Christina muses that she has always admired Massimo. She explains: “He is quite simply one of the best chefs from Italy. His food is very warm and grounded. He does things differently, but it always tastes authentically Italian.” With their many interactions blossomed a bond, and Christina continued to pursue Bottura whenever he came to Singapore for his many pop-ups, hoping that one day he would decide to set up shop in Singapore. 

Through his frequent trips to Singapore, Bottura witnessed the flourishing culinary scene in Singapore. “The city is evolving into one of the great culinary destinations and I think it is in the top three for gourmet (food) in the world right now,” he shares, which is why he finally decided to open a restaurant in partnership with Como Group this year.

Out of his many acclaimed dining concepts, Bottura decided to dedicate Torno Subito, which means “I’ll be right back” in colloquial Italian, to the Lion City. “Coming here, we wanted something more fun, not another three-Michelin-star restaurant,” he shares. There’s a genuine zest of life when it comes to the atmosphere in Torno Subito, making it an exciting addition to the Como Dempsey enclave. The joyful restaurant is not just a reflection of Bottura’s family and his childhood spent in Emilia-Romagna but also a love letter to the intellectual.

In case you missed it: When in Paris: Cedric Grolet shares his favourite restaurants and hangout spots in the City of Light

Never two of the same

Don’t expect a copy of the Dubai outpost as “every restaurant that we have is completely different,” Bottura assures. Allow your eyes to wander because the devil’s in the details, besides obvious inspirations drawn from idyllic holidays by the Adriatic seaside. “When I’m in this space, I think of Picasso’s art and films by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini.” The same attention to detail goes into picking talents for his concepts, honing in on a chef’s individuality, character and management styles in and outside of the kitchen. Bottura quips: “They need to express themselves, tell stories about themselves and share their roots. Yes, they can be influenced by me and Osteria Francescana but they’ll have to come into their own. It’s not about me and that’s the secret to our success.”

For Torno Subito Singapore, Bottura handpicked executive chef Alessio Pirozzi to lead the charge. Originally from Abruzzo, Italy, the former head chef of the Dubai outpost is eager to express himself on a plate. An exemplary dish that Bottura proudly plugs is Pirozzi’s bottone di parmigiana, an imaginative yet comforting take on eggplant parmigiana, a dish he grew up eating. Think discs of handmade raviolo concealing moreish fried eggplants, umami confit datterino, vibrant sun-dried tomatoes, and finished with a lightly smoked provola sauce. It defies the connotations that are rich and carb-heavy. But instead, eats bold with flavour yet with a lightness that is inviting enough for a returning spoonful.

For gourmands who’ve yet to make the pilgrimage to the lauded Osteria Francescana, Bottura teases a reference to one of his signature dishes, Beautiful Psychedelic Veal, Not Flame-Grilled, as a tribute to Modena. “Contemporary cuisine is not just about the quality of the ingredients but the quality of ideas that make a difference,” he stresses. At the Singapore outpost, a white plate, centred by a fork-tender sliver of short rib, plays canvas for contemporary art that is equally stunning to look at as to savour. Traditional accompaniments such as beetroot, carrot, pumpkin and parsley are reimagined as flavoursome sauces to lend contrast but not without a cheeky splash treatment with reverence to Damian Hirst’s spin painting. If the curtailed version tasted this good, one can only imagine having the original.

Read more: The most beautiful new restaurants in Singapore to dine at this year

Creativity in every aspect

To no surprise, Bottura brims with ideas and doesn’t allow himself to be bound by traditions. “Traditions, for them to continue, must be broken,” he expounds. Though, it is a balancing act that is easier said than done. He then flips open his latest book Slow Food, Fast Cars and lands on a page showcasing a lego-made triptych of Chinese contemporary artist Ai Wei Wei’s thought-provoking artwork titled ‘Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn’ from 1995 that hangs on the walls of Casa Maria Luigia. Bottura drew parallels with the Chinese artist: by breaking a piece of the past, he can then remake something that truly brings the best of the past into the future. This philosophy follows him wherever he goes, and coming to Singapore, things are hardly any different.

For many, Massimo Bottura is a man who seemingly achieved it all in the culinary sphere, but his youthful energy, while infectiously inspiring to many, doesn’t come without self-awareness. He is critical and like everyone else, has doubts, which is the very quality that keeps him on his toes. When it comes to finding success in his restaurant concepts, especially in Singapore where every detail counts, he doesn't rely on his accolades. He adds: “Cooking is an act of love. The first moment you allow room for arrogance and take things for granted, you will fail.” Aligned with Ong’s vision for Torno Subito to be “the sort of place where one could go any time, all the time, with any combination of friends and family”, Bottura feels optimistic about having something for everyone.

There’s nothing about Massimo Bottura that needs to be said that hasn’t. But perhaps the quintessence that best represents the chef that loves his fast cars, and the things that matter most to him, lie behind a portrait in the private dining room of Torno Subito. It alludes to one of his favourite films, La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini in the 1960s, where he sits in a striking 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Rosso Red, with the embrace of his wife, driving away into oblivion.

Torno Subito Singapore
Address: 26 Dempsey Road, #01 02, S(249686)

NOW READ

New Restaurant Alert: L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele opens first Southeast Asian outpost in Singapore

The best wood-fire restaurants to visit in Singapore for a taste of smoke and flame

Viva Italia: The best Italian restaurants to try in Singapore