I thought long and hard about writing this review. I wasn't going to because I usually enjoy writing only for two types of restaurants:
1. Lousy ones that I hope to play a part in getting rid of.
2. Good ones because I want to maybe help bring them more business.

Now...Buko Nero.

I finally made a concerted effort about one month back to get a reservation, asking them about every day of June and agreeing to an early dinner at 6.30pm (they have two sittings, 6.30pm and 9pm). I told Tracy that I would get gastric and faint by 9pm!

I didn't want to write this review at first because I was not inspired by the place, but I think it's not through any fault of theirs. I thought the food was competently done and that the pasta dishes were very very well executed. It's just that I really just do prefer my Italian food to be tradtional....you know, cucina typica or cucina della mama. Buko Nero's food had more of an Asian / fusion / french feel. We both had the set and changed our pasta dishes.

I only decided to write this after reading the other reviews on HGW. I did not think that the service was pretentious, lacking, rude or absent. Yeah, so it's difficult to get a reservation. But you know, that's Buko Nero's right. What to do? They are popular.

Tracy was pleasant throughout, kept our water glasses filled (and was ok bringing me warm water the whole night in a little pot). She also remembered me saying at the beginning that I was under the weather and wished me well as we were leaving. The food came in a steady, well timed manner. What exactly was pretentious?? Pretentious is Garibaldi, where the waiters dress to the nines and the restaurant projects an upmarket ambience but the waiters constantly make faux pas like leaning over you to get to your friend on the left, or handing you a knife with the sharp side pointing at you.

Tracy certainly was not as warm to me as to her regular clients. But it's ok. We don't know each other, don't need to hug and kiss and make conversation with each other throughout the night. I was there to make conversation with my husband.

So all in all, would I return? Yes if I were hankering for italian food with a twist.