Gastronomia

I initially wanted to order the Squid Ink Pasta but decided on the takeaway Beef Lasagne on a whim. Paired it with a bottle of San Pellegrino which I loved.
The lasagne was nice on first taste but gradually got a bit floury near the end. I liked the crusty bits. It was good that they offered to warm it up and serve it on a plate.
I tried a bite of my sister’s Pasta Salad Chicken (takeaway) which was nice after she added a whole lotta Tabasco sauce.
I guess their cooked on the spot dishes taste much better than their warmed up takeaways.
Nevertheless, due to it’s convenient location, I’ll be coming back soon!

Smoked salmon and horseradish sandwich ($ 11.50 for a small) — 3.5 stars
Had this on ciabatta. Not a fan of mayonnaise in general. Bit salty but otherwise good. I’d prefer something with more vegetables though.

Decided to swing by here on a Sunday afternoon.
The crowd was surprisingly not too bad. Managed to get a seat inside the store itself.
Been wanting to indulge in the pizzas for a very long time but when I used to visit the branch in Grandstand, I tend to divert my attention to the list of pastas instead.
This time round, my eyes were fixed on the pizza section. The price was reasonable and the one catches more attention than the salami pizza was the smoked salmon pizza.
Browsing through the section of cupcakes and crodos, found myself eyeing on the hazelnut Crodo (Christmas spun for the Crodo). Queued and gave the waitress my two food items that I wanted to try this time round.
The pizza base was crispy and fluffy. Surprisingly it wasn’t too salty. I was looking for light bites and the pizza definitely satisfied my cravings. It was a little expensive but quality wise, it is worth the money spent. You can ask them to re-​heat for you too.
The hazelnut Crodo was interesting. It was decorated with thinned dark chocolate that looks like a nest. Inside was the hazelnut cream. The colored leaf like sugar toppings definitely brought colors to the dull Crodos. The hazelnut crème wasn’t too sweet. Not too thick either and it oozed out of the Crodo while cutting the dish into smaller bite portions. The dark chocolate helped to tone down the sweetness from the sugar sprinkles on top of the Crodo and the other sugary items inside.
Service was pretty efficient here. The waitress cleared up my plate quickly after I emptied the two plates of dishes. This was the second time that I’m here for some light bites and desserts. Will definitely be back again ;) Cheers!

I like this place. Not much indoor seating so you’ll have to like the outdoor type. I’ve been to another location in the mall but this is of course more better with a more café feeling right next to the botanical garden. The food is a good buy for the price. The hazelnut cake was surprising good. It looks so ordinary especially in the plastic to go container but the hazelnut inside was crispy and fresh so it was very nice. Espresso is above average. Not the best but very nice. I like this particular location.

When I was wandering around the entrance to the Botanic Gardens I saw this place and thought that I might stop by afterwards and grab myself a cup of coffee, however once I had finished my explorations of the gardens I was simply way to hot for such a beverage, so I decided to step in here and grab myself some iced tea (which is really popular in Singapore). This place is one of those foodie delights with all sorts of gourmet food available. However I’ve never really been all that much of a big fan of such food, so instead I simply grabbed myself a drink. It was a bit annoying though because I was standing at the counter for a while and everybody was ignoring me, until I realised that you had to walk around to the other side to actually pay for your goods. I can’t say that this is one place I would be visiting again if I happen to be in Singapore.

Great gluten free selection… I had some fantastic grilled chicken and zucchini with a caprese salad. My boyfriend (not gluten free) said his salted caramel croissant doughnut was delicious. We are just traveling through Singapore, but will definitely come back to Gastronomia again before we leave.

Great Omelette, great salmon, great coffee but sketchy service for a Sunday Brunch.
Lots of western food options to take home too.

This café/​bakery is located just across from the Botanic Gardens which is why I came in. I needed a coffee and some breakfast. I went for the unhealthy option and got a cream crodon (cronut), partly because another Unilocal reviewer recommended it. I’ve had cronut a before but never a cream-​filled one. It was a very good cronut and a terrible breakfast choice: very heavy and safe to say my blood sugar level has skyrocketed.
The coffee is good. Hot, smooth and tasty. And I asked for some water after I had been sitting for a while and I’d finished eating and I was quickly brought a ice-​cold cup. Perfect.

I’m no salmon expert, but I’m addicted to their toasted salmon sandwich! It melts in your mouth and the dressing they use is full of awesomeness.

I think this café at cluny court is a really nice and relaxing place that sets your mind at ease, with delectable desserts here that are simply awesome! The wide variety includes pastries, crème brûlée, pizzas and juices available.
Most people who come here are expats and the atmosphere and mood here seems to take on a slower pace than the usual fast-​paced Singapore.

Finally manage to try the new trend called cronuts halfway around the world from where it all started. This place named it crodos, but they’re basically the same. The place itself is pretty fancy and charge a bit more than other bakeries, but hey, you don’t see these too often in Singapore (or anywhere else for that reason). My favorite is definitely the 1 with cream filling — the cream filling just works better with the layered textures compared to just the glaze on top.

Da Paolo is my to-​go when I’m in the mood for something filling, substantial and relatively ‘healthy’. My favorite has to be the salmon avocado sandwich (ciabatta). The bread itself is huge– as a girl with a hearty appetite, I’m usually already quite full halfway through it. The sandwich is made on-​the-​spot, and can be customized to your preferences. They are also usually quite generous with the salmon helpings, but the quality isn’t always consistent– there were times when the fish was limp and flaccid, and other times when it was over seasoned and hence too salty. Some might say that at $ 14++ per sandwich this standard is unacceptable– but I’m usually not too fussed because I think the ingredients and portion sufficiently justify the price. Very unusually, the veggies are in fact the star of the sandwich– they always come very fresh and crunchy. The vinaigrette dressing also elaborates the overall taste of the sandwich.
On days when I decide to indulge, I head straight for the tiramisu. Their rendition is light and silky, allowing one to taste individually the chocolate, rum and expresso. The smallest portion is more than enough for 2– it is not cheap, but it is definitely worth it.

Da Paolo Gastronomia caters more for takeaway and at the same time it also serves as a mini Italian supermarket where you can get your fresh pastas such as squid ink pasta and even ravioli. The biggest downside at Da Paolo would be price with small items like a single Stuffed Portobello mushrooms costing up to $ 7 or $ 8 depending on the weight. Like any supermarket Da Paolo sells most of its items or antipasti by weight hence the price rockets if you’re not careful with your portions. Sadly for an Italian owned business, coffee is poor as well with a mighty upsetting bitter to sour taste. The only saving grace would be the Tiramisu but look out for some that have been sitting in the shelves for too long, the alcohol soaked layers may be dry and would definitely kill your joy. Once again a great location to spend your weekends but not my best choice for food and drinks!