There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a chef cook with absolute conviction. When Bottega di Carna x Fortuna Singapore announced their one-night-only Roman Easter collaboration on April 19th, savvy diners immediately recognized it as more than just another fleeting pop-up. This is culinary storytelling at its most authentic—two distinctly different Italian dialects speaking in perfect unison for a single evening.
The Roman Holiday You Didn’t Book (But Should)
Let’s be honest—Easter dining specials often navigate predictable territory: spring vegetables, symbolic eggs, and the traditional paschal lamb. This collaboration, however, veers deliciously off-script. It’s a six-course Roman Easter celebration that feels like discovering a treasured family recipe book—if that family happened to be uncompromising culinary purists with a flair for the theatrical.
The genius lies in the concept: identical menus served simultaneously across two venues. Bottega di Carna, nestled within the stylish confines of Mondrian Singapore Duxton, brings its Tuscan butchery traditions to the table, while Fortuna Singapore counters with the bold, sun-drenched vernacular of Southern Italy. It’s culinary parallel play at its finest—same ingredients, entirely different atmospheres.
Community on the Menu
What makes this collaboration particularly intriguing is its connection to something larger than just a one-off dining experience. The event is woven into Mondrian Singapore Duxton’s “Duxton Picks” programme—a thoughtful initiative designed to support the local community and foster genuine connections within the neighborhood.
In an era where “community engagement” often feels like an empty marketing phrase, this dinner represents something refreshingly tangible: creating meaningful shared experiences that actually engage with local culture. The neighborhood becomes part of the narrative, not just a backdrop for another exclusive event.
A Menu That Refuses to Apologize
This isn’t timid, tourist-friendly Italian. The menu reads like a culinary declaration wrapped in Roman tradition. Trippa alla Romana—honeycomb tripe slow-cooked until it surrenders completely to San Marzano tomatoes and pecorino—stands as a testament to authentic Italian cooking that embraces rather than disguises offal. It’s the kind of dish that separates casual diners from the true believers.
Then there’s the tableside theater of Cacio e Pepe served from a cheese wheel—a deceptively simple preparation that only the supremely confident would feature on a special menu. Three ingredients (pasta, cheese, and pepper) that will absolutely expose any kitchen’s technical weaknesses. No place to hide, no fancy foams to distract you.
Bottega di Carna’s Steak Tartare arrives accessorized with Pecorino White Caviar—a combination that could easily veer into confused fusion territory but instead reads like a natural evolution of Italy’s obsession with impeccable ingredients minimally manipulated.
Beyond the “Chef Collab” Marketing Machine
What’s refreshing about this particular partnership is what it isn’t: there’s no breathless PR language about “elevating” traditions or “reimagining” classics. Instead, Executive Chef Kenny Huang of Mondrian Singapore Duxton and Fortuna’s Head Chef Egon Marzaioli are simply saying: here’s a deeply authentic Roman Easter meal, executed with precision, served in two different contexts.
The $98++ price point feels almost reasonable in Singapore’s increasingly stratospheric culinary scene—especially considering that diners are essentially buying tickets to a carefully orchestrated cultural immersion rather than just dinner.
The Verdict: Worth the Saturday Sacrifice
In a city drowning in competing restaurant concepts, the collaboration of Bottega di Carna x Fortuna Singapore cuts through the noise precisely because it isn’t shouting. It’s simply doing something interesting: creating a shared experience across physical space, allowing guests to participate in a larger conversation about regionality, tradition, and the evolving Singapore food scene.
Anyone serious about food should consider elbowing their way to a reservation. Whether selecting the sleek, design-forward surroundings of Bottega di Carna at Mondrian Singapore Duxton or Fortuna’s warmer Southern Italian embrace, this is exactly the kind of thoughtful culinary dialogue worth supporting—and more importantly, worth tasting.
The real question isn’t whether to go, but which venue will execute that Bird Nest dessert (dark chocolate mousse, mascarpone espuma, carrot sponge) with more flourish. There’s only one way to find out—unless you’re clever enough to convince a friend to book the other restaurant and compare notes over late-night drinks. That’s what one might call strategic dining.
For those who understand that the best meals aren’t just ordered but orchestrated, this Roman Easter experience promises to deliver something increasingly rare: a dining event with substance beyond spectacle, where tradition and community converge on the plate. When chefs decide to take the wheel like this, the only sensible response is to sit back and enjoy the ride.