In the mood for pizza night? Good news: there are more options abound if you’re looking for a slice of comfort food. The past 14 months have seen a boom in the number of pizzerias in town that offer anything from artisanal Italian-style pies to fusion creations that blend influences from Japanese and Thai flavours. Scroll ahead for a tasty treat.
The lowdown: An ode to New York’s old-school neighbourhood pizzerias, Proper Slice is opened by the team behind Lucali BYGB − which was almost impossible to get a reservation for when it first opened on our shores. We’re hoping this new joint is easier to visit, with its hole-in-the-wall location at an alleyway off Gemmil Lane.
Helming the kitchen is executive chef Ariana Flores, who trained under Mark Iacono (creator of the famed Lucali in Brooklyn). The menu features the oversized pizza pie that Lucali is famous for, but is positioned more as a grab-and-go facility with a reimagined recipe and individual slices available.
What to order: The reimagined pizza remains in its 18-inch form, but is served as six oversized slices instead of eight. Highlights include the original cheese pie, as well as pepperoni, white pizza, spinach, ricotta and sausage options available on a rotational basis. You can also end off your meal with an appetising dessert calzone.
Address: 110 Amoy Street (back entrance, or along Gemmill Lane)
Opening hours: Noon to 12am, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Contact: @properslicebygb on Instagram
The lowdown: Wild Child was dreamed up by chef co-owner Lim Yew Aun and restaurateur Liling Ong − the folks behind Cicheti, Bar Cicheti and Caffe Cicheti. The pizzeria and bar concept features Neapolitan-style pizza, which comes in 10 inches and four slices with an array of toppings to choose from.
Besides the pies, patrons can enjoy a selection of antipasti, homemade desserts and a curation of natural wines, ancient sakes and craft beers curated by sommelier-partner Ronald Kamiyama.
What to order: Try the Cavolo Nero pizza (pictured), which brings out the deep and earthy sweetness of Tuscan kale with bright bursts of lemon and pickled onion. If you’re more of a traditionalist, the Margherita D.O.P will please with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, grana padano and extra virgin olive oil.
Address: 50 Circular Road
Opening hours: 11:30am to 9pm Monday to Saturday. Closed Sundays
Contact: 6970-6592
The lowdown: This picturesque Italian joint in Joo Chiat is helmed by first-time restaurateur, Antonio Miscellaneo, the man behind popular private dining establishment Casa Nostra. He continues to serve up his signature ‘Newpolitan’ pizza − a twist on the traditional recipe with additional ingredients like cheese, basil and homemade sausage.
The restaurant’s design was inspired by Miscellaneo and his wife’s favourite eateries in Italy, with elements like piazzetta tiles in the outdoor area and old-school Italian posters lining the interior’s brick walls.
What to order: All guests dining indoors have to order the six-course tasting menu, which includes an antipasto, a slice of the signature DoubleCrunch pizza (pictured) and made using a selection of flours and cereals and fermented over 36 hours, a Newpolitan pizza with two different flavours, a pasta of the day and a signature dessert. Those seating outdoors may order a fixed menu of wines, cold cuts, cheeses, small plates and DoubleCrunch pizzas.
Address: 346 Joo Chiat Road
Opening hours: The restaurant operates on a reservations basis with limited slots. Check its website for availability.
Contact: ciao@labottega.sg
The lowdown: The restaurant’s name translates to ‘after theatre’ in Italian, an apt description since it’s located at the Esplanade waterfront. The 86-seater features hand-stretched pizzas all made from scratch, with a dough fermented for 36 hours and baked at 320 degrees. You’ll find flavours with a distinctly Japanese influence, as well as housemade pasta, antipasti and salads.
What to order: The Ika Sumi (pictured), which is Japanese squid ink pizza with ocean prawn, ika, asari, pesto arrabiata and ice plant. Also, the Unagi Pizza, consisting of smoked unagi, kebayaiki sauce, kebayaki mayo, shaved bonito flakes, spring onions and Japanese rayu.
We also recommend the Maiale Alla Piastra, a gluten-free kurobuta pork chop with masala jus, sauteed mushrooms and garlic mash potatoes.
Address: #01-11 Esplanade Mall
Opening hours: Noon to 10pm daily
Contact: 6534-5188
The lowdown: The woodfired pizzas are only available from 5pm to 10 pm daily (the same venue operates as a brunch spot named Brick during the day), so we recommend making a reservation before coming down.
Pizzas here are made with handmade dough fermented for three days, topped off with numerous ingredients, then baked at 450 degrees with various types of firewood.
Flavours are inspired by various destinations such as New York, Bern, London, Naples, Hong Kong, Barcelona and Puglia. You’ll also find appetisers like fresh burrata salad, grilled Italian sausage and tenderloin cubes.
