There are several Italian restaurants in Holland Village- La Nonna, Al Dente Trattoria… & Amici is one of them. They used to be popular and have good ratings on the food but perhaps there was a change of chef, the standard seemed to have dropped.
The restaurant is cosy , narrow and cramp. The tables are placed facing the open kitchen where we can observe the chef at work. However, the restaurant is not well-ventilated and it gets rather stuffy and smoky having to dine in.

Mixed salad ( $8.90++)
Simple mixed salad with lots of sliced onions and kalamanta olives. Personally I do not really enjoy raw onions in salads.


Black cod with butter herb crust & mixed vegetable ($31.90++)
I was observing the chef at work and noticed one of them putting the cod in the microwave wave. What does that supposed to mean? It was oven-baked and not Microwaved! Anyway, back to the cod, the cod looks delicious but when I tried a little, it was way too salty! The ”butter-herb” crust was caramelized and salted and was enough to made me drink at least 3 glasses of water!

Verdict: DBS credit card gets 10 % discount ( ala-carte menu). A RETURN, unlikely....

Michelangelo’s had been on ”to-go” list. Previously helmed by Chef Angelo ( Started Angelo’s in Kiliney road) and after his departure, Chef Victor Tan took over and introduced a few of his ”own dishes’‘. The stalwarts like penne sambuca still remains on the menu.
Some new dishes being offered, braised boneless beef short ribs , Moroccan Lambshank, Chocolate fondant and The Seared scallops with caviar.


The menu

Recommended starters include the Pan seared scallops with caviar and the Seared Foie gras. Mains are priced on the higher side . They offer a 3 course lunch menu priced at $35 ++ and menu changes fortnightly. If you are feeling adventurous, try 3 course meal, which you can select an appetitzer, a main and a dessert from the ala-carte menu, priced at $58 (pasta) and $68 ( meat / seafood).


Pan seared scallops with carviar on onion confit & sun-dried tomato & pesto( $24++)

I would always love to try the chef’s signature as I believe it showcases the Chef’s skills and talent . This signature starter certainly did not disappoint! 4 de-shelled and crunchy prawns were paired with 3 bouncy and well-seared scallops.The scallops were the star of the show, they were fresh and has a bouncy texture. Paired with caviar and the sweet onion relish, it was perfeccct… particularly the onion relish, which leaves a sweet aftertaste.The prawns were also well-executed, they were not over-cooked and retain the firm texture.

Caesar Salad with poached egg ( $18++)
The Caesar salad was well-presented , top with a wobbly poached egg , slice of baguette and a crispy pancetta.The wobbly egg attracts my attention. I tried my best not to cause the runny egg yolk to leak out but the egg yolk blends in with the romaine lettuce, it taste great!While the caesar cream was too heavy , the crispy pancetta was sort of ”unhealthy” and the baguette ( replaced by croutons) was plain, the runny egg yolk helped to salvage the imperfection.
Sticky date pudding ( $13++)

The sticky date pudding is small but it serves as a filling dessert . I was recommended to try out this sticky date pudding. Frankly speaking, this is my first time trying a sticky date pudding and thus I am not very sure how to rate a sticky date pudding.
The sticky date pudding is served with a scoop of ice-cream butterscotch sauce and some fruits. The pudding was sweet and dense but towards the end, I felt that the base was a little charred but generally the pudding was average.


Verdict: A pleasant dining experience at Michelangelo’s. I have not been to Michelangelo’s and thus I was not sure whether the standard has risen or (dropped) after the departure of Chef Angelo but in IMHO, the scallops were yums!

The boutique hotel is exceptionally… small . I almost couldn’t locate the hotel lobby since there is only 1entrance. Once you enter the hotel lobby, Nectar restaurant is just right beside.The restaurant is bright , colourful and cheerful. I guess the name ”Nectar” is derived from the nectar of flowers the designer made use of the bright colours to furbish the restaurant.

The menu

There aren’t many dishes in the ala-carte menu. They offer fusion cuisine- sandwiches, fried beehoon and western dishes.
Their signature starter – The warm seafood salad ( $14++) is popular with diners.

The set lunch menu

I was informed that the set lunch menu changes daily. However, I was more keen to try dishes from the ala-carte instead. There is a $12 nett promotion for main course – choice of 4 dishes
- Teriyaki chicken
- Spring chicken
- Chicken sandwich
- Turkey sanadwich
I thought that the $12 nett promotion sounds attractive and I had the spring chicken as my main course ( though I had been eating chicken leg for the past 3 days)

Warm seafood salad ($14++)

The signature starter, was certainly well-presented. I can happily indulge in seafood (scallops, prawns, soft-shell crab and squid)The soft-shell crab was very crispy but the downside : batter was slightly salty.The squids were my favourite , the scallops were well-seared and prawns were crunchy.The mango salsa served alongside was sweet and addictive !


Spring chicken, natural herbs, veg melange ($12 nett )

Wow! They actually served 2 whole chicken leg! After having the warm seafood salad ( portion rather huge ), I felt 3/4 full and the 2 chicken leg was kinda… a challenge for me.The roast chicken legs were tad too ordinary, basked with herbs & roasted. I would prefer the skin to be slightly crispier ( even though I would just nibble a little ). The chicken legs were tender but on the dry side. The sauce tasted weird… like a combination of soy sauce and oyster sauce but was rather diluted.

