It was the first of my birthday meals that kickstarted the whole birthday weekend and I suggested going to Braci, an Italian restaurant that overlooks Boat Quay. The weather was splendid that evening too with the evening breeze that provided a cooling respite to the otherwise usually humid weather. Located at the top of the shophouse, the rooftop bar was a good place to dine at if you do not want to be seated within the enclosed open kitchen area

Started with a cocktail while waiting for the friend to arrive. I thought this tea-infused gin based cocktail was too light for me. At some point, it tasted rather diluted

Kick started with this loaf of bread that is protected by law. We were amused. But what it meant was this bread from Pane Toscano is protected by the EU law which guarantees the authenticity of speciality foods from that specific region. That being said, the bread was pretty good. It was fragrant and rustic and tasted delicious on its own. But the friend was less than impressed. She thought it just tasted like bread. HA

And moving on to the Amuse Bouche from South to North Italy. I thought it required more of an acquired taste. The sun-dried tomatoes and Bottarga fish purée tasted quite strange to me. Maybe I just don’t know how to appreciate it

Bone Tartare Bone Marrow and Baby Gem $28

We thought the bone marrow would be more impressive if it’s the actual bone marrow itself. The beef tartare took away the authenticity which it made felt like we were having a tartare dish instead, which had nothing to rave about

Tagliolini, Sea Urchin and Caviar $58

I like the creaminess of the uni that blends in with the pasta. Then again, there are hundreds of places elsewhere that do variation of this dish. I had probably expected this place to do it better

Monkfish, Nduja and Sweet Onions $48

I like the doneness of the monkfish without being too overcooked. Though I can’t remember anything else about this dish

Tochigi Wagyu, Sesame & Garlic Scapes $88

The wagyu was really tender though the pairing of the sesame seems a little odd. And at this price, I think I expected much more

At the end of the meal, I told the friend this is a one-star Michelin restaurant you know. She went ‘You got to be kidding me. They are friends with the Michelin people is it?’ I can perfectly understand what she meant. I mean the food here is decent, but not outstanding and I felt bad she paid so much for a not-so-deserving meal. I had doubts if they had pluck their star from the sky

Braci

52 Boat Quay, #05-01/ #06-01

Singapore 049841