Basilico (The Regent Singapore)

Basilico is one of the restaurants under UOB’s chef’s creation series. Opened just a few months ago in July, the establishment prides itself as family-friendly, using fresh seasonal herbs and giving diners a taste of authentic Italy, because well, the restaurant’s 3 chefs hail from northern to southern Italy. Housed on the 3rd floor of the Regent, Basilico’s entrance welcomes once the elevator hits 3.

The degustation menu offered a starter, a soup, a choice of main and some desserts for sharing. Complimentary foccacia bread was served with accompanying salsa, mascarpone cheese and pesto for dips. To start things off, a pita filled with black truffles and mozzarella cheese that looked like a pizza was served. Maybe it was hunger, maybe it was the first real food going into my mouth but the aromatic black truffle infused pita just hit the jackpot on my taste buds. It was good! Next came the Pizza Proscuitto, which means thin crust pizza. This came with a tomato based sauce, parma ham, some halved cherry tomatoes and rocket leaves. Overall this is quite a good thin crust pizza. But it cannot be compared to that one we had earlier on (read black truffles).

Second on the degustation menu was the Lobster tomato stew. The soup contained pieces of chopped lobster and scallops that exude sweetness. Although the texture of the stew is light, the flavor and fragrance infused with herbs and fresh seafood were strong on the palate. After the soup came the Risotto alla Pugliese, which basically means South Italian Risotto, named after a town called Puglia. The risotto came laced with diced lobster, tiger prawns scallops and asparagus. Although it seemed to have many ingredients, I had difficulty telling them apart by tasting. The rice grains were plump but I found them to be a little hard on the bite, quite grainy in fact. Heard that this risotto cost $31 on the ala carte menu and was a crowd favorite.

I chose the Wagyu Beef as the main course. I mean come on, with the five letter word staring at you, how to ignore it. Apparently this was also the choice of all the tasters. So 6 wagyu beef in all. In the end I somehow lamented that we did not fully test the skills of the chef. So the wagyu came to our table. And boy, they were not stingy on the cow. The portion was good, in fact too generous, I thought. Asked for medium doneness, the aussie wagyu was grilled to perfection with the pinkish hue in the middle. The bite on the beef was marbled and the accompanying sauce served perfectly.

After finishing off the cow, we rested a little before the sweets came on. Although the degustation menu had only the Semifreddo al Torroncino (Almond Parfait with stewed sour cherries), nice chef Angelo presented 3 other desserts to be shared (Pear Tart, Fig Tart and Raspberry Panna Cotta). Nope, there was no tiramisu. Don’t ask me why. Of the 4 desserts, I personally felt that the Semifreddo and the Pear Tart were the better ones. The semifreddo had a good proportion of chopped almonds and the soaked cherries carried the tanginess, while not being overly sour, to balance the sweet almond parfait while the pear tart on the other hand has a very nice and fragrant buttery crust. Finally, a nice chef as he is, Angelo came with glasses of Gruppino for us to end off the meal. This slightly alcoholic drink with lime juice served to cut the oiliness and heaviness in the meal. I certainly felt less heavy after that. So, thanks chef!

I shall not mention much about the service standards here since it was a food tasting session. I would say that the staff were attentive and bothered to explain the dishes and asked for comments. Hey, they serve ice water too! Ambience was suited mainly for romantics as the toned lights pretty much brought out to the ‘love-feeling’. The open kitchen concept allows diners to have a full-on view at the works behind the scenes. A cool chef laying the dough or cutting up the wagyu pieces are quite a sight to relish in. A good display of wines at the front of Basilico greets the customer upon walking in, ranging mainly from Italy.

Basilico is still generally new to the scene. Some still needed a little tweaking as with the progress with time. But however there are already some signature dishes and crowd favorites. Good Italian restaurants are not easy to find on our land. Hopefully Basilico will stand among the giants of Italian culinary, just as fine wines mature over time.

For pictures: http://hungryinsingapore.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/basilico-dinner/

The normal price for the dinner cost $74++ but for restaurant week it’s only $55++.

The main course is served to us while the appetisers and desserts are buffet style. I am actually not a fan of buffets and I was actually after their main courses! Getting full is totally not my objective of a good meal thus buffets doesn’t appeal to me. However, as the concept here is kind of different, I decided to give it a try! The choices of main course all looked so good I couldn’t decide what to have.

