La Barca Ristorante and Wine Bar in Singapore (www.labarca-sg.com) embraces Chinese New Year, albeit with a unique continental twist. The restaurant's Italian Prosperity Salad is La Barca's take on yu sheng, with raw tuna, marinated sea bass, artichokes, zucchini, and crispy potato strips, and served with a lemon cream and balsamic onion sauce.
Diners will enjoy their Chinese New Year feast in a stand-alone building within the Goodman Arts Centre in Katong (For nearby accommodations, check out our list of Katong & Joo Chiat, Singapore Budget Hotels). The building's unique architecture and serene surroundings inspired La Barca co-owners Michele Sorrentino and Christopher Tung to create a one-of-a-kind restaurant within its premises.
Christopher Tung escaped a Wall Street career to indulge his culinary passions in Tuscany, apprenticing under chef Michele Sorrentino and converting a derelict medieval parsonage into Ankhura, a successful bed-and-breakfast and cooking school.
Michele Sorrentino himself is Tung's co-partner, and has plenty of culinary firepower to back the venture up. Sorrentino headed Antica Trattoria Botteganova in Siena, Italy, receiving a Michelin star in 1999 for his efforts. Antica Trattoria Botteganova was recognized as one of Frommer's "Top Ten Restaurants of Italy" between 2000 and 2008.
After selling the restaurant in 2009, Chef Michele moved to Singapore to co-found La Barca with his former apprentice Christopher Tung.
The restaurant's name - "La Barca", Italian for "boat" - was inspired by the building's shape and irregular roof. The interior design is elegant and understated, with original artwork by Malaysian artist Yeoh Jin Leng and Filipino artist Alfredo Aquilizan (the latter's painting "Passage" hung at the Tate Liverpool before arriving at La Barca). Legendary Viennese furniture maker Michael Thonet designed La Barca's seats.
La Barca serves dishes inspired by Tuscan tradition and reinvented for modern sensibilities. The menu is deeply influenced by Chef Michele's grounding in Italian culinary tradition, and the wine list emphasizes wines from Italy, specifically Tuscany.
La Barca's Italian Prosperity Salad costs SGD $88 per table. Orders must be placed in advance.
The restaurant is located at Goodman Arts Centre, 90 Goodman Road Blk C, Singapore 439053. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner 6 days a week (it's closed on Monday). The coffee bar and lounge operates from 11 am to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11 am to 1 am Friday and Saturday. You can call +65 6346 5813 for inquiries and reservations, or visit their site: www.labarca-sg.com.