Buona Terra @ Scotts Road - Tranforming Italian Cuisine Into A Contemporary Work Of Art

I am actually surprised that Buona Terra located at Scotts Road has been around since 2012. It has been 8 years, and I only knew of the restaurant when it was awarded its first one Michelin star in 2019. Having passed the beautiful black and white colonial bungalow along Scotts Road on many occasions, it never occurred to be the restaurant is actually located at the cosy wing of the bungalow, hidden from the urban jungle in Orchard area.

Crispy Potato and Cod Fish Mousse 4/5

I had the Buona Terra Experience 5-course Menu ($178) for lunch. The lunch started with 3 snacks item and a basket of housemade bread which comprises of Onion Foccacia, Dried Tomato Soft Roll and Sourdough.

Butter Cone with Scallop Tartare and Caviar 4.5/5

Tomato Ball 4.2/5

The three snack items are Crispy Potato and Cod Fish Mousse, Butter Cone with Scallop Tartare and Caviar, and Tomato Ball. I was really impressed with what I see and taste so far. I was sharing with my dining companions, I didn't feel like I am dining in an Italian restaurant, it felt more like a French restaurant.

Snail Ragu with Martini Sabayon 4/5

The amuse bouche is Snail Ragu with Martini Sabayon. The creamy sabayon is actually is a mixture of cream, egg yolk and four kinds of pepper (Jamaican, Javanese, Indian and Sarawak). It is even smoked with applewood chips just before servicing.

Beef Carpaccio with Porcini Mushrooms 4.8/5

The Beef Carpaccio with Porcini Mushrooms uses Kagoshima Wagyu Sendai A5 Sirloin. A lot of prep work is behind the beautiful dish. The wagyu is coated in seasoning and chilled in the chiller for a couple of hours. The rub is then washed off, and the wagyu is then chargrilled and smoked with cherry wood before leaving it in the freezer. It is then thinly sliced for serving.

Seared Scallop, Jerusalem Artichoke, Sea Asparagus and Anchovy Sauce 4/5

Next from the sea, we have the Seared Scallop paired with Jerusalem artichoke, sea asparagus and anchovy sauce. The live Hokkaido scallop is super huge, plump and sweet.

Tagliolini with Crab and Caviar 4.5/5

A staple in Italian cuisine is their pasta. Made inhouse is the Tagliolini which has a firmer bite compare to others. The texture of the pasta really stands out for me. The texture reminds of the Chinese Ee Mian texture.

Chargrilled Dry Aged Mieral Pigeon with Figs and Pumpkin, Amaretto and Moscato 4.2/5

The Chargrilled Pigeon is from Mieral, France dry-aged for 10 days and served in two ways. I am not sure whether it is due to the dry-ageing, I find that it has a deeper flavour. In fact, you don't get that liver-like taste which most diner may dislike.

Salted Milk Ice Cream, Dulce De Leche, Italian White Truffle 5/5

Diners can choose to add on $50 for the pre-dessert with 5g of white truffles. The Salted Milk Ice Cream with dulce de leche is topped with shaved Italian white truffle. Ice cream and white truffle is an unusual pairing, but the combination tasted heavenly.

Pear and Ricotta Cheesecake 4/5

Dessert is Pear and Ricotta Cheesecake which is beautifully presented with a scoop of pear sorbet. What I enjoyed is the multi-textural and flavours in each bite.

Fruit Gelee

Baci di Dama

Wrapping up the 5-course meal is a trio of Fruit Gelee, Baci di Dama and Cannolo. The fruit gelee reminds me of my childhood day. My favourite goes to the cannolo for its delightful crunch and nuttiness.

Cannolo

As this is the white truffle season, diner can choose to add them to enhance any dish at $88 for 10g or $10 per gram. For wine lovers, Buona Terra boasts a collection of over 250 labels include vintages and limited bottles that are rarely available commercially, earning the restaurant recognition among the 5 top wine lists for Italian wines in Singapore.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Buona Terra
29 Scotts Road
Singapore 2282244
Tel: +65 67330209
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line), Newton (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri & PH: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 1030pm
Sat & PH: 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right onto Scotts Road. Walk down Scotts Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 mins. [Map]

2) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop opposite Orchard Road (Stop ID 09023). Take bus number 124, 143, 162, 167 or 972. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 mins. [Map]

Min Jiang @ Goodwood Park Hotel - A New Chapter In Its Decades-long History Following A Refurbishment

Min Jiang at Goodwood Park Hotel has reopened after undergoing refurbishment with a rejuvenated interior, refreshed menus and revitalised dining experience. Fans of Min Jiang will be glad to know that the restaurant has brought back the dim sum pushcart service during lunch.

