Armani/Aqua

With its mirror-decked neon-lighted hallways, oriental wooden screens and sprawling open kitchen, Armani Aqua’s décor is nothing less than what one would expect from the brainchild of designer Giorgio Armani and Aqua Restaurant Group; but this eatery is more than just a pretty face. Serving up stylish contemporary Italian and Japanese dishes not as fusion but as thoughtfully paired cuisines, the standout of the meal was surely the stone grilled Japanese wagyu beef that was alluringly tender, intense and beautifully marbled; further seared for a second or two on the hot stone slab before being topped with organic onion sauce and toast garlic chips results in a feast for the tastebuds. The seafood tends to be a tad overcooked, from the pan-fried scallops to Boston lobster in the pappardelle all’astice, but each was countered by a delightfully rich tomato mousse with balsamic cream and cherry tomato sauce. Staff was attentive and friendly, and the wine list was extensive—we could not recommend the Mt. Difficulty ‘Roaring Meg’ 2015 Pinot Noir enough, which was richly perfumed, balanced and paired perfectly with the beef.