Reigning Glory — The 2.0 of Four Local Restaurants - Men's Folio
Lifestyle, Wine & Dine

Reigning Glory — The 2.0 of Four Local Restaurants

  • By Bryan Goh

The journey of a restaurant is akin to a Tinder session – an establishment (or potential suitor) captures your attention, but once the novelty wears out, it is a ruthless swipe to the left. Hence, when one rediscovers a gem that is sparkling brighter now and defied the odds to stay in operation, it is time to sit up and take a closer look. Here are four overhauls or outposts worthy of many returns.

Pictured Above: Fat Prince
The fattest kid on Peck Seah Street got fatter because it now accommodates 90 guests and boasts a new gut-filling menu. Well-loved items like house-baked breads, mezze (middle eastern tapas), and pit-roasted appetisers are still available alongside new mains like the Adana Kebab Tartare (hand-cut Australian wagyu beef, red pepper, curried egg yolk, and chilli lavosh) and lamb shoulder slow-cooked in an earth oven after being marinated with spiced molasses, sumac and chilli.

Tipplers can also rejoice because Fat Prince’s signature Negroni Blanc (a transparent version of the classic cocktail) is still on the menu.


Baker & Cook

Baker and Cook’s latest joint at Loewen Road is not just an eye-catching glasshouse; it is also the new carb central. An amalgamation of Baker & Cook and Plank Sourdough Pizza, the homegrown heroes’ new outlet has a fresh menu to complement the offerings from both establishments.

The former is represented by a 12m elevated deli and bakery counter that serves tangy and chewy sourdough bread made from 100 per cent natural wild yeast and whole wheat berries, while the latter presents handmade pizza with the standout being the 9 – a classical pizza topped with pineapple cream sauce, pepperoni, pineapple, blue cheese, mozzarella, chilli flakes, rosemary, and basil.


Prego

A meal at the new Prego will result in an exponentially expanded waistline and ideas on how to renovate one’s house. The newer and sleeker-looking restaurant is big on brick walls, mosaic tiles, and natural wood, but it gets even bigger with its overhauled menu – Anguilla Affumicata is a plate of smoked eel paired with golden beets, Italian leaves, and horseradish, while Capelli d’angelo’ all’astice is angel hair spaghetti topped with Maine lobster, San Marzano tomatoes, parsley, and chilli.

For those looking to get into the heart of the action, the central 18-seater Island Bar is where one goes to imbibe in an array of Italian wines or cocktails.


La Soffitta

 

The owners of Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse are aware that the glory of being the first steakhouse to offer Bistecca alla Fiorentina (a specific cut on an Australian cattle) is hard to supplant. To up the ante, they have launched La Soffitta (loft in Italian) – a private dining restaurant above Bistecca that is reminiscent of a medieval dining hall.

The exclusive 30-seater boasts a menu that offers an even tighter curation ­– the antipasti section has classics like Pappardelle (beef and tomato ragu, red wine, and fiore sado) and the main course selection features traditional dishes like Maiale (bone-in Iberico pork chop, lentils, mortadella, and fried parsley). Vegetarian options include risotto made with wild garlic, asparagus, mascarpone, and sourdough crumbs.