: 8/10
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| Squid ink fettuccine |
Fettuccine Squid Ink with crabmeat in creamy tomato sauce
Apparently a favorite dish of "many" reviewers, the squid ink is added into the fettuccine during the cooking, leaving a subtle hint of the ink, so less worries about the messiness when eating the ink. The crabmeat was a welcome addition as its tenderness helped lighten the otherwise overpowering creamy sauce Overall, as I'm not a fan of creamy stuff, I didn't really like this dish. And as with Valentino's pasta, the price-to-portion ratio is high and the serving probably can only feed a half a man .
Rating: 7/10
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| Linguini with squid ink ($35.90) |
Another of their more popular dishes, this dish has the squid ink cooked with the linguini so there is quite a lot of squid ink. Do not order this if you are eating with somebody who you are not comfortable with (eg. 1st dates or business dinners). Unless you enjoy showing off your black-stained teeth. This dish has a bit of squid meat at the side and is a lot drier than the previous dish. The taste is more appetising although I found it a bit too salty. If you are okay with the messiness of squid ink, get this. Side note: you have to order this dish at least a day before your meal. It could be that the dish is "specially" prepared or simply that the staff need to know which tables to lay black colored tablecloths & serviettes. (My table was the only one with black fabrics, normal color was pink).
Rating: 8.0 (Marked down due to over saltiness)
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| Carnivoro Pizza |
Carnivoro Pizza
Basically a meal-lover's pizza but this pizza was too salty. I suggest if you want a pizza, get one with some vegetables. Although if the pizzas are around this standard, just stick with the pastas.
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| Pizza, Linguini, Fettuccine (clockwise) |
Was about $18 I think but the size was extremely small and nothing unique.
Overall, Ristorante Da Valentino is a fine-dining Italian restaurant so if you adjust your expectations and expect small portions with higher prices, this is a decent place to have a meal for a special occasion. Service was good as the waiter was attentive and had a sense of humor (may be annoying to some). Most likely a one-timer for me as the prices were a bit steep but if you want fine-dining, this is an option.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Overall, Ristorante Da Valentino is a fine-dining Italian restaurant so if you adjust your expectations and expect small portions with higher prices, this is a decent place to have a meal for a special occasion. Service was good as the waiter was attentive and had a sense of humor (may be annoying to some). Most likely a one-timer for me as the prices were a bit steep but if you want fine-dining, this is an option.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
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