Located on the lobby level of Sheraton Towers Singapore Hotel, DOMVS, The Italian Restaurant opened in 1985 has established itself as one of the finest Italian dining establishments in Singapore, wowing diners with its gastronomical offerings of contemporary Italian cuisine.
The restaurant itself however is intimate and cosy, tastefully designed by world-renowned interior designers Hirsch Bedner Associates. Interiors (revamped in 2007) exude an understated classic yet modern elegance with a neutral palette highlighted by black accents and warm woods. An old-school Italian charm emanates, from the classical Italian music to authentic touches such as Italian-commissioned coffee cups and butter dishes. Tables draped with starched white tablecloths are spaced well apart for privacy and curtains discreetly block out the adjoining lobby floor. Should you require more privacy, however, the elegant Celebrity Room, adjacent to the main dining area, comfortably accommodates 14 guests and highlights a 4.2m-long table top hewn from Neronovalato granite overhung with black crystal chandeliers.
Award-winning DOMVS serves authentic Italian cuisine with classic recipes and traditional cooking techniques, albeit with a contemporary style geared to Asian palettes and the local market. Even the long-term Chef de Cuisine, Ee Ming Hwa, is a Singaporean, but is well-versed in Italian cuisine. He worked in Italy with notable Italian chefs, as well as Michelin-starred chefs visiting Singapore.
Chef Ee believes in using the freshest, finest ingredients, many imported directly from Italy to maximize natural flavours. He also makes many items in-house, including freshly baked breads, hand-cut pastas and pasta sauces.
Open for lunch and dinner, diners can choose from an all-day a la carte menu, which offers many signature dishes and guest favourites and a series of set menus, which change seasonally depending on available produce from Italy. The Daily Executive Set Lunch Menu features a huge selection of two and 3-course options—ideal for busy office workers—while all-day set menus feature a 3-course Signature Menu and a 4-course Gourmet Menu.
DOMVS wine list offers a wide range of fine Italian wines and spirits, as well as international wines, carefully selected to complement the cuisine.
Many of the dishes we sampled are the Chef’s signatures. From the Appetizers section of the menu, wagyu beef carpaccio is sliced wafer-thin, incorporating premium grade wagyu beef cured in Trapani salt and accompanied by a freshly tossed mixed salad and pecorino Romano cheese, while grilled squid, a southern Italian classic, is deliciously simple, the fresh seafood served with spicy extra virgin olive oil and semi-dried tomatoes.
For our main plates, the Chef’s signature homemade tagliatelle is infused with basil and served with a semi-dried tomato sauce, accompanied by eggplant and salted ricotta cheese, while another Italian classic, seafood risotto, is delicately aromatic with saffron and mixed with diced, succulent crayfish, prawns and scallops. From the three-course Signature Menu, the tender, slow-cooked grilled kurobuta pork jowl is complimented with apple puree and seasonal vegetables.
In Latin—Italy’s classical tongue—DOMVS means “home” and with its intimate setting, excellent personalised service and guest familiarity, many loyal guests have felt right at home, returning repeatedly for the fine Italian cuisine and dining experience.
One of Chef Ee’s personal favourites is a classic Italian dish, homemade seafood cannelloni. Generously filled with a delicious assortment of fresh crayfish, scallops, prawn and green zucchini, the homemade cannelloni is baked to a slightly crispy finish and served with a robust sauce created with lobster bisque and béchamel