What to order: We make no apologies about loving Hawaiian pizza, and P. is for pizza’s version is particular savoury. Called the Waikiki, pineapples are char-grilled in the wood oven for an additional layer of flavour.
Another highlight is the Italy-inspired Alba (pictured), made with white truffle bechamel, black summer truffles, button mushrooms and mozzarella.
Address: 18 Mohamed Sultan Rd, #01-01
Opening hours: 5pm to 10pm, daily. Closed on Tuesday.
Tel: 8771-3441
The lowdown: Old Hen Kitchen is famous for its cold brews, and the folks behind it have now delved into making pizza as well. Inspired by the classic Neapolitan pizza, dough at Chooby Pizza is naturally leavened with a slow fermentation of at least 20 hours.
The pizzeria also uses authentic Italian products like 00 Neapolitan pizza flour, as well as premium tomato and cheeses. Pizzas are hand-stretched and baked in the Roccbox Oven, creating a pleasant airy and light texture.
There’s also a selection of Chobby Pizza-branded restaurant merch sold for those who want to wear their love for the joint like a badge of honour.
What to order: Get the signature Margherita, incorporating San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, pecorino, basil and olive oil. For something Asian with a kick, try the Spiced Coconut Chicken, made with chicken thigh, tom kha sauce, mushroom, onion, grand padano, mozzarella, coriander and chilli oil.
Address: 125 Owen Rd
Opening hours: 6pm to 9:30pm, Wednesday to Friday. Closed Saturday to Tuesday.
Tel: 8923-9814
The lowdown: You’ve probably have heard of Smalls in its previous iteration, a wildly popular four-seater private dining by Masterchef Singapore judge Bjorn Shen. Previously housed in a tiny room attached to Shen’s flagship restaurant Artichoke, Smalls has now moved into a larger space at King George’s Avenue.
It started its first pizza omakase menu in January this year. The venue can now hold a total of 16 guests (the restaurant only accommodates groups of four), with a menu that changes every one to two months.
Featuring 10 to 11 pizza-centric courses, guests move to different zones (e.g. the bar and living room) as they savour the various dishes.
What to order: The menu is ever-changing, but patrons can always expect innovative pizza creations and a large stuffed sandwich as the last main course.
The menu for August and September is Thai-themed, featuring Thai Pizza Margherita, Pepper Crab Pizza (pictured) and a Crying Tiger Sandwich with wagyu beef, turkey, baloney and nam jim jaew.
Address: 115 King George’s Ave, #02-02
Opening hours: Slots can only be booked online. Lunch seatings are on Saturdays at noon and 1:30pm, while dinner seatings run from Wednesday to Saturday at 6pm and 7:30pm.
Contact: 9038-8580
The lowdown: Launched by Minor Food Singapore (which also operates casual dining chains like Buffet Town and Poulet), this pizza joint boasts two outlets at VivoCity and Jem. The specialty here are Western-Japanese fusion dishes, with a focus on intriguing Japanese-style pizzas.
Each 10-inch, hand-stretched pizza is quite the indulgence, featuring crackly thin crust, lightly blistered puffy-rimmed edges, homemade sauce and an extremely generous amount of
toppings.
What to order: Check out the classics like Margherita and Hawaiian, along with Japanese-inspired concoctions such as Takoyaki and Curry Soft Shell Crab.
The Takoyaki is particularly sinful, with crispy takoyaki balls sitting on an okonomi sauce base, and topped with aonori seasoning, Japanese mayo and dried bonito flakes.
The Black Pepper Tontoro (pictured) is equally tantalising, filled with juicy sliced pork tontoro, shredded cabbage and topped with soft omelette.
Address: #01-157 VivoCity & #01-11 50 Jem
Opening hours: 11:30am to 10:30pm daily
Tel: 6224-9690
The lowdown: This pizzeria’s Los Angeles counterpart is famed for having Miami Heat megastars Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as its franchise owners. On our shores, it’s the first Muslim-owned woodfired pizza outlet, brought here by Deelish Brands.
Pizzas are made in the classic Neapolitan style and are baked in a classic wood-fired oven at 800° Fahrenheit. They come in either 10 or 14-inch options and can be customised with three options of pizza bases: margherita (red sauce), pesto (Verde sauce) or bianco (white base with no sauce).
What to order: The specialty pies, which include Spicy Meatball (beef meatball, ricotta and jalapeno) and the Philly Cheesesteak (sliced ribeye, green pepper and provolone). The restaurant serves up a mean rotisserie chicken too.
Address: #01-52/53, Kinex Mall
Opening hours: 11am to 10pm daily.
Contact: hello@deelishbrands.com