Having first visited CAPASSO last year, I was curious to see how the restaurant had evolved under Chef Sunny. Manager Ross recently alerted me to their newly launched dinner tasting menu, priced at just $88++ per person. In today's dining scene where tasting menus often cross the three figure mark with ease, this felt like a rather compelling proposition.

Dinner started with freshly baked rye and pumpkin seed sourdough paired with smoked nori butter. The bread arrived warm with a lovely crust and chew, while the pumpkin seeds added an extra layer of texture and nuttiness that made each bite more interesting. Paired with the savoury smoked nori butter, it was a simple but satisfying start to the meal.

The amuse bouche of heirloom cherry tomatoes, raspberry coulis and Earl Grey jelly was visually attractive, though it did not leave quite the same impression as the courses that followed. Refreshing enough, but the flavours felt a little restrained and lacked the impact needed to properly kickstart the menu.

The tuna carpaccio was attractively presented and paired with avocado cream, herb salad and bottarga. While the flavours worked well together, the cut of tuna used was not quite my personal preference for a raw fish dish. Hamachi or salmon would have elevated the experience further, though I recognise that ingredient selection must be balanced against the very approachable price point of the tasting menu.

One of the highlights of the evening was the capellini with Carabinero red prawns and caviar. The sweetness of the prawns, the briny pop of the caviar and the delicate capellini created a flavour combination that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, I was less convinced by the addition of the kombu consommé. While it was intended to bring the elements together, I felt it actually diluted some of the flavours instead. Personally, I would have preferred a light sauce coating the thin strands of pasta rather than a broth, allowing the sweetness of the prawns and the savoury notes of the caviar to come through with greater intensity. Even so, it remained one of the more memorable courses of the evening.

For the mains, we sampled both the grilled black cod and the USDA Prime striploin tagliata. The black cod was moist and flaky, complemented by a saffron caper cream that added richness without overwhelming the fish. The striploin was cooked to a beautiful medium rare and served with truffle mashed potato and Marsala wine sauce. There was nothing particularly revolutionary about the dish, but it was confident, comforting and well executed.

Dessert arrived in the form of pistachio tiramisu. Generous with Sicilian pistachios and nicely balanced in sweetness, it provided a satisfying finish without feeling overly rich or heavy.

What impressed me most about this menu was not any individual dish but the overall thoughtfulness behind it. Chef Sunny's experience is evident throughout the meal. While grounded in Italian cooking, the menu draws inspiration from Japanese and Mediterranean influences to create something contemporary and approachable. Not every course was a home run, but there was a clear sense of direction and purpose behind the curation.

Wine lovers will be pleased to know that CAPASSO also offers corkage free BYO on selected evenings. In a city where corkage charges can sometimes rival the cost of a decent bottle, this alone makes the restaurant worth considering for a gathering with fellow wine enthusiasts.

The ingredients may not be the most luxurious, but at $88++ per person, this tasting menu delivers considerably more than one might expect. CAPASSO may not be chasing Michelin stars, but it is quietly building something equally valuable.

 

CAPASSO
46 Kim Yam Road
New Bahru #01-11
Singapore 239351

There are meals you enjoy, and there are meals you remember years later. Odette has always belonged to the second category for us.

It had been quite some time since our last visit to Odette. Not the sort of restaurant we casually walk into on a random evening. This dinner was different. The Cloues hosted us for an intimate evening at the newly renovated restaurant to celebrate Shirley's birthday. No big crowd, no loud celebration. Just good friends, beautiful food and elegant wines.

The experience started even before the official menu began. Endless grignotages kept arriving one after another. Tiny bites, but each executed with ridiculous precision. By the time the actual 7 course menu started, we were already smiling at each other wondering how much more was still coming.

The Hokkaido Botan Ebi with bafun uni and caviar was pure indulgence. The scallop crudo felt almost weightless, delicate and clean with cucumber and calamansi.

Service at this level is often what separates a great restaurant from a truly world class one. Sommelier Lesley gave us a relaxed little tour through their champagnes straight from the ice buckets, letting each of us pick what we felt like drinking instead of pushing labels or prestige. It felt warm, personal and completely unpretentious.

We then moved to something unexpected. Project 933 Chardonnay, a limited production Japanese white wine crafted by Hong Kong sommelier Reeze Choi together with Hiroshima’s Vinoble Vineyard. Elegant, gentle and quietly confident. Very much like Odette itself.

Dinner continued with beautiful plates arriving almost like artwork. The langoustine “comme un dumpling” with vin jaune sauce was deeply comforting despite its refinement. The crispy scale amadai was technically stunning, but still soulful. Then came the signature Kampot pepper crusted pigeon.

At that point, we had the bottle of 2012 Château Lafite Rothschild that the host brought. One of those bottles that quietly changes the atmosphere of the table. Nobody rushed. Conversations slowed down. Glasses were lifted more carefully.

