Located at the Regent Singapore, on the 2nd floor is Bascilico. Their dinner service is a semi-buffet spread. Pick the main and you're spoilt for choice with their appetizers selection and an incredible, mind blowing cheese spread. There's a whole room that's dedicated to the cheeses. A room!
Ordered On:
06May2018
Semi Buffet Dinner Service at Bascilico
One gets a choice of selection of a main for one or two to share, and the buffet spread is open to the floor. The mains are cooked to order on your request and menu selection of your visit changes with the seasons.
We ordered the Pentolone di Carne as the main (For 2 to share)
Hay-smoked
Grilled Beef Tenderloins, Lamb Chop and Scarmoza-stuffed Waygu Beef
rolls served with Grill Vegetables and Aged Balsamic Vinegar.
*It was very impressive when it first came out. Grilled and later hay smoked infused by having the pizza dough encase the entire dish and finishing it off in the oven. I wouldn't say the smokiness was very evident in the meats, but the initial aromas from cutting into the pizza crust was both visually impressive and an attack on the olfactory nerves.
Meats required own seasoning but were all cooked to perfection. An undeniable medium rare on the inside.*
The spread is fairly extensive which adequately showcases Italy eats. Below were some of the standouts from the semi buffet service.
Their Range of Balsamic and Olive Oils
*They have a 13year aged balsamic vinegar (pictured in the wood barrel). However my preference leaned more toward their thicker, sweet balsamic. Their small selection of quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars were a delight to try with their fresh cheeses and breads. Like wine, in the realms of Balsamic and olive oils each have their unique flavors. A great sensory journey.*
Fresh Mozzarella cheeses and tomatoes.
*The tomatoes from Italy were beautiful sweet and succulent and classically paired with the various fresh mozzarella cheeses. This particular cheese is a very old style of Buffalo at 5kg and it is made exclusively in the small town of Battipaglia near Napoli. This was in my opinion the best among the already good choices. Soft, light in flavor and a little creamy. A more delicate flavor and texture in comparison to the rest. What's welcoming as well was the famous tomatoes were featured in front, but any of the fresh produce in the crates behind were also available to patrons.*
*Waygu Carpaccio. Enough said. Their seared Tuna with pistachio were very good as well.*
The Cheese Room
Wow. Just amazing and you definitely need to ask for some guidance to laser beam on some choice selection that suit your tastes and preferences. Thanks to head Chef Luca who was passing by, he 'sold' each of the cheeses so well that I had just to take a selection from each of these amazing cheeses that are rarely seen/experienced else where. Below were the few I could remember.*
Hay cured goats cheese.
A mix of two ricotta cheeses I think and covered with Fresh Truffle.
One of the Best Blue Cheeses I've gotten to taste.*Its got lovely crumbly crisp bits that go very well with the roasted meats in the mains*
A balsamic cured aged cheese, leaving sweet accent notes.
There were several other cheeses, like a malt cured one, or a double aged ricotta cheese (not pictured) The cheese room was where I believed the prized and beloved items were and I barely scratched the surface. If you can, try as much as you can in that treasure trove room.
Total Fed 2 at SGD216.55
Value 4/5
*For the cheese room alone and the range of cured meats and buffalo cheese spreads in a single location to get a taste of Italy is extremely rare. So for that, a one stop location at that price to enjoy the best that Italy has to offer allows for that value.*
Ambience 3.5/5
*The place is a little dimly lit in my opinion and the chairs are deep lounge like chair. They are a little uncomfortable to be sitting in as its lacking back support.*
Service 4.5/5
*Extremely tentative staff with those asked were found to be knowledgeable on the dishes and its preparation. They were quick to clear plates, keep the glasses filled and only prepared your mains on your request.
Food 4/5
*I can't speak much for their mains as we only got to try one, but their buffet selection alone was more than filling. The cheese selection alone was the clear cut winner in terms of variety and selection.*
A taste of a huge array of Italian cheeses and their anti pasta. If you're not a fan of cheese, or balsamic vinegar/oils, then this semi buffet may not be as of value to you. Their other single serving mains were interesting and worth ordering for another time.
Even when in Italy, to have some of theses cheese and tomato offerings available for side by side comparisons would have cost a hefty euro. However at Bascilico, they're all under one sitting and presented beautifully in front of you.
Well worth it and would return again for another celebratory occasion or a gastronomical trip through Italy. There so much in the cheese room that has yet to be explored.
The only critique for Bascilico for a better customer experience would be to have more signage especially for the unlabeled balsamic and olive oil to educating patrons what they were having. Our dining experience was only made more enjoyable thanks to Luca and their staff.
Bascilico Restaurant Level 2, 1 Cuscaden Rd, Regent Singapore A Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore 249715
*Every Singapore Son*
*You can just see the ship lanes back and forth from the main land and the island*
