Terra – Tokyo Italian cuisine at Tras Street. My good friend, Howard Lo, was the first to introduce me to Japanese Italian fare 10 years back, and no, I wasn’t a fan. Consisting mostly of pastas with dubious sauces, I seriously doubted my buddy’s taste.
But I’ll eat my words as Howard is the owner of a couple of very popular restaurants here in Singapore (think Standing Sushi Bar and Tanuki Raw), so I guess his taste buds aren’t that bad after all!
Back to newly-minted, 1-Michelin-starred restaurant, Terra. Chef Seita Nakahara and team serve up omakase-style meals, including the set lunches which are at $42 for 3-course and $58 for 4-course.
Feeling hungry, my friend and I decided on the 4-course menu. As it’s omakase-style, menu items change daily, so they are not listed on the menu, but you’re asked in advance if there’s anything in particular you would like to stay away from.
As Chef Seita explained, seasonality and fresh ingredients are key to Terra. Most of the ingredients used are from Japan, even the parmesan that was used in their classic dish – the Scallops.
I suppose you could describe it as gratinated scallops – 3 plump and ridiculously sweet scallops arrive in a mini cocotte, on a bed of roasted capsicum sauce, that has 5 types of Japanese mushrooms and crunchy asparagus. The sprinkles of parmesan are the winner for me as the saltiness gives a lovely lift to the caramelized sweet scallops.
Next, the pasta. We both chose to “upgrade” our pasta course for an additional $10. Our choices were between their popular Uni pasta and what was freshly available that day – the Hokkaido King Crab.
Although I ordered the luxurious uni pasta, I had food envy when I saw my friend’s crab pasta. They are really generous with the crab meat! Nice, big chunks swimming in a tasty aiko cherry tomato sauce.
My uni pasta was delicious too. Fresh uni, creamy and tasting of the sea with the baubles of homemade bottarga, together with some zesty yuzu sprinkles – I wouldn’t have minded more, even though I was already starting to get full.
Then came the main – Wagyu beef. Not too fatty, thankfully, the meat was pink and juicy, with a flavourful jus and mustard adding a subtle piquant taste to the dish.
Desserts are a light affair. Chocoholic me chose the dark Chocolate Mousse that was accompanied by a variety of tart berries, while my friend chose the refreshing Kyoho and Shine Muscat Grape Jelly with momo peach surprise.
A delicate ending to an indulgent meal. Terra is worth a visit for lunch, especially if you’re feeling particularly fancy!
Terra:
Address: 54 Tras Street, Singapore
Contact: 6221 5159 or reservation@terraseita.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terraseita
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri:
Lunch: 12:00 pm-2:00 pm
Dinner: 6:30 pm-10:00 pm
Sat:
Dinner: 6:30 pm-10:00 pm