Pasticceria Marchini for the sweet toothed 7~9 Sep 2010 - Venice, Italy

As we walked from our hotel towards San Marco Square, we strayed away from our designated route and ventured into Calle del Spadaria. We can't help but wonder where was that sweet smell of baking that set our brains to signal a streak of hunger pangs.

At the glass windows of the pasticceria, like us, many people were attracted by the free smell and came to look at what Marchini has to offer.

Through the windows, were delectable Italian sweet delights, the tiramisus, the fiorentinas, that all looked so attractive.

Even the Sicilian Cannolo was displayed. I had to have one of these ......

Loukoumi or Turkish Delights and other sweets were displayed with all their vibrant coats of colors.

Here's a close up of my Sicillian Cannolo. Delicious!

Dolce del Doge was a chocolate based cookie coated with almond nuts.

This chocolate cake was super yummy! Smooth milk chocolate layered with soft butter cake.

Anyone's who's a sweet tooth need to get lost in San Marco to find Marchini. It's sure worth getting lost for!

Calle del Spadari, San Marco

Venezia, Italia

Cafe Florian Venezia 1720 ....... Drinking coffee in a piece of history 7~9 Sep 2010 - Venice, Italy

Nobody who visits Venice should miss Piazza San Marco. The square is the heart and soul of Venice where politics, religion and wealth congregated during the times when Venice was the busiest port in Europe. Cafe Florian had seen those glory days of Venice and serving coffee till now since 1720. That's many life times  for a cafe.

How can one not enjoy cuppa here. The immaculate service and great ambience brings the coffee experience to a different level. HY and I ask for Cafe Florian's traditional filtered coffee.

Cafe Florian's traditional filtered coffee is different from espresso. It's more like the Americano but I thought more fragrant.

We chose to sit inside to enjoy the feel of the aged decor. By the way, traditional filtered coffee is not served outside the cafe at their alfresco tables. Taking our time to drink coffee in here to soak up this historical symbol of the city was really an indulgence.

A different ambience will be presented outside the cafe. The seats here has the full frontal of activities in San Marco Square. On top of that, there's live music provided out here while you enjoy your coffee. A 'live music' surcharge of 6 euros per person will be added to the bill if one choose to sit outside.  However, when you sit inside but as close to the entrance as possible, there's no surcharge but the music's still loud and clear.

The corridor along Cafe Florian seemed to be always full of people walking pass. Everyone wonder if they should just go in to experience Cafe Florian's coffee that cost almost 2 times or more than most cafe in the city. I thought it's most worth while to enjoy coffee here with a love one, to immerse into the antiquity of it all. We felt that we could just sit here forever to enjoy this moment. The feeling's indescribable!

Piazza San Marco, Venice (Beside the Bell Tower)
Venezia, Italia
Tel : +39 041 5205641
Cafe Florian Website

Michelin Star Experience in Da Fiore 7~9 Sep 2010 - Venice, Italy

Walking through intertwining narrow streets, geting lost, re-aligned our directions back at the hotel and then we were finally at Da Fiore with our tables waiting for us. 

Inside Da Fiore, the lighting was warm and cosy, but definitely not the best for photography. This michelin star ristorante's service staff was prompt attentive and definitely worthy of the star in their category.  I was a bit taken aback by the classy ambience that was a contrast from the ristorante's facade and decided to ask if I could take photos especially with my big flash bulb. "Why not!", Maurizio, the manager, and husband of the chef, exclaimed and then went off to get us a couple of house pours for us.

Da Fiore was in business since 1977 serving Venetian cuisine with a specialty in seafood. The family run ristorante osteria had recently been brought to its pinnacle by Maurizio and Mara Martin. Mara has a knack of adding her original creative flair to traditional Venetian cuisine that she inherited from her grandmother. Creative good food with refine touches coupled with immaculate hospitality spearheaded the birth of a Michelin star experience right inside Venice.

Granccola con salsa al corallo

Spider crab with coral sauce (Appetizer)

The minced spider crab with coral sauce taste refreshing with that little limone fragrance.

Torre di insalata di mare

Seafood tower salad (Appetizer)

This appetizer could well make do as a main dish. Mussels form the base of the tower followed by the super tender octopus and resting like a king above it all, the giant prawn. I don't know how it was possible, but the octopus was really impressive as it was really, really tender. The tower was drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with herbs.

Spaghetti with grapes, tomato and shrimps

This was by far, the most innovative pasta that we had in our whole trip. The typical savoriness of of the spaghetti, sweetness of the shrimp and tomatoes was pierced through with the more intense fruity sweetness of cherry grapes.

Mazzancolle alle 7 spezie

Imperial shrimps with 7 spices

The 7 spices infused into the sauce gave it a piquant touch with a striking contrast to the sweetness of the Imperial shrimp. A bowl of steamed basmati rice was provided to go with the dish. This dish was simplicity on the outset but gradually gave divinity to the palate as the sweetness of the shrimp got rolled in with the delicious sauce.

Frittura di pesce mista di stagione

Deep fried Adraitic fish

This was the epitome of fried seafood. It was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and most incredibly, not a spot of excess grease on the plate.

