Fortuna Terrazza - Hearty, Delicious Brunch

A hot new, bright, cheerful Italian Brunch restaurant, reminiscent of the sunny Amalfi coast in Italy, has come to town! It definitely piqued my interest, but what got me excited about this place is that this is the sister restaurant of Fortuna Trattoria, where one can find the best pizzas. And I know I got to come here soon after attending the Amalfi Party and getting a first look of the place that speaks of lemons, bright colours and sunny vibes.

I feel that I'm in a quaint lovely cafe in sunny part of Europe the moment I step into this place, due to the bright yellow walls, checkered yellow white tables, yellow white striped canopies, lemons and vines, serving plates with thick pastel strip patterns and walls of bougainvilleas at the outdoor area. With the idyllic music playing in the background, the vibe is is like no others in Singapore. It is unique and inviting.

And the food here is also unique, in a very good way, and inviting. The bunch items are loaded with lots of goodies, and Italian flair, made even better with Fortuna’s signature chilli oil and fermented dough. The result is a incredibly hearty, flavourful, satisfying meal. And lots of menu items here look so good and tempting. I’m so impressed with my Ocean Trout when it first served on my table, the look itself is enough to whet my appetite. Then I start to look around and realise the other menu items served up at other tables make me go, “I want to try that too.”

Best brunch? Yes, most probably.

Service here is very good and friendly, but very busy since the place is full house on a Saturday morning, with a queue forming outside. The crew here is very thoughtful to offer umbrellas to all patrons waiting, which is a lovely nice touch. And note that there is a limit of one hour dining period for each table during peak period, so best to look up the menu online before going and straightaway order when seated.

When Ocean Trout is served on a cute pink striped plate,   I immediately and silently go “Wow!” Because it features so many goodies like Limoncello cured Ocean Trout, Soft Poached Eggs, Smashed Avocado, Trout Roe, Watermelon Radish stacked on top of Fried & Baked Pizzetta drizzled with olive oil.

First bite of this immediately satisfies this craving for an awesome, hearty meal packed with lots of different robust yet balanced flavours. Everything in this dish works so well together to add that distinctive flair while complementing each other in harmony. The fluffy, slightly stretchy texture of the pizzetta is like that unique magic ingredient that this dish taste so special and so good.

The limoncello cured Ocean Trout, which is exceptionally briny sweet, also needs a special mention here.

Bellini looks too pretty that I know I have to get a glass of it. It is sweet with a hint of alcohol for the kick.

Pistachio Tart is super creamy and full of distinctive nutty goodness of pistachio. Best for sharing.

Thoughts: Best Brunch!

10 Craig Road

Amalfi Party at Fortuna Terrazza

When I found out that Fortuna, the place of my favourite pizzas, was going to host a special party at the soon-to-be-opened Italian Amalfi Brunch Cafe, I immediately sign up for it. The promise of free flow of the best pizzas, a variety of wines and cocktails, gelato is too tempting to resist. And there's a DJ to keeping the night exciting.

This is an Amalfi themed party where attendees are welcomed to dress in Italian Amalfi style. So yes, lots of us are dressed in to the nines in yellow or Mediterranean prints. So it is quite a sight to see a queue of the hippest crowd, dressed in bright cheery Almalfi style, outside the cafe with bright yellow signage and peppy decor. And passerbys are asking what event is it and want to join. So yes, it sure feels very cool to be part of this queue.

The interior of the place reminds one of a quaint, peppy, idyllic, cheerful European cafe near the coast. Yellow walls, yellow plush chairs, yellow and white checkered tables, whimsical yellow and white semicircle canopies over the bar counter, picturesque gouache paintings and pops of greenery.

The pizzas are served fresh out of the oven, and yes, they are good. With a first look at the pizza with big round crust, my friend comments on the preference for thin crust pizza. I immediately say the crust here is very fluffy and airy, which is totally different from the heavy thick crust we grew up eating. In fact, it is lighter than thin crust. And it is best to eat the pizza with this fluffy crust that is packed with the sweetness of wheat, the tang from the fermentation process and the hint of lovely char from the wood-firing cooking. And my friend actually finishes up the crust with the pizzas.

There are lots of wines, beer, prosecco, aperol spritz and of course, limoncello spritz, which is my favourite drink of the night. I do get very happy at the later part of the night and have lots of fun dancing with the newly met gorgeous ladies at the event.

Needless to say, I'm so looking forward to going to this hot new cafe for a good brunch when it officially opens in October.

Yoghurt Gelato and Lemon Gelato with options to add chocolate sauce, pistachio sauce or Amarena Cherry.

DJ of the night who belts out awesome beats to dance to. As the night goes on, lots of us are having a great time dancing to the beats.

As one of the first few attendees to get in, I get to take a picture of the place before it get real crowded.

Photo from Fortuna Terrazza’s instagram video. Look at the queue!

Ladies dressed for the occasion.

Thoughts: Absolute Fun with the hippest crowd!

Fortuna - Hearty, Excellent Italian Classics with a Twist

I always know I will be back at Fortuna after two outings here because the pizzas here are the best and so unique in texture and taste. In addition, unique and delicious toppings are added that make the special trip here special. To seal the deal, Fortuna's specialty chilli oil. So here I am ready to enjoy a pizza influenced by our local delight: Chilli Crab!

