My first impression of Borgata, a quiet and cozy little Italian restaurant with warm lights, a cozy feel (okay, I didn’t spot the bar counter until much later), hidden along the happening bar-filled walkways of Clarke Quay.

The restaurant manager recommended the usual favorites of starters, pizzas and pastas, which includes a customized / unique pasta by Chef Andrea, just for us

Borgata’s Stracciata truly got me drooling and wanting more, thinly sliced meat with loads of herbs and Parmesan cheese on a bed of salad and truffle oil… *yums*

As for pizza and pasta, it’ll be the Napoletana (anchovies on thin crust pizza), Spaghetti Alle Vongole (spaghetti with clams in white wine sauce) and the customized pasta (tiger prawns and scallops pasta), though dishes are slightly stronger in taste but left a lasting yummy impression.

And the desserts were lava cake and tiramisu.
The lava cake or molten chocolate cake, after being set on fire by the waiter, was simply creamy and divine for chocolate lovers.

As for their tiramisu, there was a hint of orange in the soaked savoiardi as Cointreau was used (not the usual version I’m used to) and a layer of crunchy bits, which tasted like biscuits. Although I was looking forward to traditional tiramisu, Borgata’s version was pleasant and a refreshing change.

A nice choice for a date and / or a quiet dinner with friends, to catch up and enjoy lovely Italian food.

Not to forget, a big thank you to OpenRice and Borgata, for the invite and chance to experience Italian cuisine

Tried the medium Peach & Mango with peach toppings, not overly sweet, sufficient for two to share and doesn't leaves you wanting to get a drink.

Definitely a healthy alternative for a hot day.
And for this branch, there's free wifi for its customers (didn't try it thou).

Soup:
The usual choices, like chicken, ma la, tom yum... etc.
But if you want something fancier, the servers will be delighted (or slightly pushy) to recommend some, with an additional S$12 cost or more.

Food:
Slightly different from those Bugis steamboat places (eg. you wouldn't find crabs or 'lala' on the buffet list) but there will be starters / side dishes / desserts included, eg. xiao long bao, fried spring rolls, waterchestnut kueh and 8 treasure sweet porridge (slight similarity to buloh hitam).

Service:
We called in advance and the manager gave us a room, as our group was rather big (7person), which was a good thing, as the sitting area outside was rather squeezy.
Aside from looking and acting grouchy, our server was great. She helped us with the orders, estimated the quantity to serve and even estimated when we'll stop eating.

The place was filled with diners, even on a weeknight (Wed). So do make reservations before heading down.

I've always had very low expectations for steamboats. Not that I don't enjoy it but had always been a rather straightforward experience, grab / drop / cook / eat. And as said above, with that low of a expectation and it was my first visit to The Magic of Chongqing Hot Pot, it was surprisingly an enjoyable one.

Just love the soup and sides

Hope to revisit it soon.