And somehow, even after dessert, Odette still was not done feeding us. The douceurs arrived with canelés, chocolates, fruits and little sweets, almost like the restaurant gently refusing to let the evening end.

Three Michelin stars are sometimes associated with formality and intimidation. But Odette reminds you that true luxury is often about warmth, grace and making people feel cared for.

A beautiful birthday dinner. Just four friends around a table, sharing great food, great wine and a slow evening none of us wanted to end.

 

 

Odette
1 St Andrew’s Road
#01-04 National Gallery
Singapore 178957

There are steakhouses that try very hard to impress you the moment you walk in. Loud music, dramatic interiors and menus filled with complicated descriptions. Origin Grill at Shangri-La Singapore takes a quieter approach. The space feels calm and understated, almost old school luxury hotel dining.

I was invited for a hosted dinner recently and honestly left more impressed than I expected.

The dining room itself feels a little dated compared to many newer grill concepts in Singapore today and could be made warmer and more inviting. Comfortable, yes, but perhaps not the most inviting or memorable visually. Still, once the food started arriving, the focus quickly shifted back to the kitchen.

Dinner began with their house breads. The sourdough had a lovely crust and chew. Served with 2 kinds of butter, it was unexpectedly addictive. A simple start, but one that already hinted the kitchen cared about details.

For appetisers, the Chicken Caesar Salad was surprisingly enjoyable. Crisp lettuce, nicely grilled corn fed chicken, crunchy guanciale chips and a well balanced dressing without being overly rich. Familiar flavours done properly.

The pan seared Rougié foie gras was rich and beautifully caramelised, balanced by the orange and Sauternes marmalade and aged balsamic. Decadent but not overwhelming.

The Sriracha Fried Prawns felt like the playful crowd pleaser of the menu. Crispy, creamy, spicy and leaning very much towards an Asian palate with the ikura, toasted sesame and lime giving it extra punch and balance, this is probably the dish that will resonate most with younger diners.

For mains, the Tender Valley flank steak was cooked properly with a good crust from the Josper grill while remaining juicy inside. Paired with hand cut steak fries and port wine jus, it was straightforward grilling with solid execution. The chicken and chorizo skewers were also enjoyable with nice smokiness from the grill and sweetness from the chilli lemon butter sauce.

Chef Simon Bell deserves credit here. Nothing felt overly complicated or gimmicky. Just quality ingredients handled with confidence and proper seasoning. Sometimes that is harder to achieve than flashy modern techniques.

Desserts ended dinner nicely. The Valrhona chocolate lava cake was comforting and indulgent, especially with the hazelnut gelato. The Strawberry Cheesecake “Rose Flower” looked elegant and almost too pretty to cut into, but thankfully tasted as good as it looked.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pricing. In today’s dining scene where steakhouse prices can easily spiral upwards, dishes like the Sriracha Fried Prawns at $19 and the 200g Flank Steak at $28 felt genuinely reasonable. Considering the quality of ingredients and execution, they offer very solid value for a hotel restaurant in Singapore.

One area I honestly felt could improve is the wine programme. I paid for my own wine that evening and while the list is decent enough, it lacked a little excitement and depth compared to the quality coming out from the kitchen. With food at this standard, there is definitely room for a stronger and more adventurous wine selection.

Overall, Origin Grill surprised me in a very positive way. It may not be the trendiest dining room in town, but Chef Simon Bell and his team are quietly doing very solid work here. Honest cooking, quality produce and consistently good execution. Sometimes that matters far more than fancy theatrics.

 

Origin Grill
Shangri-La Singapore
Lobby Level, Tower Wing
22 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258350

I had shared many times that Wing Seong Fatty’s has always been one of our family’s favourite Cantonese tze char places. Last night felt a little different though. We had just landed back from Greece after a two week holiday, tired and badly jet lagged, but somehow all of us still agreed on one thing. We wanted dinner here. No discussion needed.

The kids immediately started ordering all their usual favourites. Sweet and sour pork, roast duck, claypot pork liver, stir fried sprouts, homemade tofu and that homely wok fried beef with spring onions. Familiar dishes that have followed our family through so many gatherings and random weeknight dinners over the years.

What makes this place special is not just the food. It is the people behind it. The seven elderly siblings who have been running the restaurant for decades. You can feel the warmth the moment you walk in. Sadly, they are closing on 28 June as age catches up and the next generation is not keen to continue the business. One of the bosses, Keong, told me there are interested parties looking to take over, so perhaps there is still a small bit of hope.

Wing Seong Fatty’s story goes back even further than most people know. During World War 2, the siblings’ father used to bring food to Australian and British pilots who were prisoners of war under the Japanese occupation. After the war, many of them never forgot his kindness. Some later joined Qantas and British Airways, and they continued returning here to support the family business whenever they were in Singapore. Even last night, you could still spot quite a number of Aussies and Brits dining inside the restaurant. That says a lot.

Some restaurants feed your stomach. Some become part of your family’s memories. Wing Seong Fatty’s has quietly done both for us for many years. We are really going to miss this place.