Marina Bay Sands 2023: The Club at Renku x Lavo

What I imagined as a peaceful stroll through Gardens by the Bay turned out to be an endless walk under the fiery sun – that mom and I decided to just proceed inside Marina Bay Sands to escape the heat.

However, my absolute mood-killer is to be drenched in sweat – that the idea of shopping didn’t thrill me. I just told my mom I’d kill time inside The Club By Renku before our dinner.

THE CLUB AT RENKU

Fortunately, it’s the perfect decision as its gorgeous interiors definitely beguiled me. It also helped that my server was a Filipina - as she was extra helpful in giving me recommendations. I comfortably settled in a couch and I was so tempted to get some bar chow – but as I didn’t want to ruin my appetite for dinner, I limited myself to a mocktail.

YUZU LYCHEE (SGD16)

I helped myself to a refreshing glass of its Yuzu Lychee – a wonderful blend of the sweetness of the lychee and the tanginess of the yuzu. My mood improved with every sip of it.

The Club at Renku

Date of Visit: June 19, 2023

LAVO

One of my favorite things to do in Singapore is to meet up with our dear family friend, Uncle Peter Soh and his lovely family.

He and his wife, Auntie Guat Wah hosted us for dinner, together with his son Matthias who was with his fiancée Abigail at Lavo – an Italian restaurant situated at the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands.

It offers unobstructed city views of Singapore – and boy – were they breathtaking.

Don’t worry if you opted for indoor seating as all of Lavo’s guests can easily hop on outside of its balcony to enjoy the views.

For our dinner proper, we kicked off our meal with their house bread – freshly baked multi-grain focaccia served with marinara sauce and olives.

The Fritto Misto presented was a plate filled with beautiful deep-fried golden-brown calamari rings served with a tangy marinara sauce. Do watch out for surprise non-calamari deep fried fritters – zucchinis and peppers are welcome additions to the mix – but beware of deep-fried lemon rinds!!!

FRITTO MISTO (SGD 31)

We also helped ourselves to an order of the Prosciutto San Daniele – which boasted of beautifully hued slices of prosciutto and deliciously aged figs – all dressed in a tangy balsamic reduction. I’ve always been a fan of melon+prosciutto, but this combination is far more superior. I could devour an entire plate of this on my own – the balance of flavors is simply perfection!

PROSCIUTTO SAN DANIELE (SGD 35)

The first pasta we had would be the Rigatoni Melanzana – a tomato-based pasta dish which used wonderfully al dente rigatoni noodles paired with roasted eggplant wedges. The tomato sauce was absolutely glorious on its own but was elevated thanks to the generous scoop of buffalo mozzarella it came with that lent the dish an extra layer of creaminess and richness that wonderfully cut through the tangy notes of the sauce.

RIGATONI MELANZANA (SGD 36)

We paired this with the Spaghetti Carbonara – for carbonara purists out there, this may not be for you as it uses cream sauce instead of the traditional parmesan-and-eggs – nonetheless, it delivers on flavor thanks to the generous serving of prosciutto and bacon it came with.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA (SGD 38)

For our main dish, we enjoyed the incredibly fresh Mediterranean Seabass. It boasts of perfectly cooked meat which had just the right amount of charred flavor which is simply paired with lemon. It comes with a delicious fennel and parsley salad which is perfect for sharing. Simplicity in preparation and ingredients is the gold standard when you're proud of the quality and freshness of your fish - truly less is more in this case.

MEDITERRANEAN SEABASS (SGD 48)

We also helped ourselves to a slice each of their Black Truffle Brick Oven Pizza – the medley of fresh mushrooms atop it mixed with creamy ricotta cheese pairs wonderfully with the nutty bitterness and crunch of arugula. Definitely, a perfect combination!

BLACK TRUFFLE BRICK OVEN PIZZA (SGD 35)

The highlight of the meal though was the 20 Layer Chocolate Cake that they brought out for my mom – Uncle Peter thoughtfully told them that she’ll be celebrating her 60th birthday soon so the staff personalized her cake for her.

20 LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE (SGD 34)

It’s impossible to not notice this cake once it’s served as its humungous size is an absolute scene-stealer. We were all wondering (and arguing) the best way to slice it when the server nonchalantly placed it sideways on the plate and seamlessly sliced through the layers. I was so mindblown at how simple the solution was!

This cake tastes as massive as it looks (I could only sneak in a few bites of it as I was full already) – it’s a hefty Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake layered with a rich and thick peanut butter mascarpone icing.

Lavo Italian Restaurant and Rooftop Bar

10 Bayfront Ave, Tower 1, Level 57, Singapore 018956

Date of Visit: June 19, 2023 with The Soh Family, Stephanie Chua, Lily Chua and Gladys