Pizzeria Mozza in Singapore

For our last night out, we wanted to enjoy a night out with good food and a bottle of wine.  Mozza at the Marina Bay Sands was the perfect place for a girls night out because of its casual, yet classy atmosphere.  Pizzeria Mozza, opposite the more formal Osteria Mozza, has a great selection of appetizers and pizzas for the whole table to share.

The service was friendly, thanks to fellow Filipinos happy to serve with their warm hospitality.  The food comes out at a good pace to enjoy the sequence of antipastis, appetizers, pizzas, and the sweet endings.

The food quality is up to par with Batali, Bastianich, and Silverton restaurants world wide (at least those that I've tried in NYC, Vegas, LA, and Hong Kong).  And, the pizza ranks up there with some of the best texture and tasting of pie crusts and quality of toppings.

Marina Bay Sands has a great selection of restaurants from international chefs.  Mozza is definitely a place to consider for a tasty night out.

Bone marrow al forno

Birthday Eats in Lupa Hong Kong

A birthday celebration in Hong Kong – and it’s not just anyone’s birthday, it’s my birthday!  Eating memorably is imperative.

Mario Batali’s Lupa was the best place to celebrate another year in my life because it was a great opener to another year of amazing eats.  In fact, my birthday lunch at Lupa was so good, my family and I came back that very same day to celebrate my birthday dinner there.  Yeah, it’s seriously that fun to eat there.

It’s all in the food AND the friendly service.  The food is consistent to all of Batali’s places that I’ve tried in Las Vegas and New York.  And he has the best pizza I’ve eaten so far in Asia.

The service is imported from Batali’s other restaurants from Los Angeles and Singapore.  These guys know the ins and outs of the restaurant and they know all about the food and wine.  Plus, they were so generous to us when we came back for dinner and when they found out it was my birthday.  Thanks, guys!

Batali is one chef I’d love to dine and wine with because of how fun it is to eat in his restaurants.  Eating so well while drinking so well – that is the only way you should celebrate your birthday.

If you can't see the slide show, check out my Flickr album: Lupa HK

Il Pesce in Eataly

Prior to our second meal at La Pizza & Pasta, we dined at Il Pesce, the seafood eatery at Eataly. All fresh in raw, roasted, fried, and so on. The few orders we got were all memorable. This was some of the best fritto misto (fried seafood) and whole roasted fish I have ordered in a restaurant. Cooking seafood is all about the timing, and the chefs got it perfectly at this eatery.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each of the food photos.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

La Pizza & Pasta in Eataly

For two dinners, my family and I visited La Pizza & Pasta in Eataly. It's quite simple - pizzas, pastas, and some salads paired with Italian wines and/or beers. With Batali and Bastianich's expertise, everything was so delicious! The pastas were perfectly cooked and properly coated with the right amount of sauce. And the pizzas were so thin and topped with high quality ingredients. Plus, the pairing with Bastianich wines makes for a most enjoyable dining experience.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each of the food photos.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Italy is Eataly!

The most anticipated destination for our family trip to New York City was Eataly. Established by Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Joe Bastianich, and Oscar Farinetti. These Italian-loving geniuses creating one of the coolest food markets! It's a market for fresh ingredients (fruits, vegetables, seafood, meats), for fun Italian goodies (homemade nutella!), for a snack (some salumi and wine in the afternoon - why not!), for a variety of meals (pizzas, pastas, seafood, vegetables), for drinking (beers, wines, espressos), for desserts (gelato and panetonne!), and so much more.

This place was like our Disneyland, our "happiest place on earth". In the course of a week, we visited Eataly four times to shop and to eat. I highly highly recommend this place if you love food, especially Italian food!

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Christmas Celebration

The holiday season is a time for family and food, a lot of food. Although, when my family gets together, everyday is always about family and food.

Christmas Eve
Enoteca San Marco, Las Vegas
One of our family's favorite spots. This is located in the Venetian Hotel. It's traditional Italian food from Italy with the Mario Batali touch.
The Menu

The Place Mat
They have several types of place mats. They all have various information regarding Italian culture and Italian food and drinks.

Bar Tower
Filled with blocks of cheese and meats.

