Eat, Drink, Italiano at Bottura Singapore: Review

PUBLISHED July 20th, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 05:34 pm

Singaporeans are undoubtedly Italians on the inside. The thought of living in a world without pizzas or pastas is now unfathomable, and we would much rather give up our HDB flat than see a good Italian restaurant close down.

Okay, we exaggerate.

But the fact remains that Italiano is our go-to comfort cuisine, whether we’re nursing a break-up, consoling ourselves after a bad day at the office, or tending a really bad hangover after a drinking binge the night before. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many quality yet affordable Italian establishments in Singapore, so we’re really glad to have stumbled upon Bottura, a massive 144-seater located in Tower 1 of the newly refurbished Suntec City – and the latest kid on our foodie block.

Interior of Bottura

Owner Luca Bottura is a fifth generation member of the Bottura family – synonymous with quality food in Bologna, Italy – and the latest recipient of their culinary baton of tradition.

As with any Italian feast, we began with antipasti, which came in the form of a Cold Cut and Cheese Platter with Tigelle Bread and Marmalade ($20). Like a romantic couple, the marmalade delightfully accompanied the bread’s gentle crust sweetly. Each morsel of cheese – pecorino, and mozzarella, varied greatly in terms of odour and flavour. No matter how pungent the milk curd product got though, they all went exquisitely well with Bottura’s aged balsamic vinegar sauce (a must-have addition if you’re thinking of getting this dish). The cold cuts were fresh and not overly salty, so no complains there.

Cold Cut and Cheese Platter with Tigelle Bread and Marmalade

Moving on to the primo, the Four Cheese Gnocchi with Rocket Pesto ($14) – thick dumplings made of potato and flour – was perfect in texture. Hand-crafted goodness definitely triumphs soul-less factory products here. Our next dish was an icon of Bolognan cuisine, the Lasagne Bolognese with Traditional Ragù and Béchamel Sauce ($15). The pasta was too firm (and in all probability, undercooked), but it wasn’t drowning in sauce and was delightfully blanketed with savoury minced meat.

Four Cheese Gnocchi with Rocket Pesto

Other value-for-money pasta options include the Egg and Squid Ink Tagliolini with Shrimp and Zucchini ($16) and Ravioli with Cream, Ham and Mushrooms ($14). The Tagliolini had an intensely powerful flavour, and its creamy sauce might prove to be too thick for some to stomach after awhile. As for the Ravioli, each dumpling was blessed with an addictive earthiness that stemmed from the intricately soft mushrooms.

Melone

We were rudely awakened from gastronomic dreamland by the Arrabbiata ($18), a pizza consisting of tomato, capers, garlic, chilli, mozzarella fior di latte, and rocket. While the oven-baked crust was crisp enough, the pizza toppings came across as a little flat, and this dish was probably the first sign of rustiness in a well-oiled machine.  The Melone ($24) – a pizza topped with rock melon, parma ham, and mozzerella, was the polar opposite. Deliciously well-balanced, the sweetish melon dovetailed the salty ham marvellously. 

Some of Bottura’s retail products

Flown in directly from Italy, Bottura’s retail space comprises of produce ranging from food products to exclusive wines. Situated right behind the in-house gelateria ($5 per scoop), you can take your pick and recreate the taste of Italy from the comfort of your home. Our verdict? This multi-faceted venture might not set pulses racing, but is nonetheless a decent addition to Singapore’s Italian dining options with its versatility and wallet-friendly prices.