Manjare

Located smack in the middle of the financial district at MBFC, @liberty.singapore probably sees throngs of office workers on weekdays, but when we were there on Sunday, it was naturally rather quiet. I didn't expect much to be honest as the restaurant looked like your generic CBD F&B establishment, but the food was very solid.
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A standout here was the prawn tagliatelle, which came permeated in a spicy and very umami sambal lobster bisque. The duo of tiger prawns were magnificently meaty and sweet, and just charred at the edges for that inviting smokiness.

There was a palpable sense of excitement when this viridescent beauty arrived at our table. Cenzo's spiritual predecessor Salted & Hung served some of the most exemplary risotto I've had the pleasure to partake in, and this is no different. The creamy arborio rice is a perfect backdrop for the umami-rich seaweed, adding a satisfyingly chewy texture and a touch of the ocean. The mushrooms, with their meaty and slightly nutty taste, perfectly complement the seaweed as well as pine nuts and add an earthy depth to the dish. The charred fungi lent a seductive smokiness to the dish that elevated it for me to the realms of something truly memorable.
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Taste: 4/5

Porchetta, with its succulent slow-roasted pork belly and crispy crackling, is a dish that has long been a staple of Italian cuisine. But this porchetta, seasoned with an Italian spice and herb marinade, takes the humble dish to new heights of flavor and complexity.
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The marinade infuses the pork with a depth of flavor that is both bold and nuanced. The herbs add a bright quality, resulting in a porchetta that is as much about the seasoning as it is about the meat, a harmonious balance of flavors that elevates the dish to something truly special.
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The porchetta itself is beautifully slow-roasted for three hours, with a tender, juicy interior and a crisp, golden-brown exterior. The crackling, the prized topping of any porchetta, is especially noteworthy here, shatteringly crisp and offering a satisfying crunch in every bite.
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In the end, this porchetta is a testament to the power of simple, high-quality ingredients and the transformative effect that a well-crafted marinade can have on a dish. It's served with a homemade pineapple chilli jam and fresh celeriac slaw as acidic counterpoints to the gloriously meaty main.
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Taste: 3/5

This aggressively seafood-forward dish may not be everyone’s plate of pasta, but more than ingratiated itself with my tastebuds. The chewy ropes of bucatini were the perfect seafaring vessel for shipping the luxuriously fishy crab sauce to my gaping porthole, pleasantly interspersed with pops of briny trout roe.
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Taste: 3.5/5

Ridiculously intense chocolate gelato sat on a bed of hazelnut and chocolate biscuit crumble. The interplay of cold creaminess and gravelly crunch works, but this is a decidedly familiar combination of flavours and textures I’ve had at many restaurants, and I’d pick something more novel over this.
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Taste: 3.5/5

A steal for this price and quality, each cannoli is fabulously flaky and crunchy, piped full of chilled and creamy yuzu ricotta fillling and capped at both ends with a fragrant pistachio crumb. If you only have room for one dessert, this would be the one.
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Taste: 4/5

Having never tried the iconic pastrami sandwich at Salted & Hung, I had to give this updated version a go, and it did not disappoint. Layers of subtly smoky, salty beef, crunchy slaw and unctuous aioli are smooshed between slices of white toast for a satisfyingly rich sarnie that brought home the flava.
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Taste: 4/5

The brininess of the anchovies is perfectly balanced by the savory richness of the olive oil, which seeps into the lightly toasted bread that’s slathered in creamy confit garlic and aioli, creating a delightful symphony of textures in the mouth.
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It’s a dish best enjoyed in its simplicity, allowing the anchovies to take center stage. The anchovies on toast transforms into an elegantly understated dish that showcases the beauty of the product.
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Taste: 3/5

The "it" restaurant in the Eastside right now, @forma.sg is the highly anticipated collaboration between the Cicheti Group and pasta prodigy Yum Hwa of the renowned Ben Fatto. With all their pastas freshly made in-house and paired with exceptional produce, you can expect the epitome of quality on each plate.
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The playbook here is as it was at Ben Fatto is less is more - a few select ingredients that complement the pasta, accentuating, complementing and allowing the star of the dish to shine. Case in point, this exuberant Linguine al Limone inspired by the fresh and zesty cuisine of southern Italy, which sees a bright, tart sauce crafted from Amalfi lemons and Provolone del Monaco DOP clinging onto very toothsome bronze-extruded strands of linguine. An excellent summertime pasta to kick off our pasta extravaganza of a lunch.
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Taste: 3.5/5

Each delicately brittle shell is piped full of creamy stracciatella gelato, with each end of the cannoli garnished with either Sicilian pitachios or candied orange peel. It is the perfect sweet treat to end a great meal here.
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Taste: 5/5

Pay heed not just to the pastas at @forma.sg, but also their rock solid mains. The Merluzzo alla Scafata features pristinely pan-seared blue cod, its succulent alabaster flesh cooked with expert precision. What's even more impressive is the crispy scales - yes, scales - that crackle and crunch with satisfying crispines with each bite. If fish is the blade sharp with flavour, then the cucielo vermouth butter sauce is its sheath, enveloping it along with fava beans, English peas and cipollini onions with a sweet, rich and velvety cloak of deliciousness.
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Taste: 4/5

Ribbons of hand-rolled pappardelle are coated in an ultra-savoury oxtail ragu of tomato, pecorino romano DOP and red wine to create a hearty and satisfying plate of pasta filled with familiar and comforting flavours, that are sure to put a smile on anyone's face.
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Taste: 3.5/5