IL Cielo @ Hilton Hotel, Singapore

Ever since I read that a Japanese chef became the head chef of IL Cielo, I've been wanting to come here for the longest time especially since I'm a big fan of Japanese-Italian food (thanks to my adventures in Tokyo). Cut the long story short, I came here for dinner on a Friday evening and ordered from the Ala Carte menu. I was initially considering taking the set menu but thankfully the waiter warned me that the portions were a lot smaller than that of the Ala Carte menu. Anyway, I ordered 4 items - appetizer, pasta, meat and dessert - which added up to about $140 after GST and service charge. Apologies for the dark pictures, the lighting wasn't exactly the brightest.

Appetizer: Burrata

 To be frank, the Burrata wasn't amazing or anything special. Don't get me wrong, it's still delicious but I guess I expected it to be a lot better considering this chef used to work for a few Michelin starred restaurants in Italy and Japan (if I'm not mistaken).

Sea Urchin Pasta with Bottarga

 This was absolutely amazing! I savoured every last drop of it. The pasta was homemade too so it had a really nice texture and bite to it. Portion-wise, I can't say it's big but it isn't small either.

Caramelized A4 Wagyu Beef Short Rib

 Melt-in-your-mouth short ribs. I believe this was roasted and sous vide before it was served. The meat was soft and tender. Unfortunately this picture doesn't do the taste justice. If you're a beef eater then this is the main meat dish for you.

Dessert: Tiramisu

I chose Tiramisu for my dessert since it's a classic Italian dessert. Unlike most Tiramisus which are pretty heavy on the cheese / cream, this version was light and served as a great ending to an already great meal.

Lamb T-Bone

This was actually my dad's dish, I quickly snapped a picture before he devoured the lamb. I also tried a piece and similar to the short rib, I think it was sous vide because of the really soft and tender texture. Although I preferred the beef, this was almost as good as the A4 wagyu beef short rib. Just to avoid confusion, this dish wasn't part of the $140 that I ordered for myself.  

To end this blog post, apart from the Burrata dish, I thought everything else was great. It was a very enjoyable Japanese-Italian dinner. Price-wise, yes it's expensive and that's also because we're in Singapore and nowadays I find that it very easy to blow more than $90 when eating at a good restaurant. As much I wished IL Cielo could be slightly cheaper, sigh oh well...Anyway, it's a solid 4/5. My compliments to the chef for preparing this memorable meal.

Website:  https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/hilton-singapore-SINHITW/dining/il-cielo.html

Address: 24F Hilton Hotel Singapore

Budget (Dinner): $100+

My rating: 4 - 4.5 /5