Da Paolo Ristorante : Delicious Italian Cuisine

25th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Hidden away in a quaint part of Holland Village and complete with architecture that is decades old. Jalan Merah Saga not only offers a respite from the bustling and crowded urban jungles of Singapore but also offers a quiet dining spot with plenty of greenery.

One such restaurant is the Da Paolo Ristorante managed by the Da Paolo Group founded by Paolo and Judie Scarpa in 1989 and is being ran together with Francesca Scarpa, Andrea Scarpa as well as Guillaume Pichoir. The family-run business also include the Da Paolo Gastronomia, a deli offering convenient and easy to prepare gastronomic delights as well as Da Paolo Dolci, specializing in Italian sweets.

Surrounded by exuberant greenery and flanked by an elegant display of Venetian glassware on one side and featuring a distinctive wicker wall feature that wraps around the whole ceiling, the Da Paolo Ristorante at Holland Village feels like a resort.

Helmed by Chef Gleb Snegin, a Russian chef who has cooked in Italy and China for at least a decade, one could expect not only classic Italian dishes but also innovative creations on the menus of Da Paolo Ristorante.

Our epicurean journey at Da Paolo begun with a glass of Rossini, a subtle mixture of Prosecco and strawberries. It was a light bubbly cocktail with a hint of sweet and sour strawberry flavor.

Next, we had the Caprese (16.00 SGD) featuring a creamy yet firm and smooth ball of buffalo mozzarella together with basil leaves and Belgian cherry tomatoes which was chosen for its sweetness. An excellent match, I love the texture of the buffalo mozzarella and how it the basil leaves adds depth to the flavours and the sweet, juicy Belgian tomatoes reduced the heaviness of the creamy mozzarella. A delectable starter indeed!

The good food doesn’t end there, the Prosciutto Crudo e Melone (20.00 SGD), Italian parma ham and rock melon is a simple but savoury dish only achievable with premium ingredients. The finely sliced Parma ham paired nicely with the sweet rock melon. Da Paolo took great effort to ensure the quality of their Parma ham.

Cappesante alle Erbe e Brandy (24.00 SGD), sautéed scallops with brandy and herbs were quite good too, the scallops are rather huge.

We were also fortunate to sample a special dish, Uova Strapazzate e Tartufo Bianco (45.00 SGD), scrambled eggs with white truffle, from the White Truffle Menu. Known as the "diamonds of the kitchen", these gems gives the scrambled eggs an ambrosial aroma. The accompanying sauce is quite creamy, quite a heavy dish for breakfast.

Pastas are almost inseparable from our idea of Italian Cuisine, and you could find several classics and quirky ones from Da Paolo’s menus as well. First up is the Tagliatelle al Granchio (26.00 SGD). This creamy crabmeat pasta is flavorful with the right amount of crabmeat flavor. Sometimes, crabmeat pastas can have an unpleasant brackish flavor but you can find none of that in Da Paolo. Personally, I enjoyed this pasta a lot although I think some might feel that the crabmeat flavor could have been stronger (personal preference I guess). There is also a non-cream version available.

The Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (26.00 SGD), Squid Ragout, Black Squid Ink is a must try in Da Paolo Ristorante. This dish was initially made for the poor people in Venice as it was made with the unwanted scraps of squid, just like how Noh transformed from folk performance to a form of high art in Japan, this dish has become a popular dish in fine dining establishments. At Da Paolo, the squid ink was obtained by squeezing out the ink from fresh squids then blended with vegetables to give flavor before it was being tossed with the ragout of squid. Messy and unglamorous it may be for fine dining, it is delicious!

Nowhere to be found on the menu as it was a daily special, the Smoked Eggplant Penne originated from Southern Italy, the homeland of our host, Mr Roberto Gagliardi, Head of Operations for Da Paolo Ristorante. The pasta has a distinct but pleasant smoky flavor (similar to BBQ). The fresh tomato sauce goes very well with the juicy smoked eggplant. Yummy!

By the way, all these pastas at Da Paolo were all made in-house!

Ossubuco alla Milanese con Purea di Patate (32.00 SGD), Braised veal shank with mashed potatoes reminded me of the Mercer Pie I had in London. The veal shank was very tender and went harmoniously with the fine potato mash.

On to the desserts, Tiramisu is rather popular and I could taste why, it was heavenly. The alcohol level is just nice and I could pick up the coffee flavor as well. An all-rounded Tiramisu (10.00 SGD), ladyfingers, coffee, egg yolk, mascarpone cheese, marsala, valrhona cacao is worth coming back for.

Bonet Piemontese e Gelato (12.00 SGD), Classic Piedmont Amaretto Chocolate Dessert with Chocolate Ice Cream is a very rich and heavy dessert. It is like a Italian fusion of the chocolate mousse and crème brulee. Piedmont is located in Northern Italy, bordering Switzerland to the north and France to the west.

Crespelle Agli Agrumi (12.00 SGD), reminded me of Crepes Suzette. This is really good though, the crepes were served warm and was very addictive with the cold but light Blood Orange Sorbet.



Pannacocco e Lamponi (12.00 SGD) is a creation of Chef Gleb Snegin made for the Singapore palate, it was made using coconut milk and served with fresh raspberries. Unlike the actual Pannacotta, this has a firmer texture. According to both Chef Gleb Snegin and Mr Roberto, the “authentic” pannacotta varies from region to region in Italy and its name is translated into “cooked cream”. Often, it is soft and creamy with balsamic vinegar drizzled over it.

Paolo’s Tea and Coffee menu featured Bristot Coffee which was imported from Italy. However I decided to have one of their interestingly named teas instead. The Desert Flowers is a fragrant concoction of cactus and aloe vera “with sweet notes of sunflower”, a mildly sweet and soothing tea to our epicurean journey at Da Paolo Ristorante.

Da Paolo Ristorante also offers 3-course set lunches ranging from 24++ to 32++ SGD and you could also dine at Club Street if you want somewhere closer to town (however the menu would be slightly different).

If you would like to have wine pair with your food, Da Paolo has a collection of Italian wines (except for French Champagne) featuring at leasy 97 labels. The wines were being sourced by a dedicated wine scout in Italy and Mr Roberto Gagliardo tastes them before narrowing down the selection to be brought into Singapore. Like the menus, the wine collection and food menu are being changed now and then to offer exciting new choices.

Thank you Samuel Wong and Tecks Chia from Clout Communications for inviting the4Moose to the tasting session at Da Paolo Ristorante (Holland Village) and many thanks to Mr Roberto Gagliardo, Chef Gleb Snegin and the staff for the great hospitality.

Da Paolo Ristorante (Holland Village)
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56
Telephone: +65 6476 1332

Opening Hours:
Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Opens Daily.

Da Paolo Ristorante (Club Street)
80 Club Street
Telephone: +65 6224 7081

Opening Hours:
Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Closed for Saturday Lunch, all Sundays and Public Holidays before February 2012.
After February 2012: Opens Daily.