February 6th, 2017. This was my first time. Actually I heard about this place a long long time ago. But I thought it was one fine dining restaurant. I was afraid to come there. I was afraid that they have dress code. Fine dining always made me felt insecure. So, when finally I came to this ristorante, I was relieved as it wasn’t intimidating at all. Ristorante da Valentino.

Ristorante Da Valentino, the much-anticipated Award Winning restaurant, is finally open in Jakarta Indonesia starting January 19, 2015. Originally started by Chef Valentino and his wife Patricia in July 2005, Ristorante Da Valentino was a 45-seater family managed Italian restaurant located in a residential area along Rifle Range Road in Singapore. The restaurant has a relaxing and cozy ambiance with decorations very much like an Italian home, where Chef Valentino’s mother helped served the food while his sister Perla worked in the kitchen, with brother in law Alberto managing the dining area. Now you can finally experience yourself the much talk about dining experience in Ristorante Da Valentino Jakarta.

Located in MD PLACE building, Ristorante Da Valentino instantly made me feel with warmth and luxury ambiance for the moment. They have 4 private rooms with different paintings, and a casual dining with a seating capacity up to 100 people. I felt at home actually because their hospitality with a very attentive people. Actually, when I was there, I saw one person from online food delivery. He was amazed by the place. He took photos there. And he smiled at me and said, “This place is very pretty.” I nodded with pride. Hahahaha.. Proud because I was there with him. LOL! By the way, I will meet Ellyna! Yaaaay!

With a team of excellent Chefs and Managers awaiting your arrival to serve you with the highest quality food and service, it is assured that your dining experience here would not be easily forgotten. You can rest assured that Chef Marco, Chef Valentino’s cousin, will serve you only the best and nothing but the best.

Ice Lychee Tea

Complimentary Bread

Love the green sauce. Mostly it was celery. But it’s very delicious. The texture of the bread was also perfect. Freshly baked bread was always a darling.

Ristorante da Valentino’s
Business Lunch 180k++ per pax

ANTIPASTI

Rucola E Parmigiano
Rocket salad with shaved parmigiano

Vitello Tonnato
Thinly-sliced veal loin garnished with a creamy tuna sauce

Funghi Trifolati
Mixed gourmet mushrooms sauteed with butter and garlic

They also served Funghi Trifolati in actual portion, and it was very delicious. The texture of the mushrooms were overwhelming. Juicy, chewy, tender, with butter and garlic. It was simple but melt my heart away.

*OR*

Zuppa Ai Frutti Di Mare

Spicy seafood and tomato soup flavoured with garlic, chili and white wine

At first, I wanted to share it with El. But turned out, I wanted it all.  Sorry El. *big grin* They gave a generous amount of seafood. The shell was my favourite. A very memorable dish. It was literally a single bowl topped with seafood and filled with tomato soup. Fresh one!

PRIMI PIATTI

Fettuccini Al Granchio

Signature squid ink fettuccini tossed with crabmeat in a creamy tomato sauce

The homemade squid ink fettuccine was in a perfect al dente texture. Smothered in generous creamy and tangy sauce that balancing the flavour of this pasta. And the crabmeat was dabomb with generous portion. The presentation wasn’t that charming but it was super recommended dish!

*OR*

Risotto Al Guanciale Stufato
Traditional Italian rice cooked with braised beef cheeks

*OR*

Salmone Al Pepe Rosa
Pan-seared Norwegian salmon with a creamy pink peppercorn sauce

*OR*

Tagliata Di Manzo + 120k
Tender, thin slices of Wagyu Steak

The actual size of Tagliata Di Manzo. It was tender and juicy and delightful. It’s actually a simple dish with a great way to serve a seared piece of fillet. The potato ball really enhanced the texture of the wagyu steak.

DOLCE

Affogato

Vanilla ice-cream submerged in freshly brewed espresso

CHEF’S SPECIAL

Risotto Funghi Porcini in Parmesan Wheel 255k

Traditional Italian rice cooked with gourmet porcini mushrooms in grana padano wheel

A fun way to make this one. The Chef cooked the risotto inside the grana padano wheel. Very fun looking at the impassioned Chef. When it came to my plate, it was not pretty at all. A plate of cheese risotto. That’s all. Hahaha. But when I tasted it, it blew my mind. The grana padano cheese enhanced the creamy texture of risotto. Love it.

Grana Padano is a hard, slow-ripened, semi-fat cheese from Italy, comparable to Parmigiano Reggiano or “parmesan” cheese. Grana Padano has had protected designation of origin status since 1996. It is made from milk produced in the Po River valley.

Bistecca Alla Griglia 950k (350gr) 1.800k (700gr)

Tender grilled Australian stockyard rib eye (marbling score 6/7) topped with rocket salad, tomatoes and lemon

SO IN LOVE! It smelled so good, I was spellbound. This mouth-watering rib eye was worth it and really impressed me. Finger-licking good. Tender, for sure. Juicy, absolutely. I didn’t know about Ellyna, but I just can’t get enough of it. Hahaha.

Tiramisu

Served in a dessert glass, it was definitely one of the best tiramisu. Tiramisu is the most favourite dessert in Italy. Collaboration between mascarpone, lady finger, liquor and coffee. Fantastic. Melt in my mouth. Rich and creamy with light texture.

Thanks to Chef Marco Tremolada, cousin of Chef Valentino, for those delicious Italian cuisines. Pssst.. he’s not just amazing in his cooking, he’s also very cute. Ladies, prepare to be bedazzled.

Ristorante da Valentino
MD PLACE, 11th Floor
Jl. Setiabudi Selatan No. 7
Setia Budi, Jakarta
Phone: +62 21 29057888
IG: @valentino_jkt