Restaurant Review: Buona Terra, Scotts Road in Singapore

I have come to the realisation that every trip to Singapore can never be the same as before. The dynamism that the South East Asian city-state displays every time I visit it simply boggles the mind. Especially the very eclectic dining scene.

Back after a gap of 13 long years, I was recently there on the invitation of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to get a glimpse into their latest international campaign called Made in Singapore. One that they hope will inspire all sorts of travel experiences in Singapore. True to the Passion Made Possible brand, the campaign highlights how the country makes unexpected, diverse and unique experiences possible, where the ordinary is made extraordinary.

And one such experience I was privy to took place on my very last day in there. It was a rather memorable four-course lunch that has stayed with me ever since. I found myself seated in the classy, yet understated and pretence-bereft setting of Buona Terra. A contemporary Italian restaurant with just 10 tables and impeccable service. A place that very recently earned a star for itself in the 2023 Singapore edition of the Michelin Guide Book.

buona terra restaurant — Buona Terra is housed in a restored colonial bungalow

Housed in an old, restored colonial bungalow along the leafy Scotts Road near Singapore’s famed Orchard Road super hub, Buona Terra simply means ‘Good Earth’ in Italian. And yes, it is both ‘good’ and ‘earthy’ on multiple levels. Fuss-free service and down-to-earth good food are the hallmarks of this restaurant.

Helmed by Chef Denis Lucchi from Lombardy in Italy, the inspiration of the restaurant is said to be ‘the whole of Italy’ – a place Lucchi visits regularly to handpick the finest produce of its soil. These ingredients form the spine of delectable dishes like the house-made tagliatelle with freshly shaved and intensely aromatic white truffle. But more on the truffle a bit later…

The restaurant serves a seasonally changing, omakase-style four-course lunch set at SGD 118 (£70) that I was booked in for along with some colleagues. One can supplement this with an extra SGD 88 (£53) wine pairing with three wines from its wine library featuring over 250 labels, like the lunch-appropriate Ronco del Gnemiz Sauvignon Blanc and the bubbly Vittorio Moretti Riserva Extra Brut among scores of others.

starter at Buona Terra — Buona Terra holds a coveted Michelin star

Literally tearing ourselves away from the bread basket – one that features everything from toasted onion ciabatta and thin, long sticks of grissini to black rice crackers for the gluten sensitive in our party and mini pucks of salted butter stamped with the words ‘Buona Terra’ – we stared in wide-eyed wonder at our trio of amuse bouches.

Here, one gets to try the black squid ink tarts that are filled with avocado, raw tuna and garnished with bits of jasmine jelly, as well as mini brioche buns stuffed with whipped cod fish puree and topped with caviar. The piece de resistance of the trio, however, is called ‘Just Tomato’ and features whole, cooked micro tomatoes that pop in your mouth in a delightful explosion of flavour.

My appetiser of tender slivers of yellowtail carpaccio came anointed with a punchy citrus sauce and a flourish of frozen horseradish ‘snow’ that’s sprinkled tableside by the attentive server. Taking the adjective ‘delicious’ to a whole other hyperbolic stratosphere was my pasta course of a simple, yet brilliant risotto. This one comes shrouded in a blanket of fragrant white truffle shavings. Utterly more-ish, this one!

Buona Terra fish dish — Buona Terra, which means ‘Good Earth’ in Italian, is an ode to the Italian love affair with food and dining

Ignoring the rather pricey supplement of SGD 58 (£35), I opted for the dry aged A5 wagyu beef for my main course. This tender morsel of savoury satisfaction was accompanied by a quenelle of silky parsnip puree, edible flowers and a drizzle of an intensely umami veal demi glaze. “Worth every extra penny!” I cooed in delight.

I also managed to pinch a bite off my colleague’s quail roulade main. This one is served alongside salsify and confit black garlic puree. The sum of which is good, but not great.

Given my penchant for sweets, I eschew ed the cheese plate and opted for the yogurt e fragole dessert. This yogurt, panna cotta and white strawberry confection comes with a piped moat of tangy strawberry soup that is the perfect foil to the richness of the panna cotta. Again, a winning course just like its predecessors.

With the whole of Italy as his inspiration and larder, chef Denis Lucchi personally handpicks the finest produce of its soil

In a nutshell

Buona Terra, as it claims in its mission statement, truly is Italian food-craft at its most thoughtful, original and gastronomically refined best. It is also, I may as well add, a return to cherished basics: the conscious, unhurried enjoyment of flavours and hospitality that makes you feel right at home. However far away your actual home might be!