Experience La Barca and Make a Review.

To dine at La Barca with the purpose of reviewing the restaurant for your publication, please contact Illka Gobius or call 9769 8370.

Location
Goodman Arts Centre, 90 Goodman Road Blk C, Singapore, Singapore

Hours
Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Parking
Parking Lot

Public Transit
Mountbatten MRT

Tel: 6346 5813

La Barca Website

Media Invitation to experience La Barca:

Michele Sorrentino, Chef and Owner of one of Italy’s Top Ten Restaurants Antica Trattoria Botteganova has moved to Singapore to open La Barca.

La Barca is owned and operated by chef Michele Sorrentino andChristopher Tung. Christopher left a corporate career in New York in 2001 to pursue his passion for food and wine. He moved to Siena, Italy and soon began an apprenticeship in chef Michele’s Michelin-star restaurant Antica Trattoria Botteganova. The two have remained good friends ever since.

About the Chef, Michele Sorrentino

Michele Sorrentino, 49, was the chef and owner of Antica Trattoria Botteganova in Siena, Italy until he sold it in 2009. Chef Michele received his Michelin star in 1999 and maintained it throughout the lifetime of his restaurant. Over the years he has received innumerous awards and favorable reviews in the international press and has regularly appeared on Italian TV. Antica Trattoria Botteganova was on Frommer’s guide’s “Top Ten Restaurants of Italy” form 2000 to 2008.

Michele graduated from hotel school in 1979 and has worked as a professional chef ever since. Originally from Calabria, he first came to Tuscany in 1985 as chef-de-cuisine of the newly established Relais & Châteaux Borgo San Felice in Chianti. In 1992 he opened Antica Trattoria Botteganova.

Having been at the top of his game in Italy for over 25 years, Michele is looking forward to opening a new chapter in his life and the challenge of establishing himself as a renowned chef in Singapore. Michele has moved permanently to Singapore.

About the Restaurant

La Barca is situated in a stand-alone building within Goodman Arts Centre (formerly La Salle School of the Arts). Christopher came across the building late 2010 and was immediately attracted to the unique architecture of the building and the serene surroundings, and saw the potential for creating a one-of-a-kind restaurant.

The design of the restaurant is elegant and understated featuring original art works by Malaysian artist Yeoh Jin Leng and Filipino artist Alfredo Aquilizan (whose painting “Passage” hung at the Tate Liverpool before arriving at La Barca). Reminiscent of a chic restaurant in Milan or Turin, the tables and sofas are original designs for La Barca and the chairs are by the legendary Viennese furniture maker Michael Thonet.

Food

Chef Michele Sorrentino earned his Michelin star by drawing inspiration from the rustic simplicity of Tuscan culinary tradition and re-inventing it for the modern palate with technical finesse and stunning visual presentation. All of Michele’s dishes are original creations deeply rooted in Italian culinary tradition. Michele will continue his innovation here in Singapore using only the finest produce, meats and fish and drawing on his extensive network of friends in Tuscany that produce rarefied delicacies such as prosciutto, cheese, olive oil, truffles and wine.

Wine

The restaurant’s wine list displays the depth, variety and knowledge associated with a Michelin-starred restaurant, emphasizing Italian and particularly Tuscan wines. Initially, the restaurant will rely largely on local wine merchants for stock, but will immediately begin its own import of wine with the goal of gradually and thoughtfully growing a collection.

The Name

La Barca means the boat in Italian and was conceived by Michele as the shape of the building (as seen on a drawing) reminded him of a boat and the irregularly shaped roofs covering the outdoor area resemble sails.

Opening Hours

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner 6 days a week (closed on Monday). The coffee bar and lounge is open from 11 am to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11 am to 1 am Friday and Saturday.

About Christopher Tung

Christopher Tung, 40, was born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and a Chinese/Japanese father. He was educated in the US (Phillips Academy Andover 1990, Dartmouth College 1994) and worked for seven years on Wall Street in New York. In 2001, he moved to Siena, Tuscany, to indulge his passion for food and wine and soon began an apprenticeship in the kitchen of chef Michele Sorrentino. During that time, he also acquired a derelict medieval parsonage in the Tuscan countryside, which he turned into the successful b&b and cooking school Ankhura.

He moved to Singapore in July 2008 with his wife and three children, and has been teaching cooking classes in Italian cuisine and organizing gourmet tours to Tuscany.

Goodman Arts Centre

The main tenant of the Goodman Arts Centre is the National Arts Council, which moved its headquarters there at the beginning of 2011. The other spaces are occupied by businesses related to the arts such as dance and theatre companies. The centre also features gallery and performance spaces that are The restaurant looks forward to playing an active role in the centre’s arts eco-system, and hopes to collaborate on cultural events and work together to promote Goodman as a destination for creativity.

Reviews for the restaurant

by Geoffrey Eu

Review: “The culinary sophistication at La Barca is a pleasant change from the more rustic offerings found in the suburbs, and the food here wouldn’t be out of place in some swanky location in say, the CBD or Orchard Road. In a quiet corner of Katong, surrounded by the art galleries and dance studios at GAC and the residential buildings beyond its gates, La Barca has embarked on a bold journey to become a destination restaurant with a difference. With quality food, friendly prices and efficient service – and an environment to match – it deserves to succeed.”

Review: “Along the road that leads to Chianti is arguably the best restaurant in Siena. Chef Michele Sorrentino’s cooking is all about clean flavors, balanced combinations, and inviting presentation. Look for inspiring dishes such as spaghetti alla chitarra in salsa di astice piccante (with a spicy lobster sauce), or ravioli di ricotta con ragù d’agnello (with sheep’s-milk cheese and lamb sauce). The interior, with high vaulting, is relaxed yet elegant, and the service is first rate.”