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FOOD & WINE
Taste: A Taste of Summer
by Anton D. Javier
04 Jul 2023
04 Jul 2023
The heat is on this season so make your way to a new seaside restaurant for hearty Italian fare, head 70 storeys up to enjoy a refreshed menu with an unbeatable view, or dive straight into a tasting menu that celebrates the complex flavor of lamb.
- FICO
- SKAI
- RESTAURANT GAIG
A quiet corner of East Coast Park is slowly buzzing with life with the recent opening of Fico, an Italian restaurant that prides itself with a straightforward yet impressive menu that highlights simplicity and seasonality, anchored by friendly, no-frills hospitality. At the heart of it all is Chef Mirko Febbrile, who opens the door to a momentary Italian seaside escapade. Here, he offers you a seat at his table, making you feel right at home as you enjoy delicious food, drinks, and the homey atmosphere.
The beauty of Fico is that diners immediately feel at ease. Come as you are and eat as you please, whether it’s enjoying a selection of starters and dessert by yourself or feasting on plates of pasta and a seasonal seafood platter with family and friends. A great way to start is by ordering the crisp and airy Foccacina, which is the perfect vessel for cheeses, Tropea onions, and sweet San Marzano tomatoes. A simple yet tasty selection of small plates are great for grazing, so opt for 24-month aged Prosciuttio from Puglia, Fritto Misto, and Charred Red Peppers topped with Cantabrico anchovies. More filling options come in the form of fresh pastas like the Orecchiette, Burnt Wheat Balanzoni, and a personal favorite, the Denti Del Drago with White Ragu. For an impressive finish, go for the Beef Costata – a 1-1.2kg grass-fed bone-in ribeye that’s best enjoyed with vegetable sides like beefsteak tomatoes, shaved fennel, and lettuce with aged coppa and almonds.
Visit Fico at 1300 East Coast Parkway, East Coast Park Area F, Tel: 8121 7208
- FICO
- SKAI
- RESTAURANT GAIG
SKAI
SKAI, the contemporary restaurant and grill located on the 70th floor of Swissôtel The Stamford, presents a new menu that has been taken to greater heights thanks to the addition of Executive Chef Seumas Smith to the team. Smith is no stranger to the Singapore dining scene and has made a name for himself while working at the kitchens of crowd-favorites like Esquina, Moosehead, and Maggie Joan’s.
Smith’s expertise in handling ingredients and infusing them with charred, smoky flavors is one of his signatures, thanks to his previous stints. Today, he recreates and reintroduces these flavors by using binchotan grills, the Josper oven, and a charcoal wok. Highlights from the new a la carte menu include the Hokkaido Scallop, which is lightly seared for texture, color, and flavor, and is served with an umami-rich miso beurre blanc. The BBQ Brittany Blue Lobster is an indulgent dish not to be missed, where lobster tails and claws are brushed with brown butter and slow cooked over binchotan charcoal, which coaxes the natural sweetness while adding a pleasant bite to the delicate lobster flesh. Premium cuts of beef, such as Wagyu Prime Rib, Saga Wagyu A5, Miyazaki Wagyu New York Strip, and more, are also great examples of Smith’s expert handling of the flame, which perfectly pair with a variety of homemade sauces and crispy triple-cooked chips. For those who’ve sampled Smith’s cooking before, you’ll probably find the BBQ Cauliflower familiar, harking back to his time at Moosehead – served alongside confit Japanese leeks, garlic-infused miso sauce, and Japanese spring onions.
Visit SKAI at Level 70, Swissôtel The Stamford, Tel: 6431 6156
- FICO
- SKAI
- RESTAURANT GAIG
RESTAURANT GAIG
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Experience a Catalan summer at Restaurant Gaig where a new Chef’s Menu, created by Executive Chef Marti Carlos Martinez, celebrates Spain’s rich culinary traditions and produce, headlined by one of the region’s staple meats – lamb. This menu, which is available for the rest of the year, embraces nose-to-tail heritage recipes, bound to further enchant lovers of lamb and win over those who might think the protein is a little too gamey. Trust us, you won’t find that polarizing flavor profile here.
The journey starts with a trio of canapes, where small bites are infused with a heavy dose of flavors inspired by classic Catalan snacks. Pay close attention as you enjoy the third canape, the Surf and Turf Taco, which is where you’ll find your first taste of lamb. Here, a lesser-known cut called Ossobuco is shredded, braised, and stuffed into a small, delicate taco making for the perfect bite. Enjoy the creaminess and gentle flavor of lamb sweetbreads in the Glazed Sweetbreads and Artichoke which sits atop a creamy parsnip purée, and is then followed by the Lamb Rack with Idiazábal Cheese Sauce. The artfully plated dish features a tender lamb rack brushed with a thin layer of mustard and crusted with breadcrumbs and finely chopped herbs like parsley and thyme. It is finished with a drizzling of Idiazabal cheese sauce, where the subtle tang of the traditional farmhouse hard cheese perfectly contrasts with the meat’s delicate flavor. To finish, Martinez manages to capture summer sunshine in a plate with the aptly named Orange Dessert – orange in several variations like sorbet, pearls, and candied bits are served with mandarin carrot sorbet, carrot sabayon, and egg yolk ice cream.
Visit Restaurant Gaig at 16 Stanley Street, Tel: 9771 2675/6221 2134
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