Denis Lucchi has spent years showing Singapore just how refined Italian cooking can be, from one-Michelin-starred Buona Terra to the more casual Locanda. As chef-owner of the newly opened Assaggi, he is asking a different question: does everything really need to be so perfect?
In an era when fine dining can feel increasingly choreographed, it is an important question. “Perfection can sometimes be boring,” he says. At Assaggi, “imperfect by choice” is a mantra that shapes a more memorable experience. On some days, staff have brought out a large, wooden tub of freshly whipped Beppino Occelli butter, served tableside to accompany the bread.
Otherwise, at this cosy second-floor restaurant on Neil Road, diners sit close to the open kitchen. Only two tasting menus, Signature Journey and Pasta Journey, are available.
The former starts playfully with a crisp tomato tartlet filled with creamy burrata, which gets a juicy lift from sweet cherry tomatoes. Then, chilled, chilli-and-lime-marinated melon followed by warm duck consommé plays with the contrasts of warm and cold temperatures. The bread is a pillowy soft roll glazed with duck fat, balsamic, and acacia honey; its sweet-savoury sheen made all the more indulgent with the whipped butter.
The larger plates continue to entice. 14-day dry-aged duck comes crisp-skinned and succulent, its richness cut by roasted peaches and the clean aniseed freshness of fennel; stone bass, meanwhile, is dry-aged and charcoal-grilled, then paired with zucchini scapece and a buttery, lemon-bright Mugnaia sauce. Pasta, however, is clearly where Lucchi’s enthusiasm lies. Tubetti sits in an anchovy-rich stock with earthy nettle, black lemon, and crunchy sourdough crumbs, while the meal’s final savoury creation is Paccheri all’Amatriciana, brought tableside for everyone to share.
What’s the story behind Assaggi?
Assaggi really started from the space itself. It’s small, cosy and intimate, with an open kitchen, and immediately reminded me of being in someone’s home. Instead of taking an existing concept and putting it there, we thought about what kind of restaurant naturally belonged in the space.
For guests, it is like dropping in at a friend’s house for dinner. There’s a small team, you can see the kitchen working, and we offer two set experiences—the Signature Journey and Pasta Journey. We also wanted the price to remain approachable, with these two Journeys priced at $88. Ultimately, it’s about making people feel comfortable, looked after and a little bit at home.
What do you want diners to experience through the Signature and Pasta Journeys?
Both follow a classic progression of snacks you eat with your hands, homemade bread and whipped butter, then courses from starter through to dessert. After the main, however, there’s an additional pasta course called Convivio. We wanted to keep this very Italian idea of conviviality by putting something in the middle of the table and sharing it together. Pasta is perfect for that.
The Pasta Journey came from something I’ve noticed in Singapore. People love pasta and often want to try more than one. Since assaggi means “tastes”, the smaller portions let you experience different shapes, sauces and styles.
Even in the Signature Journey, which includes mains like Roasted Duck, Peaches, Fennel, we decided to include two pasta moments. We are an Italian restaurant, and I wanted pasta to have a real presence in the experience rather than simply being one course in the middle of the menu.
What ABOUT pasta fascinatES you?
Across Italy, you find different shapes, techniques and traditions from one region, and sometimes one town, to another. Even the same pasta can change depending on the flour, grain, eggs or how the dough is made. Pasta is often treated simply as a vehicle for sauce, but for me the pasta itself is just as important. The wheat has its own flavour and character. The sauce should complement it, but the pasta should never disappear behind the sauce. At Assaggi, my favourite is the Paccheri all’Amatriciana. It’s very simple—tomato, guanciale and black pepper—but when it’s done properly, it’s a beautiful plate of pasta.
You said Assaggi is “imperfect by choice”. What does imperfection mean to you?
I’ve believed for a long time that perfection can sometimes be boring. Often it’s the little imperfections and nuances that make us fall in love with a person, a restaurant or a particular moment.
Restaurants can become very standardised, especially in fine dining. When everything is controlled and polished, hospitality can sometimes feel cold. Italian hospitality is almost the opposite; it’s warm and engaging. “Imperfect by choice” doesn’t mean accepting mistakes. We still want great cooking and service. It simply means not allowing perfection to remove the human side of hospitality.