This is not the usual international buffets that most Singaporeans will be after. Typical Singaporeans charge to the sashimi counters during buffet, and I’m sure you know of somebody who does that. I think Basilico offers more of a fine dining buffet rather than a casual laid back buffet such as The Line. The theme is Italian and they abide to it strongly in a way. You won’t find any sashimi here, so if buffet=sashimi to you, do not choose this place! Finer ingredients can be found such as truffle salt, truffle salad dressing and truffle honey and the service was very attentive and good. If you appreciate hams and cheeses, you’ll find a good selection here. The ambience was lovely too, very quiet and private unlike rowdy buffets like The Line where you would find noisy large groups and young kids. So I’d recommend this place if you’re looking for a romantic fine dining like option! Or if you like buffets but would want some ambience too. If you’re looking for a casual hearty buffet, this is not the place. If you want to pay a lower price and could do without the main course, lunch would be an option where they have more dishes (like meats, pizza etc) on the buffet tables. They do have an a la carte menu too, which I think I would opt for if I were to return again.

Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Norcia’s Black Truffle Polenta and Baked Artichokes

From the name of the dish, it is obvious that this will not be the best steak because it is not rib eye. To me, rib eye is the best cut as the fats give steak the best flavour. Indeed, this was good but not the best. The cooking was done to perfection with the meat very evenly grilled to the correct doneness as ordered.

Carnaroli Rice with Saffron Flower, Pan Roasted Foie Gras, Porcini Mushroom and Pugilia’s Primitivo Wine Reduction

After long thought, I opted for the saffron carnaroli risotto with foie gras. No regrets! I’m not a huge fan of risotto but I’m definitely fine with it. I think it is an acquired taste, to like risotto, as I didn’t really like it the very first time I had it. The saffron is quite distinctive in this especially towards the end of it. This risotto was done al dente with the rice being slightly hard but definitely not the sort that would stick to your teeth. The sauce was very flavourful and slightly cheesy.

The foie gras was served on a separate plate. The serving was generous and it was delicious, but would have been better if it was seared with salt instead.

Among the desserts I liked the gelato best, but only strawberry flavour suited my taste here. The other flavours were not my type. Anyway this could be the best strawberry gelato I’ve eaten as it’s not sour, like most strawberry gelatos are, or too sweet like artificial flavouring would be. It’s just right.

Went there with a large group. 

Noteworthy: 

1. grudgingly, freeflow foie gras

2. Squid ink pasta

3. Grilled lamb (with tasty sauces)

4. Cold cuts

5. Fresh & awesome variety of heirloom tomatoes and cheeses

6. Wagyu stew

7. Tossing salad in a massive bowl is EXTREMELY fun. Eating it not as much. 

8. Wagyu rump (with tasty sauces)

Manager was friendly enough to provide me with the name of a very pretty species of tomato - a camone tomato! 

Basilico is probably the type of restaurant that would give you the recipe to a great dish if you asked for it. 

My friends and I came by for their buffet lunch which was priced at $46++.

Spread-wise it was decent.

They had Parma ham with Rock Melon(which we felt that the parma ham was sliced way too thick), mortadella and various other hams completed with a wide selection of bread, olives, greens, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, condiments etc.

For the mains, they had seafood stew, lamb stew(very tough and dried out), cod fish, roasted salmon, mushroom ravioli(thumbs up for this), Lasagna, Linguine Bolognese, Squid-ink Pizza and various other pizzas.

To go with the mains, they also had sides such as Brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes. In addition they had a carving whereby they were serving chicken and Waygu beef rump. The Caucasian Chef who was there simply just served me the Waygu beef in an uninterested manner. No smile, no acknowledgement, not even a simple "OK"

And I was definitely not being rude to him since I greeted him and even thank him. After a quick check with my friends, they received the same treatment from this gentleman as well.

Before ending off with dessert, I had some cheese as well. I can't really recall the names of the cheese but it was a good selection of Italian Cheeses accompanied with jelly, compote, honey, crackers, grapes etc.

Dessert station was quite good as well. They had gelato and sorbet(Chocolate, Strawberry, Lime Sorbet, Sweet Tuscany Wine). There were panna cotta, Passionfruit Champagne Jelly(I think), meringue, peach tart, chocolate nut cake, braised pear, creme brulee etc. I was looking out for Tiramisu but they didn't have it. What a pity, but the other desserts were still good!

