Bottega di Carna Lunch

Post by Chiefeater Luke Soon

You know all about the absentee celebrity chef. Now meet the absentee celebrity butcher. Yes, Dario Cecchini, the eighth-generation butcher with the Chianina-sized personality whom you may know from Netflix’s Chef’s Table, where a whole episode is dedicated just to him, has opened a branch of his “signature steakhouse”, the Bottega di Carna, at the Mondrian Singapore Duxton.

Now forget everything you know or have ever read about Dario, because it will have no relevance to your dining experience here. Not that it’s bad, mind you. Simply that the Bottega di Carna is yet another highly priced steakhouse catering to the aspirations of the nouveau bourgeoisie who infest this high-net-worth island.

The multiplicity of non-beef options, pastas, cicccheti and entrées on the menu shows how far the formula has deviated from Cecchini’s minimalist meat-centric philosophy. There is no talk here of “responsible carnivorism”, “happy animals” or “nose-to-tail eating”, and certainly no evidence of any such philosophy, unless you count the bavette — also known as a flap or flank steak — as a lesser-known cut (which you really shouldn’t!).

Definitely a beautiful restaurant setting – with green marbles for tables and chairs, marble everywhere but it’s the food that I am here for.

The prosciutto ham starter was ok at 6.5/10 – but then again lacked the high quality olive oil drizzle we had at Chef Eddie Murakami’s.

The pulpo was average – weighing in 6.5/10

The chicken was lacklustre – around 6/10. Again, all relative given the anticipation of this place.

The broccolini sides- recall how a restaurant does it vegetables is a tell tale sign – was drenched in orange jus. It was too sweet. If this was a dish it would be 5/10

The pork loin was the best of the trio weighing in around 6.75/10 – well done.

Overall, 6.5/10 – good for your first date and maybe business dinners.

SGD367 for 3 mains and a bottle of wine.

Business Hours
Opens Daily
07:00 am to 12:00 am

Further thoughts

Dario Cecchini, immortalised in volume 6 of the Netflix series, Chef’s Table. Multiple media outlets dubbed him the world’s greatest butcher, although hyperbole is the hallmark of many magazines and newspapers, quick to crown anyone deft with their mouths and knives.

It takes more than a famous name to succeed in Singapore’s highly competitive F&B scene. Cecchini, however, endeared himself to the masses when he recounted his experience eating Hainanese chicken rice and realising that his steakhouse would do well in the country. We know how to use every part of the animal well, says Cecchini.

Perhaps we didn’t go for the steaks – and therefore an unfair judgment of Cecchini – but at these highest levels of F&B nothing can be left to chance – including the sides!