Terra Tokyo Italian: Modern Italian Fusion

A Craving for Japanese-Western Fusion

Lisa and I just binge-watched Le Grande Maison Tokyo, and it left us with an intense craving for Japanese-style French cuisine! If you haven’t seen it yet, we highly recommend it. This Japanese series stars Takuya Kimura as a disgraced yet determined chef on a mission to reclaim his Michelin-starred reputation.

The show captures the fiery passion, fierce rivalries, and high-stakes drama of running a top-tier French restaurant in Tokyo. Beyond the stunning food shots, we loved how it’s ultimately a feel-good story where even the villains find redemption. You’ll walk away feeling uplifted—and very, very hungry!

New Seasonal Menu at Terra Tokyo Italian

To satisfy our cravings, we booked a table at the Michelin-starred Terra Tokyo Italian. While it’s not Japanese-French like Le Grande Maison Tokyo, it’s close enough! Originally helmed by Chef Seita Nakahara, the restaurant now thrives under the leadership of his protégé, Chef Melvin Chou. Chef Melvin continues the tradition of blending fresh, seasonal Japanese ingredients with the timeless elegance of Italian cuisine, omakase-style.

They have recently introduced new seasonal menus, starting at $98++ for lunch and $128++ for dinner, showcasing 4-5 thoughtfully curated courses inspired by the freshest ingredients of the season!

Beverage Pairing

For an additional $158++, you can opt for a wine or non-alcoholic wine pairing with your meal. Each course is paired with a different wine or sake, carefully selected to complement its flavours.

The pairing is curated by Daisuke Shibuya, Singapore’s only Japanese sommelier with a Gold Diploma from the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI)—an internationally recognized certification.

For the wine program, Shibuya-san selected a range of Italian champagne, wines, and Japanese sake to match the diverse flavors of the dishes.

For the non-alcoholic program, he chose NON, an Australian brand renowned for crafting sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages that serve as refined alternatives to traditional wines. Their creative use of herbs, fruits, teas, spices, and botanicals, offers a thoughtful alternative that can satisfy even some wine drinkers.

Review of Dishes

Burrata, Finocchiona

Our first dish featured a pairing of creamy burrata cheese sourced from Puglia and a slice of Finocchiona, a traditional Italian salami from Tuscany. Made from coarsely ground pork and flavored with fennel seeds, garlic, wine, and black pepper, this salami offers a savoury yet slightly sweet taste which blended nicely with the sweetness of the burrata. It was a classic Italian combination that works well, but the anticipated Japanese finesse hadn’t quite made its appearance yet.

Madai Cappacio

In true Japanese fusion style, our next dish featured a slice of madai (sea bream), paired with a salsa of aromatic shiso leaves and apples for a refreshing textural contrast. It was a nice combination, but not particularly memorable.

Anago Fritto

With the Anago (sea eel) fritto, we were finally venturing into umami territory. Typically, anago is braised in shoyu and served atop a small mound of sushi rice in Japanese restaurants. So, I appreciated the crispy fried version here, complemented by a rich buttery sauce and accented with pine nuts.

Lisa felt the best beverage pairing was the Hanaabi Junmai Daiginjo with our Anago Fritto. The well-rounded sake perfectly complemented the dish’s umami richness. For the non-alcoholic pairing, Shibuya-san took a detour from NON and presented a sparkling red Muri Copenhagen instead.

Signature Uni Pasta

With the Uni Pasta, we finally understood how Terra earned its Michelin Star. This indulgent dish seamlessly combines the creamy richness of uni (sea urchin) with the savory depth of karasumi (dried mullet roe), two quintessentially Japanese ingredients, paired with handmade artisan spaghetti made using bronze molds and sun-dried.

The pasta, cooked to perfection with a perfectly al dente texture, beautifully catches the luscious sauce, showcasing the successful fusion of two great culinary traditions.

To complement the savory Uni Pasta, we enjoyed a white wine from Paolo e Noemia d’Amico – Agylla Grechetto, along with NON 2 Caramelised Pear & Kombu. Interestingly, the wines at Paolo e Noemia d’Amico are aged in cellars exposed to the soothing sound of classical music!

Main – Iberico Pork

The combination of Iberico pork and mushroom ragu was excellent, with the mushroom ragu standing out for its complexity. Chef made it with a selection of different mushrooms, slow-cooked to extract their natural umami. The pork was cooked to a perfect pink, with a sliver of flavourful fat that added a nice touch.

For the wine pairing, we enjoyed a red Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2017 and a sparkling NON 7, crafted with stewed cherries and coffee.

Dessert

I was somewhat indifferent to the yogurt panna cotta. The tanginess of the yogurt didn’t quite harmonize with the dish, and the panna cotta itself lacked the richness and velvety texture I was hoping for.

Dessert was paired with Amethyst Dew “The Rich”—a non-alcoholic wild grape juice from Iwate Prefecture, aged for 3 years. And Terra Tokyo’s very own Homemade Limoncello, crafted with lemons from Italy! The latter was frankly a little too intense for the mild dessert.

Conclusion

It’s truly remarkable how seamlessly Japanese and Italian cuisines can be fused. At its core, it’s all about using exceptional raw ingredients from Japan and combining them with the bold flavors of Italy. Terra Tokyo Italian is a restaurant worth visiting to experience the marriage of these two culinary traditions.

Disclosure: This was a media invite. Opinions expressed are those of our own.

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