Service wise(not taking into account the Chef), the servers were polite, plates were promptly cleared, water glasses were topped up. Ambience wise, it was excellent, the decors etc were done perfectly. Would I be back? Yes definitely.

For detailed review and photos, please visit my foodblog: http://wp.me/p1GkyL-lD

We went to Basilico for my parents' anniversary celebration.

Basilico is one of the very few Italian restaurants that serves buffet style and it is said to be one of the best around if one is looking for a combi of Italian + buffet.

Starters, meat, stew and dessert selection was good - but wished there was more pasta dishes to choose from. Quality was good for buffet standard but nothing beats á la carte, no?

Service was commendable as the waiters were helpful and attentive. Special mention to Maitre'D - Quentin, who extended great hospitality to my family.

All in all, quite a nice buffet - good value for those looking for a great deal of Italian food. 

For more photos, please visit Six & Seven.

Singapore is an island of food- and buffet-lovers - it's probably the reason there are so many buffet restaurants locally. After hearing much about Basilico (and 'cause I’m a big fan of The Regent Singapore’s Tea Lounge), I immediately jumped at the chance to try it out during Restaurant Week. There might not have been much of a discount for that promotion, so Six & Seven investigates if it provides us that bang for buck.

Stepping inside, I was pleasantly surprised with their layout of the buffet. Often, the different types of food laid out in a way that you have to recall where each section is. Here, everything is within view, which makes planning your meal easy.

Centre Aisle

At Basilico, there is one thing you can be sure of: abundance. Even at the salad bar (centre aisle), we were spoilt for choice!Besides the fresh, leafy greens, there was a whole range of dressings, from truffle or lemon dressing to bottles of aged balsamic vinegar as add-ons, no two salads are the same experience.

Or you aim straight for the infused salts. Yes, you saw right, truffle salt!

The smoked duck salad is a definitely must-try! The little drizzles of sweet sauce did aplenty to highlight the succulent duck slices.

The asparagus salad features huge pieces of the fresh vegetable, perfect for people who like their greens or as a side when you feast on meats.

The risotto salad is done al dente, the separate grains providing some bite. I much preferred mine soft and creamy, so I did not take much of a fancy toward this dish that could probably be a wetter ‘fried rice’ substitute for Asian tourists.

Besides the more standard salads – yes, there is more – there are also more indulgent salads like the smoked salmon salad or the oyster salad.

Or go for the savouries. A wide assortment of pickled choices and hams is available. Try the thinly sliced parma ham and sweet melon combo. Delish!

And now, cheese. Besides the wet cheeses like tomino (goat’s milk), mozzarella (buffalo’s milk) and treccia (cow’s milk), ample hard cheeses are placed near the condiment area for the picking! As a cheese-lover, I enjoyed the variety.

Have I mentioned the range of condiments available? The wide-spread of the different honey's, toppings and jams alone is enough to confuse!

An easily overlooked area is the bread station. As someone who's concerned over his waistline, carbs are usually not my first priority, but with my first bite, I was hooked! Everything was executed perfectly; it was how all breakfast tables should be like.

Side Aisle (Food)

Yes, we’ve only just begun. There is a lovely selected of roasted and grilled items to enjoy at the hot food section.

Potatoes are my guilty indulgence. (If there were potato crisps, I’d taken a whole plate of them!) Having had experiences with overly hard or salty versions, I am happy to say that the rosemary-roasted potatoes here were firm and flavourful (and we definitely had more than just a few.)

There is also a chef stationed around the corner to cut and serve slices of the tender roasted chicken and roasted beef, great with either horseradish or herb mustard.

Of all the meats, the roasted salmon stood out with its hearty flavour and freshness. The way they’ve transformed this simple dish is amazing.

The pasta station is definitely not to be missed! Besides the gnocchi in basil sauce which I didn’t fancy, everything else was scrumptious. Filled with springy Wagyu beef and pork, the lasagna was full of flavour and textures.

The cream sauce penne surprised me with the bits of small sweet, cherry tomatoes and fragrant nuts, giving a whole new dimension to the dish.

One of Basilico's signature dishes, Focaccia Mascarpone, a pizza-looking baked Italian bread came with truffle-infused mascarpone cheese, Cepe mushroom spread and topped with rich black truffle shavings was simply divine.

For a foodie like me, it must come as a surprise that this was my first time trying squid ink pasta. I’ve usually stuck to cream-based ones, but who knew something so black could be so creamy and flavoursome? I’m a convert now.

