Basil at Basilico

Being an Italian food lover, I would never resist italian herbs and spices in my dish. Basil, mint and cinnamon are the 3 spices on top of my list.

A colleague of mine who used to work at Regent Hotel invited me the new Italian restaurant and it was a truly great experience for me even though I am not much of a big buffet eater. Basilico is located in the space previously occupied by Capers (an all-day dining restaurant) and its focus is primarily on Italian cuisine.  

As we walked into the beautifully renovated restaurant, we were greeted by a buffet spready laid out in the middle. Basilico's interior is designed by renowned Japanese architect Yasuhiro Koichi and dazzles with its centrepiece crystal chandelier and circular open space dining concept. There is a cheese station with assorted crackers, a pizza station, a pasta station where you can make your special order as well as my favourite, the dessert buffet!

We were served with freshly baked sliced bread to go along with our starter, the mushroom soup. The selection was sufficient and food served were fresh and tasty. I especially like the live pasta station where I can customise my preferred taste and flavour! I also helped myself to the thin crust pizza and risotto which were made generously with a cheesy taste and authentic italian touch. 

The servers were very efficient in clearing our tables and refilling our glass of water as we made our way through the different courses. After a short rest, we could not resist but attack the dessert section. I was a little disappointed to see that there were not many selections as compared to other buffets that I had been to in the past. The plum clafoutis is one of my favorite for its sour sweet tangy taste. Nevertheless, the in-house ice cream that they made were sufficient to wowed me over being an ice cream fanatic.  I practically tried all the different flavours that they were offering and topped it up generously with the berries compote with fresh blueberries and raspberry. Power berries with great antixidants! Apart from that, the museli mix also added crunch and loaded with minerals. 

Overall, I had a great experience with my friend and we spent the rest of the time enjoying the ambience of the landscaped pool as we were sitted near the alfresco area.  I saw several working professionals dining there and it's a worthy meal that I would recommend for those who love italian cuisine with their wide selection. If you would prefer ala carte, they are also made available so you can have best of the both worlds!