With delectable dishes, we just had to indulge ourselves with a couple glasses of white wine. Drinking in Italy was so much more affordable than in Singapore. Great food with good portions made us regret not keeping a spare tank for dessert like we always do. The pampering experience from the food, drinks, and immaculate hospitality made visiting Da Fiore one of the most memorable for HY and I in Venice. Do make reservations if you decide to visit.

San Polo 2202/A

30125 Venezia, Italia

Tel : +39 041 721308

Osteria Da Fiore Website

Finding Zuppa Pesce in Venezia 7~9 Sep 2010 - Venice, Italy

Besides soaking up the romantic atmosphere in Venezia, there was also a task which we impose on ourselves that made us even more lost then ever amongst the narrow streets, “Finding Zuppa Pesce”.

Zuppa Pesce isn’t a name of a long lost Italian brother. It’s translated into “Fish Soup” in Italian.

J left a comment on my facebook status, “You must drink fish soup in Venice”.

W and J are our food buddies whom we had “regrettably” left in Singapore. Back home, they got themselves engaged in their “futile” search for Zuppa Pesce like the whirlwind whenever we have the chance for an Italian meal. After the first taste, I will notice that little frown, looking at each other with tha split second of silent disapproval, and then cried out loud, “This isn’t the real fish soup!”.

By the way, although it’s called “Fish Soup”, it’s more than fish that you’re getting. Zuppa Pesce is actually a tomato-based soup with seafood like, mussels, clams, scallops, prawns, squid, the occasional crab or lobster and of course, fish. With so much fresh goodness from the sea, it’s no wonder that Zuppa Pesce is usually the most expensive soup on the menu.

The following shows the Zuppa Pesce that we had tried in Venice. Bon Appetito!

Ristorante Malibran (Hotel Malibran SRL, Cannaregio 5864, Venezia, Italia Tel: 0342120276)

The soup was thick tomato soup that was infused with the myriads of fresh seafood. What we lked about the Zuppa Pesce here was that the seafood were fresh especially the shell fish (e.g. mussels, clams .....) which did not gave that 'fishy' smell like you've left them alone for too long. The squid were cooked so right, such that it was so tender. I took more of the soup as HY didn't really like the soup to be thick.

Osteria al Garanghelo (San Polo 1570/1571,  Calle dei Boteri, Venezia, Italia Tel: 041 721721)

Garanghelo's version had the soup base more diluted but definitely not lacking of fresh flavors from the sea. That was why HY had more of this one than the one from Malibran. There's also the Scampi added. Although it took a little more effort to derive enjoyment from the scampi, the meat was somehow sweeter than the prawns.

After tasting Zuppa Pesce here in Venice, I understood how W and J felt. For drinking Zuppa Pesce back home won't be the same anymore.

Osteria Enoteca Giorgione 7~9 Sep 2010 Venice - Italy

We left Rome, feeling good about the food we enjoyed. But as we set our foot into Venice, we thought we could eat seafood here forever and Osteria Enoteca Giorgione was the one that got us all warmed up to fabulous fresh seafood in Venice.

There was only HY and I in the osteria when we arrived, after getting a little excited over our short gondole ride across the Canal Grande. Hmm ...... was our research for a traditional Venetian Osteria going into the drains? Wrong! We were just too early. Dinner in Italy seemed to start at 8pm which was when we were already proceeding with our mains as customers started to stream in.

The freshest catch are selected by Paolo and Dario, the osteria's managers, every morning in the Rialto market. Chef Fabio would then whip them all up into impressive dishes to whet you appetite. The key here is eating all things fresh. With the great food and warm Italian hospitality, we were indeed living up Giorgione's motto, "Hic manebimus optime" which means "We'll have a great time here."

Scallop Baked with bread crumbs and mozarella

Paolo recommended this scallop dish that was not on the menu. The scallop was covered with mozarella and bread crumbs and then baked.

Rice (Rivierasca Style) Seafood and Vegetables

HY and I were most mesmerized by this seafood risotto that Giorgione served. The risotto had a tinge of saffron infused with the flavors of scampi, mussels and then finished off with sweetness from tomato and vegetables. Before this, HY totally swear off risotto due to the richness of cheese but this one that Giorgione served, she just dug in and dug in and took a lot of my share. It was appetizing, well flavored and not cheesy like the Milanese version.

Grilled Baby Angler Fish

The angler fish was lightly salted and then grilled with some thyme. The drizzle of lemon brings out the sweetness of the fish. There wasn't much fuss into cooking this dish and it's one good way to present the freshness of the fish. Polenta was served as sides but I wasn't a fan of polenta.

Amaretto Tiramisu

This was our first tiramisu in Italy and we were impressed. The tiramisu came in a bowl that was so soft that it was simply eaten with a spoon. We can taste the Amaretto but it wasn't too heavy that it take away the sweetness of the mascarpone.

Cannaregio, 4582/A
30131 Venezia, Italia
Tel : +39 041 5221725
Osteria Giorgione Website