Mad for Garlic Italian Wine Bistro @ Suntec City Mall [Singapore]

The great dislike for garlic by many friends makes me wonder how this Korean originated restaurant would be able to gain a strong stronghold in Singapore's competitive food industry. 

Let's admit it; you have the haters who would pick minute bits of garlic out from a plate of vegetables and those who would not hesitate to pop a raw clover or two after a wedding dinner. I take a neutral stand on garlic but i am a strong believer of its health benefits. 

With over forty garlic-based dishes, i guess this would also be the perfect sanctuary to be at in a vampire attack. Anyway, this was once again another great recommendation by the Kon-Tan couple although you may wish to visit during the weekdays when you pay only a fraction of the cost for a reduced portion. 

To quote an example, the seven of us still managed to incur over S$320 for our meal even though we made full use of card promotions (like one above for DBS card holders)! Exorbitant? Here's a sample of what we have (note that this doesn't include all the dishes).

Garlic Bread Tower

For a simple loaf of bread, i cannot fathom why was there so much effort put in to present this dish! The impressive knife strokes by the waiter took our breath away and i was half expecting the man to throw the bread tower in the air before swiping a few more additional strokes.

Presentation aside, this was not fantastic. I love garlic bread and found the garlic puree in this bread tower to have too bland a flavour. To its benefit, the bread came warm and tasted as if it came straight out from the oven. 

Sauteed Fresh Mussels

Not too bad with the garlic cream sauce contributing the main bulk of the flavour. Comparatively speaking though, i would have enjoyed sambal mussels better. 

Garlic Snowing Pizza

Honestly, i doubt i would have ordered this garlic snowing pizza on my own, knowing very well that garlic has a spicy pungency that i assumed would not sit well in a pizza.

I was so bloody wrong! Decked in pieces of shrimps, dices of juicy pineapples, slices of deep fried garlic on a layer of deliciously sweet garlic paste, it was the tastiest pizza i had in the longest time!

Teriyaki Chicken and Pasta Combo

Pasta was too dry for my liking. The teriyaki chicken did better but do take note that the taste had steered away from the traditional Japanese version and might be less enjoyable for diners seeking the authentic taste.

Iberico Pork and Rice Combo

With an appearance that didn't excite me, i was caught off guard by the delightful traces of natural meat juice that seeped in between my teeth as i slowly chewed through the pork! Yummy! Don't overlook the rice too which was like a serving of super moist fried rice generously peppered with tiny bits of fragrant garlic! 

Tiramisu Cake

As always, this wasn't my cup of tea and i am reserving my personal comment on it. Maybe i should defer the review to the rest of my companions and the verdict was; they loved it! 

Garlic Berry and Ice Cream

Initially, i thought the ice cream tasted really smooth, creamy and complemented perfectly with the berry sauce surrounding it, with the exception of one factor; where was the god damn garlic?! It was later that i realised garlic jelly was actually hidden within! Thankfully, they were sweet and didn't have that spiciness which would have otherwise destroyed this dessert.

=====

Location

No 3, Temasek Boulevard,

#02-300 / 301, Suntec City Mall

Normal Pricing

Garlic Bread Tower - S$12.50

Sauteed Fresh Mussels - S$32.50

Garlic Snowing Pizza - S$22.50

Teriyaki Chicken and Pasta Combo - S$21.40

Iberico Pork and Rice Combo - S$26.40

Tiramisu Cake - S$8.90

Garlic Berry and Ice Cream - $8.90

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Food Menu

As above.

Additional Information

As part of the DBS card promotion, we got a few glasses of signature ade. My personal favourite was the yujaade with its strong hint of yuzu flavouring and gassy fizziness!