Since its founding in 2012, Buona Terra – resolute to its name ‘Good Earth’ – has brought to the table the art of contemporary Italian gastronomy at its most stellar and authentic.
Ten years on, its dedication to this vision is unceasing as it unveils a refurbished interior featuring the extraordinary cuisine of Resident Chef Denis Lucchi, who also marks his 10th year at the helm.
As a tribute to the milestone, and a statement of the restaurant’s continued dynamism, this facelift brings added lightness and sophistication to a space already graced with the bygone elegance of a black-and-white colonial bungalow.
It is this zeal for excellence, along with the support of its diners and partners, that brought the restaurant into the coveted Michelin fold in 2019 and 2021. And now Buona Terra welcomes its guests anew – to an enhanced dining experience where exceptional food and exquisite wine meet the hospitality of the true Italian heart.
Nestled in the wing of a black-and-white bungalow, the boutique dimensions of Buona Terra radiate a finely calibrated understatement.
The facelift has given the restaurant a fresh colour palette of soft blush that cocoons it like a dewy rose petal. Guests arrive to an inviting foyer flanked by an entire wall of cabinets with its splendid shelves of wines behind gleaming glass. On the opposite side sits a new reception counter crafted in light oakwood with alluring tree stem patterns.
Extending the botanical motif is an overhead ceiling cove which flows organically to lead the eye inwards to the main dining hall. It curves to the ground in a buttress-like partition that separates the foyer from the dining space, then returns to the ceiling of the dining room to loop around it like a huge ovoid tendril.
The clean straight lines of the main hall and adjoining private room, along with the classically inspired fluted pilasters standing like sentinels, counterbalance this dynamism. On this canvas of white tonality, and against the black marble flooring, wall-hung mirrors and brilliantly coloured paintings create points of focus.
Large glass windows open onto lush greenery and a wooden-decked walkway, bathing the main dining room in natural light. Luxurious table linen, floral centrepieces, and silver tableware add flourish to this refined and intimate interior.
At Buona Terra, Chef Denis Lucchi presents a cuisine shaped by his personal vision and the contemporary gastronomic landscape. Grounded in the recipes he grew up with and have come to love, Chef Lucchi’s creations are inspired by the seasons, steeped in memory, and fuelled by innovation.
At its core is the bounteous produce of Italy and the rest of the world. Over the years Chef Lucchi has nurtured close relationships with suppliers and producers, so his ingredients are always impeccable in quality, and finest of the season. From these, Chef Lucchi weaves flavours that are complex yet essential, familiar yet exciting, and very much of today. To dine at Buona Terra is to experience Italian food that is living and vital while rooted in soul and tradition.
For the season of winter till March 2022, Buona Terra’s set and Experience menus showcase exquisite ingredients at their peak, such as puntarelle, salsify, citruses, and more.
For a stunning start to the meal, indulge in the Carpaccio. Slices of raw Amberjack intermingle with refreshing Calabrian mandarin orange segments, confit Buddha’s hand, citrus caviar, briny Salicornia, lime powder, and Amalfi lemon puree; finished with horseradish snow and dogfennel.
The Scampi highlights bincho-grilled Mozambique scampi overlaid with a translucent sheath of meltingly umami lardo, accompanied by sliced puntarelle rolled with Artigiana burrata, and alongside punteralle salad, preserved Amalfi lemon skin, and black garlic puree. In a perfect marriage, the scampi is matched with a rich winter ‘baugna cauda’ anchovy sauce.
Delicate yet lavish, Rombo features brown butter poached French turbot and Sicilian red prawns encased in Swiss chard, crowned with Oscietra caviar, Liliput capers, and preserved Amalfi lemon. The dish is completed with mugnaia sauce and parsley oil, which lend it nutty and herbaceous notes.
Succulent Irish duck takes centrestage in the Anatra. Dry-aged for 10 days, glazed with Italian acacia honey, and coated in herbs and spices, the duck is then bincho-grilled bone-in to a perfect doneness. Carved from the bone, the duck breast is served with salsify presented two ways – a puree made by blending the root vegetable after poaching in milk and coffee beans, while deep-fried crisps add texture. The dish is finished with sauteed morel mushrooms, black garlic puree, and a flavoursome moscato sauce.
Expertly curated by Wine Director Gabriele Rizzardi, Buona Terra boasts an extensive collection of up to 300 Italian and Burgundy fine wine labels. Amongst the hand-picked selection are vintages and limited bottles that are rarely available, as well as the prestigious Krug – Buona Terra’s Champagne of choice, served by the glass and bottle. One of the earlier restaurants in Singapore to expand its list with imported natural and biodynamic options including orange wines, Buona Terra continues to introduce these minimal intervention wines for diners who wish to explore the land of Italy beyond the typical.
Complement Chef’s creations with exceptional wine pairings, a recommended bottle to heighten the meal, or end off with a whisky flyer of four whiskies from around the 1960’s to 1990’s.
The art of contemporary Italian dining has always found its fullest expression at Buona Terra; and now with its revitalised interiors, the experience is set to be more sublime.
a. 29 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228224
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