(Invited Tasting) To differentiate themselves from the competition, the new-on-the-scene pizza restaurants in Singapore have worked harder and smarter to carve out a strong branding, identity and menu for themselves. Two-month-old @wildchildpizzette at 50 Circular Road (they are directly across from OCBC Centre) is a great example of when all of that comes together awesomely. The centrally-located pizzeria and bar has a solid offering but it’s no surprise given that it is opened by the same folks behind @cichetirestaurant and @barcicheti, both highly popular Italian food joints. Moreover, talk of launching a #pizzeria had been on the back burner for about 8 years (it’s been a lifelong dream of Executive Chef and Co-owner @limyewaun), so you know when the moment arrived, he was bound to make the pizzas really special. His devotion to perfecting Neapolitan-style pizzas has resulted in a very enjoyable chewy, light crust that’s moist and airy as he ferments the dough twice, and at over 60 hours each time. Aun cleverly caps them at 10-inches in diameter at Wild Child Pizzette, so it’s easy to have one all to yourself. There are 7 ready options to choose from as well as a seasonal one, but what I also love is that you can build-your-own pizza from a list of toppings too. They include: onsen egg, black olives, San Daniele ham, salsiccia (sausage meat), strachiatella and anchovies. Besides pizzas, the menu lists many other tempting “Antipizette” to share or hog to yourself. I feel the pairing, alcoholic or otherwise, by Sommelier and Co-owner @ronaldkamiyama is another strong selling point of this place. You can count on this gregarious and charming gentleman’s fun and lateral approach for interesting pours to go with whatever you plan to munch on. So without further ado, let’s run through what @huatkaliao, @gaffie07 and I had: 1. Roasted Cauliflower ($14.50++) - Decked out in coriander, mint and pistachios on creamy labneh, this was a healthy opener. It was lovely with the Rosé from Tuscany, which also complemented the... 2. Roasted Kurobuta Pork Belly ($17++ 200gms / $31++ 400gms) - Magnificent!… ⬇️Continued in Comments⬇️

Masterminded by @kenloon, @magicsquare.sg in 2018 was a radical venture. The year-long hothouse for the three young chefs he had chosen, proved a breath of fresh air for Singapore’s dining scene. While the trio - Abel Su, Desmond Shen and Marcus Leow, got properly schooled in what it takes to run a successful restaurant, many (me included) were all too happy to pay for the privilege of being their “guinea pigs” month after month. Fast forward to September 2021. After almost three years, Magic Square 2.0 has re-emerged, as a bigger and much slicker machine. Located barely a hundred metres from their original location, one look at this place and you know they mean business. And it is only the beginning, because plans are afoot to re-invest in building facilities to support food processes (fermentation, R&D etc.) all around the restaurant. Chefs Eugene (@abangkau), @jonathan_gan, @lawjiajun and Gail (@hungryatmidnight) were cherry-picked by Ken for this second edition. But the flagging-off honours belongs to alumni and mentoring Chef, Marcus Leow (@markerpenn), who is also @nakedfinn’s Head of R&D. His 9-course menu which runs from September (reserved for family and friends) to end of this October is priced at $168++ per pax (subsequent months’ will be $98++). Reservations will be purely via an online ticketing system that’s due to launch soon, so I suggest stalking @magicsquare.sg for updates. Thanks to Ken’s invitation, I booked 4 seats (they only do counter seating) and got to embark on a most exciting culinary adventure last Friday. It was almost emotional to see how much Chef Marcus has grown in every way. Talent honed with passion and dedication over time, can indeed be formidable. Here is his menu: 1. Snacks - All three dazzled. The Aori Ika (bigfin reef squid) on rice cracker with octopus stock was so creamy due to multiple tiny cuts. My fave was the choux puff made with laksa crust sandwiching confit Indian Halibut, shaved ginger flower and black pepper. The third bite, a sugar snap pea and savoury kaya tartlet, was familiar to those of us who’d visited the first #MagicSquareSg. ⬇️Continued in Comments⬇️

This covid pandemic is such a party pooper. Everyday we live in fear that we might get infected or someone we know would. Now that the nation is almost fully vaccinated & more sectors are allowed to operate, it is good news to many ppl but we still need to stay vigilant. At the same time we also need to learn to live with the existence of covid. Covid != end of world. Must adhere to SOP, be socially responsible, practice social distancing, be aware of surrounding & sanitise sanitise sanitise. This is the new norm lo. It's been a long long long while since our last dine out as a family of 3. And since we're out for Ryleigh's vaccine & the restaurant is on our way to car, we decided to grab a quick bite. Ryleigh & I have been cooped up at home since forever, so this meal is really refreshing for us. I miss having such intimate moment just us 3 together. After all the tears and what nots at the clinic, this dine in is quite a treat for her. It's a good distraction & also something rewarding for her to look forward to after a clinic visit. I hope she'll overcome her clinic anxiety & be as jovial as much as possible like how she'd randomly say, "Hey" to strangers walking pass her while she chew her pizza crust lol. Cheers to many more dine outs & hopefully a few staycations before the year ends haha.. P/s: Pizza here is amazing & their Sangria is so strong (perhaps long time no yum seng, alcohol tolerance dropped). Nice ambiance & kids friendly too. Would recommend to dine here but sit outdoor for travelling feels. Side note: baby chair cover bought from @shopee_my. Link: https://shp.ee/8fdq3hx #ryleighwong #anakemas #15monthsold