Somma Restaurant at New Bahru: Casual Fine Dining

Somma Restaurant at New Bahru is the most exciting restaurant in Singapore we have visited in recent months. We tried the $258++ tasting menu lunch and had a tour of the restaurant as well as the cocktail bar, cheese and wine cellar and the Somma lab.

Welcome to Somma Restaurant!

The restaurant sits on top of the big building at New Bahru. It can be accessed by taking a lift to level 4 (where the Somma cocktail bar is located) and going up a short flight of steps to the main restaurant (picture above). When we entered, a welcoming party was ready to extend a warm welcome. The picture below shows the welcoming party for the next group of diners.

From Nan Chiau High School Library to Fine Dining Restaurant

The restaurant space used to be the library of the the Nan Chiau High School. It is a beautiful space. The large arched windows together with dome ceiling running through the restaurant is a thing of architectural beauty. With a dining capacity of only 36 pax, this is one of the most spacious restaurants in Singapore. The decor is simple and elegant.

The main cooking takes place in an enclosed kitchen but some workstations (where food prep and light cooking are done) are located next to the dining area. A clever solution to provide a link between customers and cooking staff without the unwanted smells and sounds.

Somma Wine List and Corkage Policy

Thinking of BYOB? The restaurant charges a corkage service fee of SGD150++ for every bottle of wine. There is an alternative route – complimentary corkage on one bottle for every bottle of wine purchased from the SOMMA restaurant wine list. The wine selection is not very wide but adequate and conveniently classified by type of wine. We selected a white wine from the MORNING DEW section of wines. This contains a list of wines described to have a green leafy soul, refreshing and with zest.

With the assistance of the young and knowledgeable sommelier we landed on a bottle of 2022 Broglia Gavi di Gavi La Meirana, Peimonte Italy ($130++). This crisp, fruity white wine was one of the more affordable ones on the list but performed above expectation.

Our other wine of the day was a more serious red wine (2013 Chateau Mouton Rothschild) that we BYOB-ed.

Restaurant Dress Code: None

This is the stated Somma dress code on the website: “There is no dress code at Somma, we would love for you to come as you are.” Everyone was nicely dressed in smart casual or office style clothing on the day of our visit. We are not sure about total dress freedom but it could be a reflection of the culture of this restaurant – relaxed and casual which is a change from more formal fine dining places in Singapore like Odette and Les Amis.

Somma Restaurant Menu

Two menus are currently available – a 4-course $168++ (only available for lunch) and a 6-course tasting menu $258++. The restaurant is only open for lunch on Friday and Saturdays. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. We opted for the 6-course menu. Here is a picture of the menu listing the 6 courses plus snacks and pre-desserts.

Snacks On Arrival

After we were greeted by the welcome party, two snacks were served at the workstations before we were shown our tables. The first was a warm artichoke soup served in an artichoke shaped flask.

Next was raw shrimp served with a dried hibiscus flower. Both snacks were good and added to the fun factor of the dining experience.

Lunch at Somma Restaurant : Starters

Eel – Italian Mole was how this item was listed on the menu. Thankfully no exotic rodent was served. “Mole” is apparently a type of Mexican sauce. This was served with Italian variation and with two pieces of eel, lightly fried tempura style. A much nicer dish than what the name suggests.

Next was dark bread with extra virgin olive oil from Puglia, said to be from the family farm of the chef. Simple items but high quality, especially the bread which had a thin crisp crust and a chewy body.

The stem turnip was the most distinctive dish of the day. The turnip had been hollowed out to contain tiny cubes of turnip, celery and apples. These were released into the cold soup when the plant was lifted. The result – a refreshing gazpacho on a hot Singapore afternoon.

Somma Tasting Menu: Meat and Pasta Courses

Meat and pasta courses were next to be served. Lamb saddle with mushroom was a small skewer of lamb and a bunch of sliced mushrooms. The flavours were unusual as various seasonings were used. I cannot remember what they were. Very delicious and good, but some pieces of lamb were rather chewy.

The next dish was described as slipper lobster, khorasen spaghettone and red carrot. Not paying attention in class was a shortcoming in my younger years in school. Unfortunately that might have resurfaced in this reconditioned school when our server explained the dish. I cannot recall where was the slipper lobster in this combination of dishes, perhaps parts of it may have been used in the sauce for the slices of shell fish. What I can remember is the carrot sauce was made with a very high carrot concentration. Ten kilograms of carrots go into making one kg of the sauce. It was certainly a concentrated complex sauce for the chewy Khorasan spaghettone (made of an unusual ancient Persian cereal).

Pigeon with black truffle was a more familiar type of dish. Made of a few slices of perfectly cooked pigeon breast this was the possibly the most substantial dish of the day.

We were afraid that the lunch would be too heavy with two pasta dishes. But our fears were unfounded. The second pasta dish was even smaller than the first. Baby sized tortellini in a tasty pigeon broth was extremely delicious.

Pre-Desserts and Dessert

That was the end of the savoury part of our lunch at Somma New Bahru. A couple of “pre-desserts” that may also have served as palette cleansers were fresh and delicate.

Dessert was buckwheat – whiskey – 75% single origin Tanzania. Flakes made of buckwheat and dark chocolate. A wonderful way to bring our lunch to an end. The dishes were small but many. But in the words of Depeche Mode, everything counts in large amounts. What it was all eaten and done, it was a satisfying lunch. Those with bigger appetites can proceed with the optional (add-on) cheese course.

Somma Restaurant Tour

The friendly folks at Somma offered to show us around after our meal. Here are some interesting parts at Somma restaurant and related premises. Tucked away in a hidden corner is a private dining space that can seat 8 people.

The Somma Wine Cellar and Cheese Room

A small wine cellar that also serves as a cheese room. Diners opting for the cheese course get to select their cheese here.

Somma Cocktail Bar

Next to the main restaurant is the cocktail bar. Drinks and a limited food selection are served here.

Somma Cooking School and R&D Lab

Other components of the Somma World are located on the same floor but a few doors away from the restaurant. A cooking school and a research laboratory complement the restaurant. This is a picture of the research lab.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 5
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 5
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs 

Somma Restaurant New Bahru
Big Block, #04-02
46 & 58 Kim Yam Road Singapore 239351

Opening Hours:
Dinner : Tuesday to Saturday: 6 pm – 10.30 pm
Lunch : Friday & Saturday: 12 noon – 1.30 pm

Website