Name of restaurant: Bontá Italian Restaurant & Bar
Type of cuisine: Italian

One type of fish, prepared in so many tantalising ways.

From now to the end of June, Bontá will be serving up eight different dishes of rainbow trout. Whether pan-roasted, used as ravioli filling or baked with truffle, each dish will surprise with its new take on the fish.

The restaurant’s stock of rainbow trout are freshly caught from Taahunaatara, New Zealand and shipped to Singapore for the chef’s selection.

Here, Chef Luca Pezzera’s love for cooking and fishing meet: the chef had even fished for the first few batches of rainbow trout himself.

Ambience: Situated at UE Square, Bontá proffers an ambience perfect for a cosy meal, away from the crowds.

Crimson is the dominant shade at Bontá: matched with cream, it makes the main dining area warm and inviting. Outdoors, the red hues brighten up the al fresco area.  

Bontá Italian Restaurant & Bar

Must-tries:
It’s good to start a meal on a high note. Even the humble bread served before the meal, can set the right impression for the rest of the dishes to follow.

Most restaurants opt for a basket of simple homemade bread. In Bontá’s case: a memorable egg-like cup of bread, stuffed with sprinklings of walnuts, dried tomato and cheese. It’s a wholesome wonder with a crispy crust and a soft, chewy centre. Tucking into it makes the wait for the appetiser fly by; before we know it, the next dish is served.

Bontá’s homemade bread and the cold smoked trout fillet salad ($26)

We begin our meal proper with a plate of smoked trout fillet salad, served with green asparagus, spring lettuce and Alba black truffle dressing.

The dish’s piquant truffle scent wafts tantalisingly in the air, before we even grab our first mouthful of salad. Against the crisp greens, the trout is soft and fresh; the tomato garnishing gives the dish an extra sweet and savoury bite too.

Bontá’s homemade rainbow trout ravioli ($48)

Next up was the homemade rainbow trout ravioli, served with Mediterranean scampi and basil oil: a dish that we highly recommend. Looking at it, one might worry that it could be a tad too salty or rich, given the combination of two different seafood and basil oil too.

Happily, that was not the case. Cooked al dente, this trout-stuffed ravioli is savoury and sweet but still not too heavy on the palate.

The scampi came easily out of its shell and was firm and fresh; a stand-out on its own. Drizzled sparingly, the basil oil didn’t make the dish feel too greasy either.

Then we were presented the pan roasted rainbow trout ($42, featured on the right): wrapped in crispy eggplant, the dish was an elegant bundle to savour.

Rainbow trout has an innate earthy flavour that goes well with butter; the dish’s light butter-chives sauce easily demonstrates this, without making the dish too rich.

A dish is a harmony of flavours, where each ingredient has its place.

In the case of this dish, the accompanying salmon roe provides an appropriate “interjection” of flavour: a savoury respite from the buttery sauce.

Complete your meal with Bontá’s mango gelato ($12). Both tangy and sweet, this treat has a crust of crushed pistachio nuts, with a mixed berries sauce as its dip.

Price: Bontá’s rainbow trout dishes start from $26 for a plate of cold smoked trout fillet salad to $48 for the baked rainbow trout fillet with mushrooms and Alba spring black truffle.

Verdict: 

You’ll be amazed by the many flavours brought out with just one type of fish. Whether you like your trout savoury, sweet or just a bit buttery, there’s a dish here to suit each taste preference.

Bontá Italian Restaurant & Bar is located at 207 River Valley Road, #01-61, UE Square River Wing, Singapore 238275, Tel: 6333 8875. Opening hours: 12pm to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 11pm from Mondays to Sundays. The restaurant is not open for lunch on Saturdays.