Bar Seats

The Atmosphere
The restaurant is open to the Grand Canal Shoppes, so the customers get to enjoy the music from the entertainers.

The Wine Pairing
Friulano, Bastianich, 2007, Friuli - A great pairing for salads, light appetizers, and light pastas
“Vertigo”, Livio Felluga, 2006, Friuli - A nice pairing with the Bucatini and the Pork Shoulder

Antipasti
Radish in Bagna Cauda, Squash Agro Dolce, Roasted Beets with Saba
A delicious and refreshing start to whet the appetite.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Tomato, cured pork, onion. The pasta is cooked perfectly al dente, and the sauce nicely coats the noodles. A great pasta dish!

Bavette Cacio e Pepe
Black pepper, pecorino. Another delicious pasta dish. Actually, all of the pastas on the menu are great.

Braised Pork Shoulder
Averna apple reduction, cucumber. Soo good! This is definitely a plate to share. The pork is fork tender and the reduction is slightly sweet.

Roasted Cauliflower
With hazelnuts. A nice side dish to balance the meal.

Cheese Plate Prep
By sitting at the bar, we get to talk to the cooks that prep the antipasti, the cheeses, and the meats. This is Oscar. He was very generous to us, and it was great getting to know his story.

Cheese Plate
Ricotta, Scimudin, Baita Friuli, Gorgonzola Dulce, and Pecorino Fiore Sardo

Cheese Plate Sides
As part of the cheese plate experience, you get to have three accompaniments.

Honey with Black Truffles
This is AMAZING! It was so good that we bought a jar. $35 - soo worth it!


Apricots with Mustard Seeds

Brandied Cherries




Christmas Day at Home
The Centerpiece

Floating Cranberries

Bowl of Ornaments

Bowl of Pears
Pears from Harry and David

The Buffet Spread

The Wine Pairing
Cava, Montcadi, Semi Seco

Sorini Panettone
This is our yearly treat. We buy it at Williams Sonoma. It's filled with whole candied chestnuts. Mmm!

Lomo, Prosciutto, Smoked Salmon

Gorgonzola and Cheddar

Jar of Honey with Truffles


Fruitcake
It's even better than last year. My mom soaked the raisins in Meyer Rum. It's moist and a drinker's dessert of choice. Mm!

Vegetable Soup
The vegetables naturally sweetened the broth. A nice warm bowl on a cold day.





Christmas Night
Rao's, Las Vegas
After watching the Christmas episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown, we made reservations at Rao's. We had eaten here a few years ago, but now we wanted to try the Christmas Seafood Menu. It was a good meal, but when it comes to Italian food I prefer the traditional Italian cooking of Mario Batali. Rao's style of cooking is more Italian American.
The Entrance

The Bar

The Kitchen

The Inside

The Wine Pairing
Casamatta - A nice white wine that paired well with the pastas.
Riesling - A light white wine that paired well with the fish course.

Insalata di Mare
Steamed Calamari, Shrimp, PEI Mussels, Lobster and Crab Meat With Diced Celery, Gaeta Olives and Parsley. A refreshing dish of fresh seafood. I was expecting to be more impressed by the dish, though.

Linguine al Vongole Marechiara
New Zealand Cockle Clams Sautéed with Garlic, White Wine and Parsley Topped with a Touch of Tomatoes and Spice.

Pennette alla Vodka
San Marzano Tomatoes, Diced Italian ham, Vodka and a Touch of Cream.

Le Polpette di Rao’s
Traditional Rao’s Meatballs Served in Tomato Sauce.

Branzino sotto Sale
Mediterranean Sea Bass encrusted under salt.







Payard, Las Vegas
Francois Payard's patisserie. He has such beautiful creations. A lot of it is delicious; however, at lot of it is also too sweet for my palate.

The Christmas Displays



The Display of Desserts

Buche de Noel

Berry Buche de Noel

Inside
The berry part is just the jelly layer on top. Inside is the praline and chocolate center. Tasty, but sweet.

Candy Bar

Tarte Tatin
Nice presentation. But it was cold and the apple was sort of rubbery. My mom's was way better, and I'm not saying that because she's my mom.