Bonta, brainchild of Chef Luca Pezzera, is definitely one of the better Italian restaurants one can find in Singapore these days. It was voted “Best Restaurant 2009” by Singapore Tatler.
Born in Bergamo in Northern Italy, Chef Luca knew from young that his destiny was in the culinary industry. After graduating from the prestigious San Pellegrino School of Hoteliers, he embarked on a culinary adventure that has seen him cook for the rich and famous in some of the best restaurants around the world before finally settling in Singapore.
Chef Luca loves cooking as it allows him to be creative. To him, each dish is like a work of art, where textures and flavours of different ingredients are combined meticulously to achieve perfection. And so you can expect more than just good food; you get to enjoy also the visual artistry.
Our 4-course dinner consisted of an antipasto, a pasta dish, one meat dish and dessert. The 24-month old Parma ham with buffalo mozarella set the tone for what was coming later. The robust flavour of the thinly sliced Parma ham is well balanced by the mozarella which has a more subtle taste than other northern Italian cheeses.
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| Parma ham with buffalo mozarella |
Parma ham, said to be the true prosciutto, has a unique taste. It is both sweet and savoury at the same time, the result of its time tested method of salting, curing and maturing. So called because it originates from the northern province of Parma which is also famous for its Parmesan cheese. Like many specialty foods around the world, the production of Parma ham is tightly regulated to ensure a level of consistent quality. To begin with, the only breeds allowed to be turned into Parma ham are the Landrance and Duroc pigs which are fed on a special chestnut and whey diet.
The pasta dish consisted of house tagliatelle, tossed in virgin olive oil and served withTiger Prawn and
porcini. Porcini is described by renowned Italian chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio, as representing "the wild mushroom
par excellence".
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| Tagliatelle with Tiger Prawn and Porcini |
The pasta was
al dente and the prawn was done just right. Most restaurants tend to overcook Tiger prawn rendering it hard, dry and tasteless. The
porcini was very lightly sauteed thus retaining its distinctive nutty flavour and its smooth, creamy texture. Everything about this dish was just perfect.
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| Grilled Black Angus Tenderloin |
The grilled black angus tenderloin served with tuscan potato in barolo sauce far exceeded my expectations. Tenderloin, as we all know, is the most tender of all cuts and also leaner. The meat of the Black Angus cow, on the other hand, has a distinct marbling that adds to its flavour. Both these properties made for a steak that is tasty and tender. The lightly marinated cut of beef was enhanced by the barolo sauce which has as its base, the full-bodied dry red Barolo wine. Barolo which hails from the northern region of Piedmont in Italy, is often described as Italy's best wine.
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| Mango Gelato |
For dessert, I had home-made mango gelato encrusted in chopped pistachio, served with berry compote. I love the gelato which has a slightly coarse texture just like the Northern Indian
kulfi.
Kulfi happens to be one of my all-time favourite desserts. Enough said!
Bonta Italian Restaurant and Bar
