I have just added an Italian restaurant to my list of noteworthy Italian restaurants. A hidden gem, il Cielo is located by the pool of Hilton on
level 24. Looking somewhat in between an uptight classy and a flip-flops casual
restaurant, it is just my kind of place to get away for a couple of hours and
indulge in Italian gastronomy.
At il Cielo, Chef Riccardo Cartasi focuses on the flavours of Tuscany, well, simply because he is proud of his home region! Using seasonal produce that are largely sourced from Italy, Chef Riccardo creates art dish after dish. His inspirational role model? Massimo Botturo from the three-stars-Michelin restaurant in Modena, who juxtaposes culinary traditions and innovations with contemporary art and design.
For this Spring/Summer, il Cielo has unveiled a new menu. Let me take you through the gallery, I mean, menu highlights.
A signature at il Cielo, Burrata Fatta In Casa ($25)
is a mild appetizer that whets the appetite. In the middle of the
carefully-selected plate is a beautiful piece of famous buffalo milk burratina
on a bed of marinated tomato carpaccio, basil cream and olives. (Hands up if
you had thought it is a bao, Italian or not.)
If you love seafood like I do, do not hesitate to select Fantasia
di Capesanne ($28). Peeking under the black truffle slices are perfectly
pan-seared MSC Hokkaido scallops in bottarga mayonnaise. Notice the roasted
mushrooms, pine nuts and red radish that outline the seashell? They are enjoyed
with the scallop or on their own. Carefully selected for textures and flavours,
this dish is a thoughtful and toothsome masterpiece.
The selection of homemade pastas at il Cielo is a handful.
With only five choices, how tough can the decision be? Very much, if you love
raviolis and risottos, on top of oxtails, lamb shanks and crustaceans. For now,
I will be contented with La Toscana In Tortello ($24) and Spaghettoni
all’Astice ($39). An elegantly plated dish that highlights the flavours of
Tuscany—pumpkin, chickpea and onion—the signature La Toscana In Tortello
makes you sit up. Have the pumpkin charcoal ravioli with the chickpeas cream,
red onion, and Modena balsamico. No matter how much you hate red onions
(perhaps for its embarrassing effect), do not omit these sweet and sour onions as
they elevate the flavours!
I’m not a fan of spaghetti but I polished the plate of Spaghettoni
all’Astice. The homemade pasta is coated with a delicious sauce of fresh
tomatoes, Italian basil and bottarga, and my! That Maine lobster! The generous
and fresh piece of juicy crustacean oozes with lobster sweetness! Such
indulgence!
You know how your nose picks up an aroma before the food is
sighted? This is precisely how fragrant Branzino d’Orbetello ($68) is.
Roasted on olive wood, the fresh sea bass from Orbetello has a subtle smokiness
while retaining its natural sweetness. It is somehow mesmerising to witness the
fish being deboned at the table, although I am pretty sure I can do the job
too, because with such a divine branzino, I’d be sucking off the bone from head
to tail! Oops!
If you love cod, you will love Baccala ($45). A relative
of the cod, this MSC glacier 51 toothfish is slow-cooked in smoked herbs. The
black breadcrumbs on the fillet adds an additional texture to the soft flakes
of succulent flesh. Served with roasted pumpkin cream, asparagus, and cauliflower,
this dish delights both the tastebuds and visual senses.
A modern rendition of the traditional tiramisu, Tiramisu Mille
Foglie ($14) is presented with an alternating stack of mille foglie (the
Italian version of the french mille feuille) and tiramisu cream. Sounds good?
Wait for it. Each layer of pastry is glazed with salted caramel! And the
winning bit? The in-house cappuccino gelato!
With a splash of vibrant shades of red, Composizione di
Fragole ($14) is artistic in presentation yet emanating notes of sweet 16.
Blushing standouts on this plate are the sorbet and macaron. The house-made
strawberry sorbet is unlike the typical sorbet—I’d name it homemade strawberry
jam sorbet to be precise, but that will be a tad lengthy; the macaron is
definitely one of the better macarons available in Singapore with its denser
shell (vs. the hollow imitations).
End the lovely meal with coffee, served with cantucci on the
side. Say cantucci, not biscotti. Maybe you’ll have an extra piece (you will
wish you have more!), compliments of Chef Riccardo. Don’t quote me on that!
Buon appetito!
Besides the ala carte menu, also available are lunch and dinner
menus—$25 (2-course) and $35 (3-course) for lunch; $59 (3-course) and
$79 (4-course) for dinner.
il Cielo
Hilton Singapore, Level 24
581 Orchard Road Singapore 238883
Lunch: 12-2pm (Mon-Fri)
Dinner: 7-10.30pm (Daily)
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