Casual and convivial Italian trattoria Locanda by Buona Terra brings hearty and authentic Italian classics to Singapore’s colourful heritage district of Little India.
One doesn’t quite expect to find great Italian food – and a very, very good one at that – in the heart of Singapore’s Little India. But cosy Italian trattoria Locanda, hidden among a row of dingy shophouses along Rowell Road, sees the vibrant cultural enclave throw up yet another gem that’s worth a detour if you love Italian.
Which we do.
A casual, convivial concept by Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Buona Terra, Locanda is cosy, homely, and unpretentious, like the many inns found in villages and towns across Italy providing rest and respite for weary travellers that it is named after.
The same can be said of its cuisine.
Perhaps Buono Terra’s Chef Denis Lucchi is intimately aware that there’s currently fatigue in Singapore’s fine dining sector, with diners pushing back against those hours-long, omakase-style multi-course degustation experiences offered up by navel-gazing chefs trying far too hard trying to land – or keep – their Michelin stars. Or that weak economic sentiment has resulted in a tightening of wallets.
Whatever the case, what you can expect at Locanda are humble yet hearty, generous family-friendly Italian classics that will have you go, “Mama Mia!”. It’s what authentic Italian food should be.
Even the starters are hefty enough to sate those with more petite appetites. The Foccacia, for example. One comes topped with smoky scarmoza cheese and grilled zucchini, and another a more luxe version with casera cheese, lardo, truffle, hazelnuts and honey. Both are delicious. The little ones will love the Gnocchi Frito E Affettati, particularly the little deep-fried puffs that accompany various Italian cold cuts.
A must-order is Deep Fried Marinated Sardine. This enduring tribute to Italy’s long coastlines is a morsel of savoury sardine and sweet and tangy pickled onion atop a crisp polenta base, all of which makes for a lovely bite. The Veal Eye Round, Tuna Sauce is similarly scrumptious, the classic vitello tonato that will have you scraping up every umami bit of the creamed tuna with bread or finger.
Then there’s the signature Locanda Soft Roll which arrives delightfully warm, fluffy and pillowy, but chances are you’ll want to resist downing more than one roll. Save your remaining carb allowance, because the pastas are worth it.
Really, you can’t go too wrong with the pastas at Locanda. The Tagliolini, Fresh Tomato, Crab, Lemon will please seafood lovers or those who prefer a lighter, fresher repast, while the Melloreddus Red Wine Octopus Ragu is just a touch richer and heartier. The Pappardelle Ragu Genovese comes with a melange of mushrooms and tastes wholly like an Italian version of bak chor mee. Which, of course, means we love it.
But even better than the pappardelle is the rustic Mezze Maniche, Amatriciana Sauce, a robustly flavoured sauce of guanciale, tomato, and parmesan, with some heat from chilli and pepper that will have you slurping everything up in no time.
By this time we were too full even for our mains, much less the dessert we ordered. But we still gamely chewed down pieces of Secreto Iberico Pork and Hanging Tender, both of which were extremely well-grilled and juicy.
Locanda, like any good Italian restaurant, offers a pretty solid wine programme. There are over 150 premium wines on hand, and we like that there’s also some thought to include smaller, boutique producers as well as those with a natural and biodynamic slant.
Surely it’s odd to recommend Little India for Italian food. But Locanda calls for it. We’ll be back sooner rather than later especially for those pastas.
[Photo credits: Locanda]
Locanda
Address 109 Rowell Rd, Singapore 208033 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 6pm to 12 am Wednesdays and Thursdays; 12pm to 3pm and 6pm to 12 am Fridays to Sundays; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Tel (65) 9619 2691
Web www.locanda.sg
Facebook locandasg
Instagram @locandasg
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