The next signature dish (which name escapes me) is a dish of grilled Wagyu beef  enveloping cheese served with a red wine reduction. Perfectly cooked on the outside with juices sealed in, the dish had a distinct smoky taste. Even Saunders who isn’t a big fan of cheese enjoyed the unique texture of the dish and smooth molten cheese.

Standalone Island (Asian)

Yes, a standalone island of Asian cuisine. It was like a little Chinatown in the middle of Italy!

Besides the very ‘obviously Asian’ cooked greens and other dishes, the sinfully crispy roasted piglet and individually ‘packed’ Loh Mai (glutinous rice) caught our attention.

When we saw the Man Tou, we immediately thought of dipping it into some chilli crab gravy, which was sadly not available. A sweet and spicy prawn curry was the closest replacement, but filled the gap nicely.

Side Aisle (Desserts)

No buffet is ever complete without a dessert section, and Basilico sure has that covered. Seeing the spread they have to offer, I feel that their $18++ ‘half-buffet’ is worthwhile even if you just attacked the desserts alone. Just look at all the goodies up for grabs!

If you like your cakes, then the rich chocolate fudge cake a must-eat!

Saunders, who bakes as a hobby, gave the pear tart his approval (and even went back for seconds), so this is one to lookout for.

I’m not usually a fan of pistachio, but the smooth and delicate pistachio panna cotta had me craving for more.

I did not have the chance to taste their in-house made Italian gelato (d*** you, time that waits for no man) but I overheard diners describing how it’s of just the right sweetness and goes really well with the dense, mushy baked berries!

Basilico is a fine-looking restaurant with remarkable food. With quality food and personable service provided, the $42++ weekday lunch buffet price tag is more than justifiable. Diners looking for a splendid place to try an Italian spread should definitely head down. Another point I like is how there is enough space between tables so you can still dine in comfort. Ask for the seats by the pool if possible, the view is great!

It’s not always that Saunders and I come to terms on our preference for food, but our experience at Basilico is definitely putting this into our ‘To Recommend’ list.

Did it turn us on?

Chef Angelo of Basilico certainly did.

The thing with most buffets - I don't eat 80% of the spread. I don't like Chinese dishes, I don't like noodles/rice, I don't like to battle with shellfish (except scallops or clams where the battle is lost with half their shell gone). I end up eating breads, cheeses, salads, nuts and desserts (if there are good ones), which doesn't make sense to most people.

So I was very happy when I went to Basilico last month, so happy I went again 2 weeks after the first visit. The spread was everything I like - huge, HUGE selection of cheeses (burrata too!!!), and I was so lucky it's the truffle season, so they had truffle cheese and other truffle scented items on the menu. Simply YUM.

Also included in the spread were cured meats of sort. Parma ham to go with the melon and the burrata, then there was the salami, smoked salmon, anchovy fillets dressed in lemon juice, marinated octopus (not squid hor) & prawns... you name it. Better still, there was beef carpaccio. Which other buffet has that on the menu?

Let's move on to the veg. Plump & sweet tomatoes, good selection of salad leaves, pickled vegetables (artichokes, feta stuffed bell peppers) and blah. It's vegetarian heaven. And the dressing selection was huge too, and of really good quality. Not the crappy bottled caesar dressing kind of thing.

Breads were ok, they have grissinis and blah, not great, but their dips and spreads were redeeming. Pesto, truffle infused honey, citrus honey, chili honey, fig jam...

Pizzas, pastas and other hot foods were decent to. Well, maybe the pizza could've been better. But the eggplant parmigiana was really fantastic. They have ribs, roasted chicken, lamb & blah blah blah, as well as lobster bisque, rustic stews, and some cod and some salmon thingy. Everything looked great but my stomach can only take so much, so I left many of those untouched.

Desserts wise, there were hits and misses. The cannoli wasn't great the first time I went, probably cuz I was having it at 10pm so everything left on the counter had been sitting there for a long time. 2nd trip down, there was this dessert which wasn't labelled, but it has the same idea as the cannoli - fried pastry but this time with hazelnut creme filling. SUPER GOOD. It's like nutella in ultra, ultra crispy puff pastry. Gelatos were all right, good but nothing wowable.

Price is really fair though. Lunch was $46++ on Saturdays, and dinner was $69++. For a spread so wonderful, I would go back again and again and again.

