Quality Italian food has always been known to come with quite a steep price tag but not the authentic Italian fare at Bottura, a 144-seater which sits eye-catchingly on the second level of Suntec City. Bottura is a family name and it brings from Italy traditional cooking methods and home-style dishes that Luka Bottura, the owner, grew up eating. The biggest highlight would be their handmade pasta. We have all come across homemade items, but the pasta here is not only homemade, but it is made by hand too. So thin that it wouldn't survive being processed by a machine, the pasta dishes served at Bottura are absolute must-tries
Freshly churned gelato made in-house daily. A wide selection available at $5/scoop but I felt that the pistachio gelato was too mild in flavour and out of the five flavours I sampled, hazelnut stood out the most for me
Bottura carries products that are exclusively imported from Italy, such as the Ambrosia balsamic vinegar which comes in a range of flavours. We tried the pear one and boy, was it good!
Coffee specially imported and also, exclusive to Bottura
Apart from products and ingredients, customised kitchen equipment that you can see through the windows of their kitchen were also imported directly from Luka's hometown, Bologna. Bottura even boasts a restored Espresso machine that is no longer available in the market today
Tagliere di affettati misti con tigelle - $18
Think imported cheese grown on the hills of Bologna, cheese freshly-made in house, great quality hams, toasted tigelle bread and marmalade. This was easily one of the best cold cuts platter I've had.
Prosciutto di Parma, stracchino, rucola - $12
Unpretentious, simple, but comforting goodness. This thin Italian flatbread with prosiutto ham, house-made stracchino cheese and arugula sandwiched in between makes a great breakfast or takeaway lunch option
Spaghetti alla carbonara - $12
This is a dish that I think most people, if not everyone, would have tried before so its easier to convey how the experience felt. I've never exactly been a fan of carbonara. I'm always a pomodoro kinda girl and cream-based pastas are never my first choice because I get sick of them easily. But the carbonara at Bottura was eye-opening in two ways.
Firstly, the cream sauce was light and definitely not overwhelming which is a huge plus point. Secondly, and most importantly, the texture of the pasta captured my heart. I've had so many pasta dishes before and obviously, I know how pasta tastes like. But having eaten the handmade spaghetti employed in this dish, I almost felt like my life has been a lie all this while. The texture of handmade spaghetti is vastly different when contrasted to those we so very often get. It was softer and more delicate and tastier (probably because its more absorbent of the sauce? I don't know) but anyway, it was MARVELLOUS. Seriously, I hardly ever say pasta dishes are amazing because they're just so everyday and everywhere you know? But this was quite life-changing. And what on earth, its only $12. Please can I have ten plates now
Foglie di polenta con ragù e besciamella - $18
Thin polenta sheets are stacked up, with traditional ragu and bechamel sauce sitting between the layers. A unique but great interpretation of our usual lasagne. Comforting and satisfying, no less.
Tagliolini Zebrati con Gamberetti e zucchini - $16
Another of the bestsellers at Bottura would be the egg and squid ink tagliolini which comes with egg and zucchini. Nothing fancy about it, no exaggerated presentation, just simple pure goodness that we more than happily slurped up
Tortellini al ragù Bolognese - $18
This, this, this. Where do I begin. Do I start with the sheet-thin tortellini or the copious amount of minced meat they are dressed with? Not forgetting that the tortellini are already stuffed with cheese and meat, this is probably the meatiest rendition of a Bolognese pasta. That light tomato sauce was a hit too
Ravioli panna prosciutto e funghi - $14
The ravioli is another of my favourite. Actually, I loved all the pasta dishes haha. The uncompromised quality and standard is especially commendable when their prices are the most pocket-friendly I've ever seen for such awesome Italian food. Never thought I'd find myself craving for a cream-based pasta dish but a plate of this now would make me very happy
Melone, prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella - $24
Parma ham and rock melon is a popular appetizer but have you encountered them both on a pizza before? Very thin and crusty pizza base that have garnered fantastic reviews but I thought this combination was a little underwhelming as it was a little dry and also, I didn't quite like that hard crunch of rockmelon in the pizza. Its a tad hard to bite.
I've heard that lunchtime at Bottura is insane because they have really attractive lunch deals! So do make sure to check them out! Seriously, you can't find another place that serves up authentic Italian cuisine of such quality, at these prices. I think I might have just found my go-to place for my pasta fix.
* This was a media tasting
3 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City Mall North Wing
#02-472/3/4
Daily : 10am - 10pm
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Love, K
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