Da Paolo at Rochester Park - Bar & Bites

having had such a wonderful and memorable christmas dining experience at graze, i returned there on a different occasion barely a couple weeks later. unfortunately it doesn’t open for lunch so da paolo, its adjacent neighbor at rochester park, played host to us instead.

comparing rochester park in daytime and nighttime, i have to say that there is a stark contrast. in the day, this place seemed almost lifeless with few customers, if any, even during lunch hours. the al fresco dining areas at graze and da paolo are not even open, with chairs flipped over and tables blanketed with canvas. my advice is to visit rochester park only at night, because that’s when it becomes much sexier and livelier. i plan to check out the very chic bar called “one rochester” soon!

but for now, let’s just take a look at da paolo bistro bar.

this isn’t da paolo’s first restaurant. it has a few other successes in places like club street and holland village. but the rochester park branch definitely has the winning design. like the other restaurants at rochester park, it is housed in a restored colonial bungalow. the courtyard has been converted into a charming al fresco dining area, and the old swimming pool is now an outdoor bar!

besides the huge expanse of space dedicated to outdoor dining, the bungalow itself offers indoor dining with its own bar so that people may wine and dine in comfort.

Bruschetta con Melanzane e Acciughe
(Braised eggplant, garlic and anchovies on grilled bread)
Price: $10 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

we had a few appetisers, with this bruschetta con melanzane e acciughe being the most interesting one. the bread had been grilled just right and the eggplant, garlic and anchovies combined to form a nice topping.

Melanzane alla Parmigiano
(Eggplant layered with mozzarella, tomatoes, parmesan cheese and basil)
Price: $14 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

okay i’m pretty sure i got the name of this dish wrong, but it looked and tasted pretty much like lasagna. it was very flavorful and rich in cheese.

Calamari
Price: $17 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

as for the fried calamari rings, i feel that it is a staple dish in all western meals. this particular one was unfortunately too chewy and rubbery in texture. and to add salt to the wound, the miserly portion of calamari cost a hefty $17! it was more expensive than most of the main courses in the menu! what’s up with that, da paolo? were those famous squids or something?

Lasagne alla Bolognese
Price: $15 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

the main course i ordered was the lasagna bolognese. this is one of those dishes that can’t go wrong. (no wonder it’s garfield’s favorite food!) but because of the generous amount of mozzarella cheese, i felt full pretty quickly. and yes, i know it’s minced beef and all and i’m no longer eating beef. but i couldn’t find any vegetarian, chicken or seafood dish that i liked on the menu. this is the first time i had eaten beef in a year, or perhaps even longer.

Tuna Spaghetti (fish of the day)
Price: $? + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

the fish dish of the day was tuna spaghetti. now, i’m extremely picky when it comes to fish, and the only ones i eat are cod, salmon and dory. tuna has never been a personal favorite. so it was rather surprising that i actually kind of liked the tuna spaghetti.

Cannelloni con Spinaci e Ricotta
(Home made pasta rolled with spinach and ricotta)
Price: $16 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

okay this is another dish that i’m pretty sure i got the name wrong. i apologise but i really struggle with long dish names especially when they aren’t in a familiar language. anyway when it was served we all commented that it looked like one huge tofu with gravy! also, it kind of looked like my lasagna don’t you think?

the fusilli pasta turned out to be the most pricey dish of the day. who would have thought?

Tiramisu
Price: $10 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

after an ensemble of starters and mains, it’s time for desserts! the tiramisu was a little on the bland side.

Torta al Cioccolato (Flourless chocolate cake)
Price: $10 + 10% Service Charge + 5% GST
Dish rating:

but fortunately, the flourless chocolate cake fared way better! the flourless part sounded rather intriguing — great news for all the atkins and south beach dieters! as it turned out, this chocolate cake was marvelous and for me, it was the best part of the entire meal.

so the food at the bistro bar didn’t fare exceptionally well, which is understandable since it appears to be more of a bar than a restaurant. for those who want a reprieve from work, over some nice wine and candlelight, this would be the perfect place. but if you’re looking for a good and satisfying meal, any of the other da paolo restaurants would probably be a much better option.

Da Paolo Bistro Bar
3 Rochester Park
Singapore 139214 [map]
(65) 6774 5537
Service rating:
www.dapaolo.com.sg

Posted by Veron · Food category · 15,828 views