An Italian cowboy rides into town with the opening of this new restaurant
Buttero, the newest kid on the block to join the Tras Street boom, is as robust as the sound of its name with lashings of comfort food that are, at the same time, refined.
“Buttero” – say boo-tairo – means “cowboy” in Italian. Executive Chef Logan Campbell brings Italian fare fit for a Tuscan cowboy. When I visited Buttero for lunch on a weekday, the restaurant was fairly packed with a crowd mostly consisting of those who work in the area.
Hog-Tied and Loving It
The meal got off to a good start with the appetiser of Pulled Pork Waffle Fries ($15) – golden-fried waffle fries with shredded pieces of pulled pork smothered in a mozzarella cheese sauce. Utterly sinful but utterly good.
Another sinfully and cheesy treat is the Triple Cheese & Truffle Toasty ($16). To quote one of our Instagram followers, “What kind of sorcery is this?” A warm grilled toasty filled with caramelised onions, mozzarella, parmesan and fontinella cheese which oozes when you bite into it makes a gooey and yummy sandwich.
From the Barn to the Table
From the rotisserie at Buttero springs forth the Porchetta with Braised Beans ($32). It is marked as one of Buttero’s signature dishes, and rightly so. The porchetta was well-seasoned and savoury, with a crackling crispy rind all around. The braised bean sauce reminded us of baked beans smothering the pork but in a good, homely way.
I also liked the Dirty Steak ($34), a California dry-rubbed Wagyu flank steak that is cooked on hot coals topped with verde and comes with sides of onion rings and shallots. The flank steak is quite substantial in size and tender, and arrived at the default of medium, not well done. Take note, other Singaporean restaurants.
The Handmade Gnocchi ($21) with sautéed Brussels sprouts in honey, lemon and sage was a little disappointing to me. Although I was told that the gnocchi was meant to be on the soft side, I prefer my gnocchi to be chewy and less mushy.
End the meal with the freshly-fried Cannoli ($12) filled with fresh ricotta, lemon and strawberry salad. The drizzle of chocolate sauce and powdered sugar on the cannolis added to the decadence of the dish.
The satisfying crunch of the cannoli yielded the rich creamy filling, which I took great pleasure in slurping up. It is so difficult to find cannoli in Singapore, and this will be my go-to place.
Head to Buttero for a galloping good meal.
Buttero, 54 Tras Street, Singapore 078993, Tel: 6438 7737
By Cheryl Chia
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