I have been there quite some time ago, went there only once.  As I found that the variety wasn't as good, perhaps it was the lunch time only.  And furthermore the price per pax is quite steep for it.  Rather the service was good, as they did serve personally to us as per each unique dish.

For photos and more reviews, visit us at http://foodphd.wordpress.com!

Basilico is one of the dining places in The Regent Hotel and offers fresh, authentic and seasonal Italian cuisine. Dinner at Basilico started off with an antipasti buffet, a main course and ending off with an Italian desserts and gelato buffet. Simply to say, besides the main course, we had a free flow of appetizers and desserts!

Appetizers wise, there was a wide variety of salads, cheeses, breads, marinated seafood, seasonal greens and cured ham. It was really an eye opener to see such a huge spread of Italian produce. There were some hits and misses with the appetizers though.

For ham/meat lovers, the selection of cured ham at Basilico has got to be the most comprehensive one in Singapore, ranging from Prosciutto to Pork salami to Pancetta etc. There was also a wide range of fresh, unsalted macadamia, walnuts and chickpeas and dried fruits like prunes and figs which made very healthy snacks for us to munch on while chatting. The prawn salad was made up of fresh and shelled boiled prawns tossed in an appetizing vinegarette oil base sauce.

The Queen Scallops Salad was a feast for the eyes with those huge, succulent-looking scallops. Sadly, the scallops were soft, lacked chewiness and were very bland.  Also available were many different kinds of honey like truffle honey, orange honey, lemon honey.  A pity we did not know what we were supposed to do with them in an Italian cuisine. These were left unexplored.

Main courses wise, we had a list of 9 to choose from:

Lumaconi Pasta Stuffed with Braised Guinea Fowl, Porcini Mushroom, Piedmont Three Milk Robiola Cheese

Carnaroli Risotto with Zaffron, Aged Balsamic Seared Foie Gras and Black Truffle

Linguine Pasta with Tiger Prawns, Scallop, White Clams, Broccoletti, Sicilian Tomatoes, Taggiasche Olives and Fresh Basil

Asparagus and Ricotta Tortelloni with Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce, Hazelnut and Freshly Shaved Black Truffle

Roasted Monk Fish with 36 months cured Parma Ham, Wild Rocket and Castelluccio Lentils

Pan-seared Seabass with Clams in Pinot Griogio White Wine Sauce

Roasted Iberico Pork Chop with Spicy Peperonata of Stew Bellpeppers, Wild Herbs Salad and Toasted Pistachio

Grilled Lamb Chops with Portobello Mushroom and Smoked Scarmoza “Millefoglie” Dry Tomatoes and Artichokes

Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Mushroom Polenta, Asparagus and Taleggio Cheese Fondue

The mere descriptions of the main courses were enough to make us salivate and after much struggle and debate, we made our final decisions on the Risotto, Sea Bass and Guinea Fowl.

Branzino in Padella con Vongole in Brodetto (Pan-seared Sea Bass with Clams in Pinot Grigio White Wine Sauce) – The sea bass was extremely fresh, soft, smooth and juicy. There was not a tinge of fishiness. We could just slowly allow the fish meat to disintegrate in our mouths – pure bliss! The sea bass skin was slightly charred, crispy and salty, adding the extra bite to the soft fillet. There was quite a number of clam shells atop the fish, however most were devoid of the clam meat. But guess it matters little as the flavours and freshness of the clams had been thoroughly incorporated into the white wine sauce. The flavours of the white wine sauce was very strong, in fact it was a little too rich on the palate. Thankfully, the fish hadn’t absorbed the sauce, hence it still retained its intrinsic sweetness.

Risotto allo Zafferano con Fegato Grasso al Balsamico Invecchiato e Tartufo Nero (Carnaroli Risotto with Zaffron, Aged Balsamic Seared Foie Gras and Black Truffle) – The risotto was thick and gluey. The rice grains weren’t all that mushy, it was cooked al dente, still retaining a slight grainy hardness. The saffron taste was not overpowering, far from what the  intense yellow dyed risotto would have suggested. The foie gras atop was on the bland side, but was still as oily and fatty as it should have been. Every mouth oozed of soft molten fats. The foie gras left behind a pool of oil on the risotto. We felt they could have prepared the foie gras in a less oily manner. Sadly, though being highly priced produce, the black truffle and foie gras seemed to have done nothing to accentuate the taste or texture of the dish. The risotto shone on its own without these accompaniments.

