Food Picks: Italian restaurant Acqua e Farina opens second outlet in Keong Saik Road 

SINGAPORE – Amid the slew of new pasta and pizza eateries opening in 2024, I find myself heading to a familiar yet very underrated name for the first time.

Italian restaurant Acqua e Farina – “water and flour” in Italian – was established in 2016 at The Rail Mall in Upper Bukit Timah. 

Its second outlet in Keong Saik Road opened in August, providing a more convenient location which seats 46 diners. 

It still celebrates the unique blend of northern and southern Italian cuisines from chef-owners Roberto Galbiati, who is from Milan, and Antonio Manetto, who hails from Naples. 

There are several dishes exclusive to the new outlet and the star item is the Montanara ($34), a twice-cooked Neapolitan pizza that is first deep-fried, then baked. 

It is topped with tomato sauce, pork sausage, spicy nduja salami paste and burrata. 

The crisp and puffy crust is amazingly light and not greasy at all. 

I savour other outlet exclusives such as the Tagliatelle al Cacao con Gamberetti e Nduja ($36), a surprisingly delicious combination of housemade cocoa pasta in a rich and slightly spicy sauce, with tender portobello mushrooms and prawns. 

Other highlights include Tegamino con Cipolle, Asparagi e Guanciale ($32), an unassumingly tasty starter of sweet braised onions with green asparagus and guanciale (salt-cured meat); and Risotto ai Ricci di Mare e Bottarga ($36), creamy risotto cooked in sea urchin broth and bottarga (salted mullet eggs). 

Well aware that diners will be stuffed but need dessert, the menu’s dessert platter ($20) comes with mini portions of creme brulee, chocolate lava cake, panna cotta and tiramisu.

For the best value, there is a $28++ weekday set lunch, and you can add more dishes from the a la carte menu to share.  

Where: 35A Keong Saik Road 
MRT: Outram Park
Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30 to 10.30pm, Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays 
Tel: 9105-2377 
Info:

acquaefarina.com.sg/keong-saik