Verdict: I can’t complain since the the chicken leg was $12 nett and the serving was generous . The warm seafood salad was recommended. Service is prompt and friendly.

New Garo is located @ Chun Tin Road, along the stretch of Food eateries in Upper Bukit Timah Road(Opp. Beauty wORld). They have been there for quite a few yrs , serving affordable japanese food. The interior is quite cosy, just like a typical japanese eatery.

Do try their Japanese Bentos, available in different choices and they are very popular among the patrons here. They do have an ala-carte menu and daily specials written on the whiteboard.

I started off by having this SUGI BELLY SASHIMI (KINGFISH BELLY)

I actually wanted the hamachi belly sashimi but it is not available today thus I had this kingfish belly sashimi. 8 pcs of kingfish belly cut into thin slices and served with shiso leaves and daikon. The fish is quite fresh.

Agedashi Tofu
I was a little taken aback by the big portion of Agedashi tofu served. 4 pcs of deep-fried tofu served in a pot with some mirin and special sauce. I like the crispy skin despite being ”soaked” with the sauce. They topped it with some benito flakes and spring onions which was good with the tofu. The tofu is soft on the inside and crispy on the outside but I would prefer it to be warmer.

Deep-fried Mekajiki Skin
This is my favourite! Instead of the salmon skin commonly served in Japanese restaurants, they have mekajiki skin(swordfish) which is something different. Particularly, I love fish skins, regardless of what type of fish. The skin is one of the fattiest part besides the belly and it is packed with collagen (good for skin). The swordfish skin is cut into thin strips, coat with some salt, pepper and flour & deep-fried till crispy. It was just like eating keropok… so addictive! I pop the fish skins in my mouth and in less than 5 mins, I finished the whole plate of it! You can dip it with mayonnaise or simply enjoy the salt and pepper seasoning.

Yasai Itame

This is basically stir-fried mixed vegetables. Japanese styled stir-fried vegetables would consist of capsicums, onions, cabbage, beansprouts and mushrooms. The Yasai Itame is not too bad, fragrant bits of garlic & the vegatable are crunchy and not oily.

The verdict: Do try the value for $ Japanese Bentos. The portions are really huge and well-value for $. Each bentos cost btw $20-$25 which comes with rice, soup, mains, deep-fried items and fruits.

The service here is attentive and friendly. Do ask for recommendations if you are not sure what to order.

The Ship Restaurant


This is not my first visit to The Ship Restaurant. I had been there many years ago but I can’t exactly remember when and the food I had there. A re-visit to The Ship as Mum wanted to try the Escargots . Well, The Ship had been smooth sailing and many had raved about the escargots .

The interior is very dim and once you enter the restaurant, you can see the ”Ship” and imagin e yourself as a passenger, dining on the deck.The restaurant itself really resembles the deck of the Ship. A true experience!

Upon seated, they hand us the menu promptly. I was interested in the executive set meal which is 1/2 lobster with choice of grilled chicken, pork, fish or rib eye steak. The set comes with a daily soup , dessert of the day and coffe/tea priced at $34.50++.

It has been quite a long time since I had lobster thus my mind is set on the 1/2 lobster with grilled fish. Frankly speaking, I didn’t really fancy lobster meat due to the tough texture. I prefer slipper lobster a.k.a Crayfish!

I also had 1/2 dozen of the Escargots to share with my mom.



Green salad with French dressing

We had the green salad with choice of French or 1000 island dressing. It was a simple salad with some lettuce, tomatoes, carrot and capsicum strips.



Escargots Bourguinonne ($13.90++)

Don’t leave The Ship without trying the Escargots! It’s one of the better ones you can get in Singapore. You can order it at 1 or 1/2 dozen. The escargots were probably stir-fried and stuffed in the shells and baked in the oven. I like the fragrance of the minced garlic and butter, it was so addictive! I think I could probably finish a dozen by myself.


1/2 LOBSTER with Dory fish ($34.90++)


The Lobster set comes with 1/2 lobster done Thermidor style (white wine, cheese + mushrooms) and 2 pcs of pan-fried dory fish fillets. I actually request for ”no cheese” but they still serve it with cheese.

Lobster Thermidor

The 1/2 lobster looks kinda pathetic. Although it looks huge but there wasn’t much lobster meat. I can only taste the cheese and mushroom and perhaps a few bits of the lobster meat which was slightly tough and chewy. Mum advised me not to order Lobsters as they may look big and meaty but there really isn’t much to enjoy.


Pan-fried Dory fillets

At least the dory fillets were decent. The fish has a crispy skin and the meat is very soft. It is spinkled with some almond flakes that added crunch.

We decided not to have any desserts because we can get better desserts somewhere!

Verdict: I would probably come by again if I am craving for the Escargots. The rest of the food were just average to me ( personal). Majority of the staff here are senior citizens and please understand if they can’t understand or speak English well.