Italian Asian Cuisine @ Buko Nero

What happened in April 2008...

1st attempt on MONDAY:

'Thank you for calling Buko Nero. We are closed until FRIDAY. For reservation please try your luck again this Friday.'

2nd attempt on the next MONDAY:

'Thank you for calling Buko Nero. We are closed every MONDAY. For reservation please try your luck again on Tuesday.'

3rd attempt on TUESDAY:

'Thank you for calling Buko Nero. We are only opened for dinner. For reservation please try your luck again at 6.30 pm.'

4th attempt at 6.30 pm:

'Reservation is full for April. The earliest available date is 14 May 08 (one month later).'

Tell me.

Numerous good reviews bout this italian asian fusion place + Fantastic rating on their food + Reservation to be made ONE month ahead + Numerous attempts to make reservation. How tempted are you in trying out this place? I admit all these factors motivated me to go thru all the hassles just to pay it a visit.

Counting down the days...30 days to go....and finally tonight it is...

I was so excited and had my camera ready in hand. Angle, checked; Lighting, checked; Presentation, checked; Macro setting, checked... 'Kee-Chak'...'Excuse me, no photo shooting is allowed'. *Sulk*

Too bad I was being refrained from snapping pix. Guess I have to switch to altenative mode then...my discreet handphone with 2 megapixels blurry pix. Better than nothing lor.

The bread basket with balsamic vinegar came with surprisingly strong aromatic smell. The texture was as lovely as the taste. I even requested for more balsamic vinegar to go with the buns.

For full course, I had their 5-course-set-dinner, priced at $ 48.

1st course:

Smoked salmon tartar with beetroot dressing.

Interestingly stacked up in 2 layers of minced smoked salmon and unidentified fish, paired up with tad sourish beetroot dressing.

2nd course:

Brocolli, basil and crab meat soup.

Served in a chinese soup bowl, the soup did taste like chinese shark fin with crab meat soup. Decent taste with a hint of sweet crab broth. Too bad it lacks the 'wow' factor.

3rd course:

Blood orange sherbet.

The refreshing sherbet is used to cleanse the palate before sampling the ultimate main course.

4th course:

Rigatoni with braised cod, trout and brinjal ragut.

Thanks to the rich tomato base with fresh cod and trout, I quite enjoy this dish that came with big fat rigatoni.

5th course:

Milk chocolate and coconut cake with gula melaka coulis.

The surprise element was the wonderful texture of the milk chocolate and coconut cake. Crispy outer layer with soft, warm and near molten texture in the inside. Pair it up with the can't-go-wrong-one-lah gula melaka coulis. True bliss is all I can say.

My only regret was being refrained from snapping pix of the food and the ambiance with a proper camera. Although most of the food lacks the very 'wow' factor, somehow this place 包涵了我最初的梦想. Since young (I'm talking bout my childhood days), I have always wanted to own and run a small cosy restaurant like this. Warm lighting with Lisa Ono's music in the background.

Buko Nero reminds me that I still have a dream that I have been keeping to myself all these years. And the dream goes on...

Location:

126, Tanjong Pagar Road.

The real HOT line:

(+65) 63246225