Basilico (Regent Singapore) welcomes new executive chef Laurent Varachaud

The impression I have of “buffet”is, quantity supersedes quality. But for Basilico, the Italian buffet restaurant in Regent Singapore, this is not the case. Basilico is one of the top few Italian restaurants that offers serves authentic Italian cuisine both in a la carte and buffet options. Recently, the restaurant has invited a new executive chef Laurent Varachaud on board and I was honoured to sample some of Laurent’s cooking.

The meal started with… a big loaf of BLACK bread! Black? Yes, no kidding! No, it was not charcoal bread, it was Squid Ink Baguette. Well, if you weren’t a squid ink fan, fear not! I couldn’t really taste much of the squid ink, and it went well with tomato or olive dip.

Don’t be mistaken, this is not a chinese restaurant. What you have seen in the dim sum box was not a burnt siew mai. Chef Laurent created Steamed Foie Gras Dumpling with Confit Duck Leg. Infusing chinese concept with french ingredients, this was a unique combination.

Does that fried lil’ thing reminds you of the fried yam pastry in Chinese dim sum? It was Chef Laurent’s Tuna Dumpling. Chef used to work in 4 Seasons Maldives and he got to eat tuna very frequently. So he used yellow fin tuna to create this dish. It gives a good crunch.

To be frank, I wasn’t attracted by the appearance of this dish. But if I were to go closer, there is a mild aroma from the pan seared porcini. The homemade Ricotta Ravioli mades a delicious vegetarian dish. The dish is simple, the ravioli was soft and touches of pan seared porcini satisfies the eyes.

Gamberoni on Sour Dough Tartine with Seafood, Shaved Fennel and Confit Tomato was a recipe adapted from Chef Laurent’s mum. The dough is rich and savoury with tangy tomatoes.

And we have a plate of Slow Cooked Organic Pork Loin with Sweet and Sour Potatoes, drizzled with Dolce Forte jus made from honey, cinnamon and ginger.

Dessert was Chocolate Tart and Chestnut Pot de Cream. Here’s the fun part, Chef Laurent was able to put the whole chocolate tart into his mouth easily. so he challenged us to try too. The only person who was able to force it into his mouth was Dennis. He said the burst of flavours was beyond words!

LaTarte Tropézienne is not exactly a cake. It is a huge brioche that is filled with cream. The big bread originated from Saint Tropez, hence its another name is called St Tropez.

If you are a wine connoisseur, you would know that glassware makes a difference to the wine. So don’t forget to have a glass of wine when you come Basilico, because their wine sommelier, Martin, is Asia’s first Riedel certified sommelier.

With Martin being a Riedel certified sommelier, Basilico definitely brought in Riedel’s glassware collection to the dining table. 

Basilico has definitely sealed its reputation as a premier Italian restaurant in Singapore. Chef Laurent’s modern representation of authentic Italian dishes has won over our hearts and we look forward to savouring more of his dishes in this hotel.