Il Lido, Sentosa

October 25, 2006 superfinefeline

When I first dined at Il Lido in April 06, I didn't enjoy the meal for various reasons. The staff were so snooty and slow that my friends and I couldn't help wondering if we were paying for our meal or if we were receiving charity from the restaurant. It didn't help that the quality of the food was disappointing despite all the hype.

I returned a few weeks ago to ascertain if the previous bad experience was largely due to teething problems. My experience during my second visit was vastly different from my first. They had more staff thus the service was alot faster. The waiter who was assigned to our table was very attentive. He made good recommendations and was a pleasure to speak to as he injected cool humour into the warm evening. If you are unable to take the heat, I would suggest that you book a table indoors. We were seated on the verandah at sunset as we had heard so much about the beautiful view from the verandah. The fan next to our table provided much needed relief.

We ordered the Piatto di Antipasti All'Italiana (Classic Italian Antipasto Platter) @ $22 to start. I love Prosciutto (Parma Ham), Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) Cheese and Olives so I thoroughly enjoyed the starter. We opted for the Menu "Classic" at $90 per person.

The starter was Pan-Roasted Foie Gras with Red Wine Poached Pear & Endive Salad. We enjoyed the foie gras as it was cooked well and the serving portion was fairly generous considering that it was a set menu. The poached pear added a nice touch of sweetness to the rich flavours of the foie gras.

We then had the Home-Made Tagliolini with Spiny Lobster in Spicy Tomato Sauce which was delicious! The pasta was al dente and the tomato sauce was infused with the flavour of the spiny lobster.

One of the girls chose the Crispy Sea Bass Fillet with Porcini Mushrooms & Scampi Cream for her main course. We sampled a small portion. The flesh was moist and smooth which went very well with the nutty flavour of the porcini mushrooms.

I had the USDA Prime Beef Tenderloin with Porcini Mushrooms & Aged Balsamic Reduction. I love all the ingredients in this dish in any combination and so I thoroughly enjoyed my main course! I love how the rich flavour of the beef is balanced by the sweetness of the reduced Balsamic Vinegar and how the depth in flavour is built up through the nutty flavour of the mushrooms.

We had the Flourless Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Gelato for dessert. Unfortunately, by the time I got round to snapping this pic, the cocoa powder which was dusted over the vanilla gelato had dissolved into the melted gelato. The cake was made with Valrhona dark chocolate (my favourite) and was a molten lava cake served in a filo pastry shell. The intensity and flavour of the chocolate was exquisite. Though we were quite full, all the girls somehow managed to finish the dessert!

Il Lido
Sentosa Golf Club
Bukit Manis Road
Singapore 099892
Tel : 68661977

Operating Hours:
Lunch : 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm – 11pm