On my birthday this year, I was blessed to be treated by my close friends to a lunch at Fico, one of the restaurants that has been very high on my list of places to try in Singapore.
Admittedly, the obscure location along East Coast Park was one of the hardest to get to – with public transport, I took 3 buses and walked about 15mins thereafter. However, the sunny clear weather and views of the beach from the masseria-inspired beachfront restaurant made up for it.
My friend (thanks Emily!) made the reservation about 2 months in advance since this was a highly sought after venue and I chose the al fresco section for the vibes. Later I found out that the cheese wheel (for cacio e pepe) and dessert trolley could only be experienced if you dine indoors, so that was a real bummer for me.
Unanimously, we picked the San Marzano Tomatoes ($23) to be one of our favorites of the meal. It was a type of Focaccina offered in the menu – an 8” focaccia-based pizza made with 80% semola dough. The dough was light and airy and topped with creamy bufala mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and EVOO.
I could not skip burrata whenever I see it on a menu, so we got the Burrata Di Puglia ($22) served on a bed of escarole, pine nuts and olives.
Amongst the 4 fresh pastas we had – Denti Del Drago ($27), Tagliolini ($38), Linguine ($32), Cacio e Pepe ($26, min order of 2) – the Denti Del Drago was the most memorable. It came in an unexpected shade of green, and I later found out that the pasta was naturally coloured with spinach! It was served tossed with white ragu and a generous portion of ricotta cheese which I loved.
Thankfully, the staff allowed us to enter the indoors section and admire the mixing, tossing, and serving of Cacio e Pepe from the pecorino wheel. Would recommend it if you are a fan of cacio e pepe.
There were few mains on the menu, from which we picked the Charcoal Grilled Octopus ($36) and Pork Loin ($43). My pick would be the Octopus which I felt was tender and more flavourful than its red meat counterpart.
The desserts (choice of 2 for $15, for every third dessert +$7) also came in very small portions (I could probably have 2-3 entire items on my own), so I would propose to try every item if you go in a big group.
We had the Burrata Gelato, Souffle Tart, Cannoli and Zeppole (Italian donut).
The interesting pick was the Burrata Gelato which had an acquired taste as the gelato was savoury with a slight sweetness and tartness from the strawberry and tomato jam. It was a yes for me.
Meanwhile, the Souffle Tart would be the safest bet as what could go wrong with a 70% dark chocolate tart with sea salt right?
The Cannoli was also good, with a crisp and light shell balanced with the substantial ricotta and pistachio filling.
We were the last group to leave the restaurant at the end of lunch service and had the luxury to roam about for photos. Kudos to one of the staff who voluntarily helped us with many photos, even directing the backdrop and poses!
Even though I’ve heard mixed reviews, I honestly had a good experience with the ambiance, quality of food and service. However, beware that the price point was high for very small portions so I would save the experience for a special occasion. Make your reservation early.
1300 East Coast Parkway, Carpark F2, Singapore 468964
Mon to Wed 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Thu to Fri 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Sat to Sun 11.30am – 10.30pm
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 