News

Angie’s Oyster Bar & Grill, a restaurant that wants to spirit you out of Singapore to a “tranquil vacation setting”, is ironically housed in a building most Singaporeans visit only when they want to put down roots here.  It moved to renovation haven Tan Boon Liat Building in 2021 and has already undergone a round of refurbishments. Lush foliage is now affixed to the ceiling and oysters bask in a sparkling new tank. The restaurant’s new set menu ($78++ for four courses, $98++ for six) does its best to evoke beachfront bliss. The meal starts with a trio of oysters, the first of two dishes exclusive to the six-course menu. They are plump, creamy and alternately embellished with plum-infused horseradish and shiso, passionfruit ponzu, and Tsuyataro cucumber and cold-pressed olive oil for an aromatic kick.  The next dish winds its way back inland. A housemade ricotta and cranberry apricot jam toast makes for a curious inclusion, sandwiched between two courses of seafood. At once soft and crunchy, sweet and tart, it is pastoral decadence that would make for a lovely breakfast. But I am not convinced it has earned its place on the dinner menu.  Especially since I return to the briny blue right after, with three small bites brimming with flavour. Minced bluefin tuna is perched on crispy rice, blue swimmer crab slaw rests on a spiced papadum, and Galician blue prawn tartar surfs in on a charred sourdough disc.  Next is the restaurant’s take on a classic Caesar salad, served warm with a charred romaine wedge and cured Atlantic sardines. Parmesan polenta chips, anchovy vinaigrette and smoked bacon deliver umami and crunch.  There are three mains to pick from: fish and chips, Australian Hanwoo F1 Ribeye (150g) at an additional $18 or cold water lobster linguine at an additional $12.  I stick with the fish and chips, an Angie’s classic that has been upgraded to feature two types of fish – halibut and barramundi – though I would have been satisfied with halibut alone. Its buttery flesh pairs marvellously with the crisp stout batter and a drizzle of lemon juice. It is accompanied by a pile of well-seasoned fries, crushed peas and housemade jalapeno tartar sauce. The meal draws to a close with a scoop of toasted coconut gelato, unfortunately a tad too icy. Inspired by the Eton Mess, it is flecked with shards of strawberry meringue, strawberry slices and strawberry crumble. Scattered around it is one final nod to the sea: pearl-like lychee beads that stud the plate and burst like fish roe in the mouth. 02-01 Tan Boon Liat Building, 313A Outram Road Havelock Noon to 2.30pm, Wednesdays to Fridays; 10.30am to 3.30pm, Saturdays and Sundays; 5 to 11pm, Mondays to Thursdays; 5.30pm to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays; 5.30pm to 11pm, Sundays Chef Antonio Miscellaneo’s Italian food has graced the dining tables of many homes over the years, from his own – his first culinary venture was a home-based private-dining experience, Casa Nostra (Our Home) – to those of his loyal customers, who snapped up the ready-to-heat pizzas launched under his latest brand, Casa Vostra (Your Home).  Now, that takeaway concept has itself found a new bricks-and-mortar home in Raffles City, in the corner that used to house McDonald’s. And it has already generated some buzz on social media, with snaking queues of hungry diners eager for a taste of chef Miscellaneo’s famous “Newpolitan” crust.  It starts with a mix of Italian white and brown flours, which are turned into dough, fermented, shaped and then baked in a wood-fired oven at 460 deg C. The result is a base that brings all the right adjectives to mind: pillowy, bouncy, smoky and chewy. A pizza that even crust-sceptics will want to devour in its entirety.  Do not worry about lacking stomach space. Portions are manageable, and each pizza can be polished off by one person with ease.  Prices start at $15 for a Marinara – simply made with tomato sauce, garlic and oregano – and climb to $28 for the Gamberi, a tomato-base dressed up with Argentinian prawns, lemon zest and prawn reduction. Sticking to an old favourite, I order the Prosciutto e Rucola ($23), an unassailable medley of parma ham, rocket, tomato, fior di latte and Parmigiano Reggiano.  The restaurant also serves a range of pasta dishes, the cheapest being the $13 Aglio e Olio spaghetti. This time, I decide to try one of the more unique options on the menu – the Agnolotti del Plin ($23), stuffed pasta in a buttery sauce The restaurant prides itself on affordability and while prices are exceptional for quality Italian fare in the city centre, I soon realise what the trade-off is. The sparse parcels of stuffed pasta form a flat, rather measly lattice on a modestly sized plate that still appears too big for this serving.  Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing. The piles of spaghetti on neighbouring tables look slightly more substantial, and I watch with envy as my fellow diners tuck in with relish.  But though my portion is small, it is delicious. The pasta is filled with a succulent pork stew and drenched in an addictive chicken jus butter sauce that is perfect for dipping leftover pizza crust in. When all the bread is gone, I am sorely tempted to lick the plate clean.  01-49/50/51 Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road City Hall 11.30am to 10pm daily