Pasta tasting and set menus at Assaggi by Michelin-starred Buona Terra, opening in Neil Road
Chef Denis Lucchi is opening a new Italian restaurant, Assaggi, in Neil Road. The restaurant will offer tasting menus with a focus on seasonal ingredients and technique. Menus start at S$58 for a three-course lunch.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Chef Denis Lucchi is opening a new Italian restaurant, Assaggi, in Neil Road. The restaurant will offer tasting menus with a focus on seasonal ingredients and technique. Menus start at S$58 for a three-course lunch.
Chef Denis Lucchi is opening a new Italian restaurant called Assaggi. It's a special place where you can try many different dishes, like pasta, and enjoy a unique dining experience. The restaurant is in Neil Road and offers tasting menus with a focus on seasonal ingredients and technique.
Analysis
A New Concept in Italian Cuisine
Chef Denis Lucchi has designed Assaggi to be a middle ground between his one-Michelin-starred Buona Terra and casual trattoria Locanda. The restaurant occupies a space previously occupied by Chaleur and offers a tasting menu-only experience that is driven by technique and seasonality.
Assaggi is Italian for 'tasting' and here, 'a small team can focus on carefully crafted tasting menus, and create a genuine connection with every table.' Menus start at S$58 for a three-course lunch, while the two other, larger menus are both S$88. There's the 'Signature Journey', where starters include veal eye round with artichoke and quail egg in tuna sauce, and octopus with potato, tomato and green beans; and mains include duck with peach and fennel, coral trout with zucchini scapece and mugnaia sauce, and short ribs with parsnips and green pepper.
A Focus on Seasonality
Rather than relying on luxury ingredients simply because they're expensive, the team at Assaggi focuses on ingredients that deliver flavour, seasonality and balance. 'One of our tasting menus is dedicated entirely to pasta because we believe it's one of the purest expressions of Italian cuisine,' Lucchi explained.
A Beverage Programme
The beverage programme features cocktails and mocktails by Bar Kakure, known for its use of seasonal ingredients like premium fruits; and a sizeable wine cellar with over 170 labels including a significant number of natural wines. Sip your wine from handmade clay vessels like the ancient Romans did, and notice the difference in mouthfeel.
A Team with Experience
Much of the team at Assaggi has grown within Buona Terra, bringing with them the same respect for ingredients, technique and hospitality. Those values remain exactly the same. What changes is how they're expressed. 'Although our three restaurants offer very different experiences, they all share the same foundations. Buona Terra remains the highest expression of our vision of Italian fine dining, and we're incredibly proud of what it represents. Locanda offers a more traditional trattoria experience, where guests can drop in, order a la carte and enjoy familiar Italian classics,' Lucchi said. 'Assaggi completes the journey. It sits naturally between the two, offering a chef-guided multi-course experience that remains approachable and delivers exceptional value. It allows guests to enjoy the creativity and progression of a tasting menu in a more relaxed, contemporary setting.'
Key points
- Assaggi is a new Italian restaurant in Neil Road that offers tasting menus with a focus on seasonal ingredients and technique.
- Menus start at S$58 for a three-course lunch, while the two other, larger menus are both S$88.
- The restaurant features a beverage programme with cocktails and mocktails by Bar Kakure, and a sizeable wine cellar with over 170 labels.
- Much of the team at Assaggi has grown within Buona Terra, bringing with them the same respect for ingredients, technique and hospitality.
Assaggi is expected to be a popular destination for foodies and those looking for a unique dining experience. With its focus on seasonal ingredients and technique, the restaurant is likely to receive positive reviews and attract a loyal customer base.
The restaurant may struggle to attract customers due to its location in Neil Road, which may not be as well-known as other dining areas in Singapore. Additionally, the restaurant's focus on seasonal ingredients may limit its menu options and make it less appealing to customers who prefer a wider range of choices.