Before I talk about the pizza, I got to first say that this trattoria is like hottest spot in town because the place is totally full before 6pm. When seated at the inner part of restaurant, with soft yellow lights and cosy interior, away from the view of the afternoon scenery outside, I feel like I’m spending an evening at the most popular hotspot in town, which is so cool.

And the service staff, especially Aminah, are friendly, helpful and full of smiles. Definitely my favourite place to go for pizzas.

Singapore Tribute is loaded with lots of goodies such as Chilli Crab Sauce, Flor di Latte (Mozzarella cheese actually), Parsley, Chilli, Lemon Zest, Basil and … yes, chucks of succulent crab meat. Amid the myriad of complex flavours, the mild briny sweetness of crab is light on the tongue yet distinctive. It’s not easy to make crab works on a pizza, but Fortuna did it! The pizza tastes even better when eaten with fluffy charred crust, which further balances the flavours and also adds the sweetness of wheat and char to the taste. This is Italian goodness infused with local familiarity, and it works. So satisfying and so awesome.

I easily finish this all by myself.

The pistachio mousse in dessert, Coppa Al Pistacchio, adds an earthy depth to the light vanilla gelato, yielding this rich, heavy intense taste. The Amarena Cherry is the magic here. Its tangy juices cuts through the richness to inject a burst of excitement to the dense richness and ties everything together. It elevates the dessert from nice to fantastic. I actually hope there is more of the cherries.

Thoughts: Fantastico cibo italiano!

7 Craig Road

Fortuna - Very Good, Satisfying and Unique Italian Classics

After eating many different pizzas from different places, I thought I had tried em all. But Fortuna proved me wrong, in a good way, with a unique take on pizzas. The pizzas here are like no others. The dough is exceptionally fluffy, airy, stretchy and flavourful, made even better with lightly charred parts (due to being baked in wood fired stone kiln) to add complexity to the taste. The pizzas here or the Wood Fired Bread, made with 50 hours of fermentation, are must-tries. I will never look at pizza the same way after an outing here. In fact, this is the only place I want to go back for the pizza. Yes, I had never feel this way about pizza before, until Fortuna.

The place has this upmarket rustic, homely vibe to it, with camel brown plush seats, white-washed walls, cylindrical lamps embossed with swirling patterns and dome-shaped shelf filled with wine bottles. By the way, this restaurant is almost full house on a lazy Tuesday afternoon. And at night, this is like the hottest cool spot in town, with the hip and cool people coming in to hang out at here.

Service is wonderful, being friendly, professional and helpful. And one of them, a handsome guy who is full of smiles, can “read my mind” to know exactly which cocktail I want to order when I briefly say my preference. Love his recommendations. Totally enjoy myself here!

Back here again!

Baby Diavola is Baby size pizza, coated with Italian DOP San Marzano tomato spread–the Prada of canned tomatoes, Fior di Latte–cow’s mozzarella and sprinkled with Brasil. This is so flavorful and light in texture due to the unique pizza dough. Yes, best pizza! And it tastes amazing and out-of-this-world with the special Fortuna Chilli Oil.

Wood fired Bread looks pretty humble, and I thought it will be hard and dry at first. But the moment I pinched the bread, I’m surprised by how light, moist and soft it is. And I know this is going to be real good. When paired with Smoked Eggplant Dip, the fluffy, stretchy, airy bread, soaked in olive oil, features this lovely medley of earthy, herbal, char and simulating flavours. This is a must-try here.

I miss the bread here so much that I come back for it again, and this time, pairing it with Fortuna's special Ricotta Mantecata. This dip is out of this world and unique that has me swooning in delight. There are so many harmonised, subtle flavours packed within, from the toasty spiciness of Fortuna's special chilli,  smooth creaminess and tangy taste of ricotta, mild sweetness of honey. This is a must-try.

Cuippo di Calamari is crispy on the outside and chewy, yet easy to bite, at its core. Things are made even exciting with garlic lemon, the unique creamy Salumi Xo Mayo. Lots of hearty flavours packed in here.

The Spaghetti here is so different from the other spaghettis, and in a good way. Raw Mazzara King Prawn tartare served with the spaghetti is creamy, springy and brint sweet. And its mild taste surprisingly goes very well with the spaghetti soaked with the flavourful bisque, perked up by hints of excitement from the lemon, Fortuna Chilli and parsley. The spaghetti is of perfect al dente texture and is uniquely, slightly curly to hold in more of the slightly spicy sauce.

Tiramisu is very balanced in taste, where the smooth delicate sweet creaminess of mascarpone cheese is the highlight, with coffee as a nice base for that hint of bitterness and cocoa goodness.

Looks can be deceiving, especially in the case of Babba' Nepoletano. This dessert looks unassuming, but the taste is so wow! The cake-like pastry feels like Italian angel cake, being so soft, light, fluffy and airy. The taste is made intense by the rum and luscious by cream. Amazingly, a floral sweetness develops at back of mouth as I savour the dessert.

From Milano to Napoli is a refreshing cocktail with harmonised, complex flavours. I love the lemon foam on top!

Welcome Opera is a lovely marriage of the flora sweetness, with a touch of tang, of the grapefruit with the clean bitterness of Gin.

Thoughts: Rustic, satisfying, authentic yet unique Italian food and best pizzas!

7 Craig Road