...as near to a perfect evening as possible: full moon, balmy weather, riverside table, delicious meal, excellent wine and competent, friendly service...
...After a tour of the lobby to admire the seasonal decorations, we headed to the Bamboo Bar for pre-dinner cocktails...
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...the music perfectly suited the setting in the bar:
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...3 JWB doubles later and a quick wobble brought us to our riverside table at Ciao, the Oriental's seasonal Italian restaurant. The menu is limited, but included dishes I'd not previously tried:
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...we started with the "crunchy egg" and deep-fried, lightly battered lobster tail (a sort of Italian tempura): both flavorful...
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...for mains, we chose the rack of lamb and seared tuna...the former was served perfectly pink and succulent; the latter a tad bland despite the delicious grilled capsicum sauce...
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...for dessert, we chose the tiramsu and two scoops of ice cream (amaretto and stracciatella)...both satisfying and a fitting end to our meal...
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...activity on the river provided the evening's entertainment:
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...with wine (a fine Italian red @B550 the glass), an excellent selection of bread and mineral water: B8,000...a memorable holiday evening...