The revamped menu at NUVO is conceptualized by new Executive Chef Mark Richards—formerly Chef de Cuisine at Keystone—and boasts a plethora of contemporary Italian dishes that are infused with Japanese flavors (Chef Richards shudders at the term “fusion food”, though).
We whetted our appetites with the salmon crudo ($18), flavored with furikake, tobiko, yuzu and coriander—like fresh sashimi, only better, then tried the crispy calamari starter ($18), which was spicy, but not overly so.
The angel hair wakame ($18/$24) had a nice bite to it, and the baked olive black cod ($35), which was served with prawns, hon shimeji mushrooms and baked potatoes, was decent, but we fell in love with the lobster risotto ($28/$33), which was made from an incredibly rich lobster bisque and served with edamame—it left us craving for more.
Desserts-wise, we really liked the green tea pan di spagna ($12), which was essentially a matcha sponge cake served with banana jam and topped with Hello Panda (yes, that’s right!) crumble. The use of the Japanese snack was definitely a creative (and nostalgic) touch, but our inner-child was a tad disappointed that the faces of the cartoon pandas had been crumbled into oblivion.
In short, NUVO’s new menu is sure to please most diners, and the restaurant is a great place to refuel after a long day of shopping at Marina Square. Plus, prices are decent for the quality of food you get. Now, we could really use some more of that lobster risotto…
