Back to basics: New restaurants to try in Singapore this June 2022

This June, we bring a refreshed roundup of eats to help you navigate through the half-year mark – at least when it comes to all things epicurean. Expect flavours reminiscent of homely conviviality, techniques that pre-date modern machinery, and elevated basics served in large, sharing portions – all to feed the ordinary soul.

California Republic

Hop on the bandwagon, and buckle up for a trip to Californian livin’ in the summer of the 1960’s. This apt time capsule serves a menu of Californian Italian, in which everything is kneaded and rolled lovingly by the hands of in-house artisans. Diners can tuck into Italian favourites like the Celery Root Cappellacci, Lazy Man’s Cioppino and Smoked Garganelli. Another highlight on the menu is the West Coast Garlic Mops, where dough is bathed in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, Grana Padano and oregano – before being served hot and fresh in a cast iron skillet. At the bar, guests can order glasses of full-proof, half-proof or zero-proof drinks for an all-inclusive boozy meal.

California Republic is at 8 Amoy Street, Singapore 069907. Tel: 9784 9487

Forma

Now open in the quaint Joo Chiat estate is Forma, a love letter to Italy by Singapore’s finest flour-dusted hands. The Cicheti Group’s latest Italian concept is a pasta-focussed programme co-led by Singapore’s leading pasta artisan, Lee Yum Hwa of BenFatto95. Expect a menu of traditional specialities that refreshes every quarter, with the current selection featuring Linguine al Limone (trio of linguine, Amalfi lemons, and Provolone del Monaco DOP cheese) and Pappardelle e Coda alla Vaccinara (braised oxtail ragu pappardelle). The upscale trattoria is also fronted by a glass-enclosed pasta production kitchen where you can witness pasta makers preparing the likes of our favourite carbs from scratch daily.

Forma is at 128 Tembeling Road, Singapore 423638. Tel: 6513 2286‬

Kaarla

CapitaSpring has been buzzing since its opening, and the dining hotbed has just added another highly raved restaurant to its bag. Kaarla – or “where the home fires burn” – is a contemporary restaurant and bar that spotlights coastal Australian cuisine. Here, executive chef John-Paul Fiechtner serves up a table of seasonal produce that don’t just make use of native ingredients favoured by the aborigines but also rich pickings harvested from the Food Forest in the restaurant’s backyard. The nosh is kissed by fire in the restaurant’s centrepiece: a fuel-saving, wood-fired oven custom-built by Australian stone mason Samuel Fraraccio. Standouts include the Aged King Island Beef, Murray Cod, Salt Cured Kangaroo and Condiments, and of course, the city’s stunning backdrop as you feast on your food.

Kaarla is at #51-01 CapitaSpring, 88 Market Street, Singapore 048948. Tel: 8518 3763

Lumbre

From its warm, welcoming interiors to the menu of familiar Spanish specialities, everything about Lumbre makes you feel like you are eating food right en la casa (meaning “in the home” in Spanish). Drop by for small plates and grilled dishes cooked over an open wood-fired grill, which lends smoke and char to each bite. Go for the Seafood Wet Fideua “Arroz Caldoso”, which sees calamari and smoked eel simmered in a tomato-pepper stock before being served atop noodles in a casserole. Rounding up the meal are sweet-enders, such as Caramelised French Toast and Pineapple with Catalan Cream.

Lumbre is at #01-20 Chijmes, 30 Victoria St, Singapore 187996. Tel: 9722 8171

Table 33

If you’re looking for a sake bar to call port at this weekend, make Table 33 the one to visit. The sake-focussed bar extension of Ishinomaki Grill & Sake, Table 33 serves a carefully curated sake menu of more than 180 labels from all 47 prefectures in Japan. It’s clear coming here means taking your rice-based elixir seriously, especially as you sip – or down – the artisanal bottles handpicked by sake sommeliers. If that’s not enough for you to start reliving the izakaya conviviality, the bar snack menu has Hokkaido salmon jerky and braised gyutan for you to savour the full experience.

Table 33 is at #B1-11 Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road, Singapore 238871. Tel: 6737 1065