The Place Another new exciting concept has opened at Gemmill Lane after La Vache!, where I checked out Il Toro Woodfire Grill by AC Concepts, touted as a modern Italian woodfire grill with a distinct Australian soul helmed by Chef Drew Nocente. This is also the same group behind restaurants like Cenzo, Chicco Pasta Bar and Nomada. The name Il Toro (“The Bull” in Italian) is inspired by Chef Drew’s family farm in Australia. 

Il Toro’s interiors take on a warm and intimate setting denominated by dark wood panels, exposed brick walls, textured concrete finishes, leather seating, and preserved original columns. 

It is an open kitchen concept with a very sexy stove for grilling made from Australian ironbark wood. There is also a private dining room for up to 8 guests. 

The Food The concept here is cooking over flame where 90% of the cooking is done over the woodfire grill. 

The menu is designed around a series of starters and the meats where you can expect prime cuts of beef to seafood and sides. You can choose to do ala carte orders or opt for the Chefs Feast (S$118) which features a selection of dishes & cuts. 

The beverage program complements the fire-led menu with cocktails built around rum, whisky, and gin, while the wine list highlights low-intervention producers from Italy and Australia. 

My meal started with the Focaccia, beef fat candle (S$8) which is not a typical bread course as it comes with a burning candle. Dip the fresh and crisp focaccia into the melted beef fat and it is amazing. 

I also like the Coffin Bay Oysters with yuzu koshu & smoked beef fat (S$6/piece), a delicious and fresh flavour of the oysters here. 

The Chickpea chips with herb emulsion & ikura (S$5/piece) is an interesting starter inspired from Chef’s Salted and Hung days. I am not a big fan of chickpea so I am quite neutral about this dish. 

Next up was the Octopus, Nduja, burnt chive butter & miso corn (S$36), which I highly recommend. Lovely texture of the octopus here along with the Nduja sauce, and needless to say, I enjoyed the burnt corns. 

I also highly recommend the Tiger Prawns, garlic chilli (S$32/4pcs) where the garlic chilli sauce really complements it well.

For a lighter starter, I also tried the Tuna, beef fat, fermented daikon (S$28) where the tuna is sliced thinly, akin to a carpaccio.

From the charcoal grilled meats, no regrets going for the Stone Axe Wagyu MS9 Ribeye 300g (S$120) where the glorious beef was beautifully cooked to medium-rare.

This is a good balance of flavours as it is not overly rich and fatty, yet very flavourful.

There are also a couple of sides to add on if you wish to complement the beef such as mushrooms, cabbage or baby potatoes.

I had the Organic mushrooms, black garlic & burnt maple (S$12) which was a tad too rich in taste while I had it along with the beef.

For desserts, there are just a few options, and I settled for the Peanut Butter Cookie & Chocolate Ice Cream (S$16) the moment I spotted it on the menu. 

Served on a hot iron pan, the warm peanut butter cookie combination with the chocolate ice cream works wonders. I ended up polishing almost everything myself.

Rants Some dishes could come across as overly rich, like the organic mushrooms I had.

Will I Return Again? The flavours are robust at Il Toro, and it is a cosy space in the CBD for a nice post work dinner. The menu is designed such that it is great for couples or small groups, and if you like your dishes cooked over woodfire, this is definitely one new spot to check out.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5  

Il Toro Woodfire Grill 
18 Gemmill Lane 
Singapore 069255 
Tel: +65 82591021  

Opening Hours 
Tuesday to Saturday: 12pm to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm 
Closed on Monday & Sunday 

Ranted by The Ranter