Lumaconi Farciti di Faraona Brasata, Porcini e Robiola Tre Latti (Lumaconi Pasta Stuffed with Braised Guinea Fowl, Porcini Mushroom, Piedmont Three Milk Robiola Cheese) – We have never had guinea fowl before, but decided to give it a shot anyway. This was like a dumpling, where the skin was made of the lumaconi pasta, and the fillings were predominantly braised guinea fowl. The pasta was done al dente. There were signs that it had been pan-fried prior to being served, and we liked the slightly charred and chewy texture.  The guinea fowl fillings had a texture similar to that of canned tuna. It was rather soft and came in strips like fish, rather than in chunks like pork. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much characteristic taste of the guinea fowl, it can even be passed off as chicken. It was the accompanying sauce which heightened the flavours of the dish. With its strong milky and creamy taste and fragrance, it was definitely for the diary products lovers.

And the finale of our dinner – the dessert buffet! We weren’t all the impressed with the warm desserts which included red wine pears and baked peaches. The taste of red wines in the pears was barely detectable and the baked peaches were akin to canned peaches, nothing too fantastic. There were 4 different chilled desserts sitting prettily in the glass display drawers – Panna Cotta, Strawberry Gellatine, Chocolate Zuccotto and Chocolate Sabayon. The Chocolate Sabayon has got to be our favourite. Chocolatety and thick – it had a consistency intermediate between fudge and mousse. It was just pure decadent velvety chocolate!

The highlight of the desserts has got to be the gelato! 6 flavours of the night included vanilla, raspberry, pistachio, hazelnut, liquorice and cherry. Our 2 favourites were the pistachio and hazelnut. The hazelnut tasted more like chocolate, though its rich flavours and sticky texture appealed to us. The pistachio was a winner! Every bite exuded the distinctness of pistachios and likewise, the thick and luscious texture was just absolutely delightful.

Service wise, we have got to give credit to our server of the night – Ms Khoo Lih Chang. Her service was impeccable. She was prompt in clearing our plates and filling our glasses of water. In addition, when we mentioned to her that we were freezing cold at our seats, she offered us shawls to keep us warm and even brought us a pot of hot water with lemon. Her initiative and kind smiles made the entire meal an enjoyable one.

We’ve never had an Italian buffet before, and Basilico’s semi-buffet dinner was truly a remarkable one. The quality of food and service was worth every cent of the $65 we each paid.

Basilico has been high up on my buffet list ever since I tried them last year and I decided to recommend it to the best friend!

 

We had a really good seat, a quiet corner of the restaurant with the sun! Love how relaxing the Regent feels! And it smells really good too haha!

 

Foie Gras with Truffle Risotto

 

First thing we attacked? The foie gras! Yes they have a foie gras station and look at the PORTION. So much bigger than Melt's/Triple 3's which are really miserable portions about hmm 1/3 the size of this?? Now this is what I call worth your money! The risotto was yummy too! Though the truffle aroma wasnt as strong as I'd like it to be! Overall, I LOVE FOIE GRAS! Oh and the foie gras "station" has a room to itself, its behind the dessert area, if you dont know where it is just ask the friendly staff and they'd show you the way! They also have manyyyy different types of cheese and honey in that room, so if you're a cheese lover, you're in for a real treat! 4.6/5

 

 

 

Lobster, king crab, mussels, prawn, parma ham + rock melon, burrata cheese, asparagus, cherry tomatoes

 

The king crab was reallyyyyy sweet!! Tomatoes too! Love burrata cheese, so (: Parma ham went well with the sweet melon, lobster wasnt v sweet though! Didnt really like the prawns, mussels were ok. They have a salad bar section, many diff types of tomatoes + cheese, many types of hams/salami, they have jamon as well!

 

 

 

Now this was YUMMY!!! Must-try really!

 

Focaccia with mascarpone cheese and truffle

 

THE TRUFFLE AROMA IS THE BOMBBB! They drizzle truffle oil on top of the bread so yup its really aromatic! And in between the focaccia is a thin layer of mascarpone cheese studded with truffles, yummmmmm~~ Melting goodness of the cheese coupled with aroma of the truffles with a soft slightly wood-charred bread, heaven! The best friend and I loved this a lot and asked for more, as you'll see below! (: They'll bring this to your table asking if you want it or not

 

 

 

This time we asked for foie gras only and they gave us 2 huge slabs with truffles!! YUMMEHHHH~~ Hehe foie gras!!!!