Two types of dim sum pushcarts will be pushed around the restaurant. One for the steamed items while the other for the fried stuff. From the steamed dim sum pushcart, we had the Siew Mai, Steamed Dumpling and Chicken Feet. Old school classic delicately executed.

From the other dim sum pushcart which offers fried items, we had the Pan-fried Carrot Cake and Egg Tart. While we have gone for the more classic items, a new range of handmade dim sum has also been introduced to the new menu such as Steamed Pumpkin Ball, Deep-fried Homemade Squid Tofu with XO Sauce, Deep-fried Bacon Roll with Enoki Mushrooms and Prawns that will be popular with diners of all ages.

Min Jiang Land and Sea Quartet

The creativity of Master Chef Chan Hwan Kee sees the new Min Jiang Land And Sea Quartet ($16.80 per order). From the land, we have the rabbit-shaped Steamed Prawn and Carrot Dumpling, and Deep-fried Pork Char Siew and Pine Nuts in Glutinous Pastry fashioned like a carrot. Moving to the sea, we have the Steamed Squid and Sea Cucumber Dumpling, and Steamed Prawn and Chinese Stem Lettuce with Tobiko Dumpling formed like a sea cucumber and starfish respectively.

Crispy Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Floss

The Crispy Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Floss ($13.80 per order) is dangerously addictive. I have a similar dish before, using eggplant instead of pumpkin. I feel the sweetness of the pumpkin is a better interpretation of the dish, complementing the savoury salted egg yolk and pork floss.

Spicy Sliced Red Garoupa Soup with Preserved Cabbage

A rather underrated soup in the menu is the Spicy Sliced Red Garoupa Soup with Preserved Cabbage ($18). In the bowl of milk soup, you get slices of red garoupa fillet, preserved cabbage, semi-dried tomato and soft tofu. Each sip of the soup, you get a combination of sweet, sour and peppery kick from the dried Sichuan peppers.

Roasted Chicken Skin with Prawn Paste in Sesame Pockets

One of the new dishes in the new menu is the Roasted Chicken Skin with Prawn Paste in Sesame Pockets ($36 half/ $72 whole). It is a remake of a traditional sesame encrusted baked flatbread or Shao Bing that envelopes a variety of fillings. At Ming Jiang, the chef stuffed the sesame pocket with deep-fried chicken skin with prawn paste, rock melon, Japanese cucumber and sesame beancurd skin. All these components are held together by a hoisin and fermented red beancurd sauce mix. Personally, I like the idea, but I find it a bit hollow and airy for a substantial bite. The rock melon is a great idea, though, it freshened up the whole enjoyment since most of the components are deep-fried.

Slow-braised Beef Brisket, Tendon and Radish

A very hearty dish in the new menu is the Slow-braised Beef Brisket, Tendon and Radish ($36/ $72). The beef brisket and tendon are cooked to tender, absorbing the delicious, savoury brown sauce. What I look most is the radish that best absorbed the essence of the sauce.

Braised Noodle with Spring Onions, Ginger and Yabbies 

Wrapping up on the hot dishes, we had the Braised Noodle with Spring Onions, Ginger and Yabbies ($16 per person). A delightful noodle dish with springy noodle tossed in the delicious braising sauce.

Deep-fried Purple Sweet Potato Crispy Milk

Even the dessert gets a transformation. The Deep-fried Purple Sweet Potato Crispy Milk ($20 per portion) is made by simmering condensed milk and coconut milk till gelatinous. Sweet potato paste is rolled into a ball-shaped and stuffed with the gelatine simmered milk into the centre and deep-fried. The result is a crispy exterior with a soft interior. Do be careful as the milk filling may burn your tongue if you are not careful.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Min Jiang
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 67301704
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Scotts Road to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]