Why we are obsessed with the pastas at Waterfall Ristorante Italiano

His creations at the newly revamped Waterfall Ristorante Italiano (now a southern Italian trattoria) had us swooning from the get-go. The Linguine Allo Scoglio ($28), just one of 13 pastas on the menu, brims with the freshest seafood from the Southern Riviera bathed in rich marinara. Equally hearty, the Tagliolini Al Pesto ($22) features homemade flat ribbon pasta, tossed with pesto, but a brighter, redder version that differs completely from his Genovese counterpart. This one is made with ricotta, plenty of roasted nuts and zesty touches of lemon.

Vincentis says every portion of his pasta contains some 30 grams more than a standard serving elsewhere, but at the rate his guests are scraping their plates, that may still be a tad too scanty. Opt for the semi-buffet in this case, with a rotating menu of freshly baked bread, daily fish special, cold cuts, cheeses, salads and carving stations ($48).

Garden Wing, Level One, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. Tel: 6213 4138