Chef Mauro Colagreco opens Fiamma, his first restaurant in Singapore. Here’s what to order

Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco of the three-Michelin stars restaurant Mirazur in France has opened his first restaurant in Singapore, Fiamma.

Fiamma means “flame” in Italian and it pays tribute to the chef’s burning passion for cooking and is also a reference to the warmth and comfort of Italian family dining.

In particular, his grandmother’s cooking and memories of his childhood inspired the menu heavily. This is why you shouldn’t expect fine-dining at Fiamma, but instead, look forward to homely dishes and a cosy ambience.

The main dining area is designed to look like the living room of a home and food is presented in a rustic way.

For its menu, you can expect a repertoire of authentic, traditional dishes that are set ablaze with rich, new flavours.

Highlights in Fiamma’s menu

There’s no way you can talk about an Italian restaurant without mentioning its pizza.

At Fiamma, pizzas are made with homemade pizza dough that’s kneaded by hand, before it’s set with a long rest and fermentation process. Then each pizza is topped with fresh ingredients and cooked in the wood fire oven in its kitchen.

I enjoyed the Pizza Tartufo (S$36), which is topped with Smoked Scamorza cheese cream, Tuscan salami, and fresh black truffle.

Of the antipasti, the Carpaccio di Pomodoro E Pesca (S$26) stood out as a delightful opening to the meal.

A signature of Chef Colagreco, this is a tomato and peach carpaccio, with pistachios, chives, ginger vinaigrette. The refreshing dish features light and zesty flavours that are invigorating and is a nod to the chef’s earliest memories in the vegetable garden, with his grandfather.

Here’s an interesting fact: the dill and wild chives used in the dish are actually grown on-site in Fiamma’s garden!

I also enjoyed the Crudo Siciliano (S$34), a delectable antipasti made of fresh sea bream carpaccio marinated in olive oil and orange, finished with capers, fresh mint, and fennel. This has a fresh, sweet taste, lifted by the infusion of mint oil, which helps open the palate.

From the Primi section, I found the Tagliatelle All’astice (S$56) memorable. This has a generous amount of succulent blue lobster, a delectable sauce, and is balanced by the uplifting tastes of tarragon and confit tomatoes. The pasta, of course, was perfectly al dente.

For an impressive secondi, I recommend going for the Bistecca alla Fiorentina (S$160), which serves two. This is a 1kg dry-aged beef chop, served with hazelnuts, thyme, parsley, grilled eggplants with balsamic, and baby potatoes.

Besides an impressive presentation, this will please any beef-lover who is looking forward to a hearty meal. The meat is grilled over wood fire, which explains its distinctive smoky flavour.

Finally, from its desserts menu, go for the Meringa Cotta (S$16).

Visually, it would have already dazzled you with a beautiful presentation, with méringue, gold flakes, berries, vanilla ice cream and fresh fruits embellishing it.

Dig into it and you’ll find a harmonious balance of sweetness and acidity, as well as an interesting mix of textures that will delight your palate, bringing the meal to a perfect ending.

Fiamma is located at 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098297. It is open daily from 7am to 11am for breakfast, and 12pm to 10pm for lunch and dinner. Make your reservations online or email [email protected].