Cenzo pasta

Cenzo – new foray from former Salted & Hung chef.

Cenzo is the new restaurant from chef Drew Nocente, formerly of the awesome nose-to-tail dining outfit, Salted & Hung which shuttered its doors a few months ago. Mixing his Aussie-Italian heritage into the dishes, expect the modern inflections of Aussie cooking with the classic and produce-driven focus of Italian food. My school friends and I […]

Caffe Cicheti Iberico Pork Featured

Caffe Cicheti – Cruisin’ the Coasts of Italy

The Cicheti name is not new. The first restaurant holding this moniker is still going strong at Kandahar Street (Arab St / Kampong Glam area). The newer Bar Cicheti at Jiak Chuan Road was the one that helped me realise they meant serious business. I mean, a sommelier who has perfected the art of funky […]

Bar Cicheti_Hokkaido Scallops Bucatini pasta

Bar Cicheti for a Pasta Fiesta!

If the thought of stuffing your face with copious amounts of pasta doesn’t intimidate you, then Bar Cicheti is for you. I’m not a fan of pizza so I’ve yet to visit the “original” venue of Cicheti at Kandahar Street which prides itself on its wood-fired pizzas. Lust after pasta, however, that I do. So […]

Braci Pasta 2

Braci – Cosy, Charming Italian at Boat Quay

Stepping into Braci, you forget the din and the touts that occupy its locale – Boat Quay. An elevator opens up to the 2nd floor shophouse unit, and you’re immediately greeted warmly by the manager and possibly, chef-owner Beppe de Vito himself. Beppe, the self-taught chef and restaurateur of the Il Lido Group that also […]

Luka Iwate Beef 3

Luka – My new go-to for Japanese Italian!

Luka’s website says “It’s going to be awesome” and… it was! It’s not often these days that I walk out of a restaurant being completely satisfied with the food and the price tag. The prices at Luka are so reasonable, I’m hoping they continue to maintain that even as they persist with the fabulous quality […]

Aura Chocolate dessert

Weekend Brunch at Aura – National Gallery Singapore

{Update: 10 August 2017} It has been over a year since I visited Aura for its Sunday Brunch, and happy to say, it was as good as ever! They’ve still maintained the $48 set price, and the portions remain generous. Still meant to be served as a “family-style” Italian brunch, you get a variety of […]

Strong Flour lemon tart

{CLOSED} Strong Flour – fresh handmade pasta with gluten-free options

Gluten-free pasta lovers rejoice! Is the statement I wanted to start the article with. But as I have not tried Strong Flour’s range of handmade gluten-free pastas, I can’t comment on that. I can say however, that the regular pastas at Strong Flour are well-made. No chemicals or preservatives, just strong flour, the pastas are […]

Cibo Italiano Burrata

Molto casual Italiano at Cibo Italiano

Cibo Italiano is the offspring of a neighbourhood Italian grocery store and diner. No frills here, the compact space sees stacks of Italian beers and wines for sale, in addition to Italian imports like cheeses, cold cuts, oils and pastas. An antipasti bar and the high tables spilling out onto the pavement are signs that meals […]

Eggplant Parmigiana on table

Eggplant Parmigiana – best lo-carb cheat dish ever!

This is my ultimate lo-carb, cheat dish. Just eggplants, tomatoes and copious amounts of cheese and you get a dish so decadent, you forget it’s a lo-carb dish after all. If you’re really particular, just omit the breadcrumbs to make it even more lo-carb! Try not to omit the wine though, it really adds a […]

Terra Scallops

Terra – Tokyo Italian, Set Lunch Review

Terra – Tokyo Italian cuisine at Tras Street. My good friend, Howard Lo, was the first to introduce me to Japanese Italian fare 10 years back, and no, I wasn’t a fan. Consisting mostly of pastas with dubious sauces, I seriously doubted my buddy’s taste. But I’ll eat my words as Howard is the owner […]