 

 

 

Lamb rack, king crab, cod fish, salmon

 

The lamb rack is still as good as I remember!! No strong "smelly" lamb taste (the best friend cant stand it but she thinks the lamb here's really good and that speaks volumes huh), the meat is sooooo tender and done JUST NICELY, slightly undercooked to give it that slight chewy, tender texture! The cod and salmon were okay-ish only

 

 

 

Lobster Bisque

 

An okay rendition

 

 

 

 

 

Pizza bread, Focaccia with mascarpone & truffle, sole fish, cherry tomatoes

 

The pizza bread was placed together with the breads (not at the pizza section) and I thought it was quite good because its light and airy plus has just enough of the spices to make it yummy! Sole fish was okay only. 

 

 

 

Pizza with prawn and cherry tomatoes

 

This was ok only cos the dough was a little thick. There are about 4/5 diff types of pizzas, 4/5 types of pastas, they have wagyu rump, grilled chicken, grilled pork, pork belly, meatballs, mixed seafood,  grilled vegetables, lamb stew, chicken stew etc just that we didnt take them!

 

 

 

Pastry with hazelnut filling, apricot tart, berry crumble 

 

Apricot tart was good! The tart base was not the crumbly sort, a little firm but still, I liked it! I only like the berry part of the crumble though 

 

 

 

Pastry with hazelnut filling

 

This was like eating a HUGE FERROR ROCHER!!! Super yummy!!!! The filling isnt overly sweet, and the pastry ohmy, crispy, flakey buttery goodness!!! 

 

 

 

Cake with fruits, lemon macaron, coffee choux pastry

 

I really loved the cake with fruits! Its like a shortbread kind of cake, with a biscuit base, a very crumbly and buttery cake with many different types of fruits on it! Dont bother about the choux pastry because it turned soggy from the cream inside and aint worth your stomach space!

 

 

 

The lemon macaron was SO good! Not annoyingly sweet, crispy shell though a little soft, and just enough lemon to make you go "I like this!"

 

 

 

Plate 2: Apricot tart, sesame crackers, cake with fruits, lemon macaron

 

The sesame cracker wasnt nice

 

Oh we had the Lime sorbet which was soooo sour but good after a heavy meal, the sweet wine gelato which initially tastes a little weird but after awhile it grows on you! Its like a sake gelato haha. There were other desserts like chocolate truffles, chocolate/raspberry macarons, vanilla/chocolate/espresso/raspberry gelato, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, meringue cookies, panna cotta, some weird desserts I've never seen before, red wine pears, chocolate zabaglione, etc!

 

There is also free flow of juices/coffee/tea so yup! We saw Patricia Mok filming there as well! Haha. She looks exactly like how she is on TV. Really love the ambience of Basilico, great great place to have Sunday Brunch! Advance bookings are a must because they are usually full house during Sunday Brunch! 

 

The price now has increased since I last came, but I do not mind the increase in price because previously there werent truffles in the buffet neither were the foie gras portions as big (though still bigger than Melt/Triple 3) 

 

We both felt that though the variety wasnt HUGE, the quality of the food was consistent and good!! She says she'll bring her family here the next time round. So yup, wonderful place for Sunday Brunch if you're an Italian food lover! 

Attentive staff.

Lovely antipasti - except the rock melon wasn't sweet enough so the parma ham combination just failed. Everything else was yummy~ Love the dips, love the cheeses, love the warm bread, Love the salads....

The desserts... Oh my the desserts! I love desserts and to be honest, I've not had a creme brulee so good since 10 years ago in Renaissance Hotel, KL. This one blows my mind! 

But the best part is the dessert chef/server(?). I was picking a little of everything on my plate and he said to me, "You must have chocolate sauce with that. Come come! *we went from one corner of the dessert table to the other* Here, the chocolate sauce will moist it. Very good like that!"

Then the second time when I was again arranging different desserts on my plate, he said, "You want gelato? Come come! I give you a little. To taste ok? You want it with warm pear? You asking if it will go together? Why not?"

And that went on for the whole night. I love desserts, and I love that I am ushered to eat more, to try more. It just makes me feel that the staff feels really proud of their food. 

Point is, a lot of times, the desserts will be hit/miss because honestly, I've not had a dessert buffet where everything is good. But here... everything. is. good. 

Side note: The staff here are attentive and good at what they do!