Mention Japanese restaurants in Tanjong Pagar, and my mind immediately conjures up images of the rows of ramen eateries at Orchid Hotel. However, unknown to me until recently, there exists another Japanese restaurant – just a little further down Tras Street – that is different from what the other Japanese restaurants in the area offers.
Tokyo-Italian restaurant Terra is one of the newcomers to the vibrant dining scene in Tanjong Pagar, having opened for less than a year since late 2015. It is the brainchild of Chef Seita Nakahara, who has gotten inspiration from his previous stints in Japan and Italy, and married the best of both cuisines for the offerings at Terra. Chef Seita uses fresh, seasonal ingredients air-flown directly from Japan and Italy for his omakase menu.
Spring brings to mind flowers, blossoms and vibrant colours. However, Terra’s Spring omakase menu is anything but that. No, that’s not meant to be negative – in fact, Terra’s menu is a surprise departure from the usual Spring-inspired fare we see in other restaurants. Colours may not play a big role in the Spring menu, but flavours certainly do.
We started the meal with the Uni Bruschetta with home-made preserved organic lemon. While I am usually not a fan of uni due to having tasted a bad one at another restaurant in Singapore, Terra’s fresh uni is buttery soft with natural saltiness and sweetness of the sea.
Uni Bruschetta
Flavours feature strongly in the mains. One of the newest signatures of Chef Seita, the Spaghetti Nero hits all the right notes with a medley of spaghetti, home-made squid ink sauce and generous chunks of Aori Ika (bigfin reef squid) meat. We were told that the squid used is a special baby squid that is available for a month only. The squid ink sauce is made with Isaebi lobster stock that has been simmered for two hours. If you wish to have a taste of this dish, you’d have to head early to the restaurant – only five to 10 portions are available every day.
Spaghetti Nero
The Black Abalone Risotto is another highlight on the menu. The risotto derives its saltiness and rich flavours from anchovies (no salt is added at all). The wild black abalone used hails from Hokkaido, and is tender to the bite, having been steamed for four hours. The dish actually grew on me with every bite I took.
Black Abalone Risotto
If I had to name only one must-try dish at Terra, it would have to be the Chargrilled Olive Wagyu Beef with salad, Hokkaido brown mushroom and wild watercress. Now, we have heard of Japanese cattle being fed a special diet and all, but it’s the first time we’ve heard of them being fed olives. And, Terra is the very first restaurant in Singapore to be using this Olive Beef, also known as Sanuki Wagyu.
Developed in 2011 as a high-grade Japanese wagyu, Sanuki wagyu comes from the Kagawa Prefecture. The secret of its unique succulent flavour lies in the feed, which comprises olives produced from Shodoshima Island, where olive cultivation first started in Japan.
Chargrilled Olive Wagyu Beef with salad, Hokkaido brown mushroom and wild watercress
The beef used is of A4 grade (A5 being the highest), but it does not disappoint in any way. I know it’s clichéd to describe wagyu beef as melt-in-your-mouth but this was the most fitting description I can make of the beef. It was such pure decadence that it almost felt like a sin enjoying it. The only gripe I have – I wish there was more of it.
Japanese-Italian restaurants are dime a dozen, but if you want Italian-Japanese cuisine that’s executed with flair and finesse, Terra would be a safe bet. And a very quiet one for you to dine in peace at that.
Chef Seita’s Surprise in Bloom Omakase is priced from S$128++ and available for lunch from 12noon to 3pm (last order at 2 pm); and dinner from 6.30pm to 11pm (10 pm last order). A wine pairing can be tailored by Terra’s Sommelier Sho for an additional S$88++.
Terra
54 Tras Street
Singapore 078993
Tel: +65 6221 5159
Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 12pm -2.30pm and 630pm – 11pm; Sat, 6.30pm -11pm; Closed on Sun
