Food Picks: Kucina Kiosko brings Muslim-friendly Italian pasta and pizza to 313@somerset foodcourt
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Kucina Kiosko is a new concept by the owners of Kucina Italian Restaurant.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
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- Kucina Kiosko, a Muslim-friendly offshoot of Kucina Italian Restaurant, has opened at 313@somerset's Food Republic, offering affordable Italian cuisine.
- The kiosk serves fresh pasta, sourdough pizza and desserts, with dishes like Creamy Cheese Wheel Spaghetti ($7.90) and Diavola Pizza ($17.20).
- Owner Alessandro Lo Giudice aims to expand with five Singapore outlets, making authentic Italian food accessible to a broader audience.
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SINGAPORE – Kucina Italian Restaurant has spun off a new concept at 313@somerset. Kucina Kiosko, which had its soft opening on Aug 15, is a Muslim-friendly stall at the mall’s Food Republic serving freshly made pasta, sourdough pizza and Italian desserts at affordable prices.
The kiosk is co-owned by Mr Alessandro Lo Giudice, 64, who also runs Kucina Italian Restaurant. His aim is to make authentic Italian food accessible without compromising on quality.
“This is a mass brand. We want to reach every community and eventually go global,” says Mr Lo Giudice, who plans to open five outlets in Singapore.
The pasta is made in-house using egg yolks and semolina. It is produced twice a week and kept chilled.
Two types are available: spaghetti and casarecce, a short, compact pasta. Kucina Kiosko aims for its pasta to strike a balance between al dente and the softer texture most Singapore diners prefer.
The Creamy Cheese Wheel Spaghetti ($7.90) is the cheapest item on the menu, while the most expensive is Signature Meatball Sauce Casarecce ($15.90), served with grated parmesan and a meatball sauce recipe by restaurant co-owner and chef Gero DiMaria, 50.
Other highlights include Carbonara-style Spaghetti ($12.40) with turkey bacon and a poached egg. The pasta is tossed in a Grana Padano cheese wheel.
Carbonara-style Spaghetti at Kucina Kiosko.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Mr Lo Giudice says this is a deconstructed version of carbonara. For food safety, the cooking process cannot follow that of traditional carbonara, which uses raw egg. Instead, the dish comes with a sous vide egg. Diners are encouraged to break the yolk and mix it in for a flavour reminiscent of carbonara.
To best enjoy the Carbonara-style Spaghetti, break the egg and mix it with the pasta.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Arancini ($7.90) are golden Sicilian rice balls stuffed with beef ragu and mozzarella. The rice is simmered in turmeric-tinted stock before being moulded, stuffed and coated in breadcrumbs, then fried till golden brown.
Best eaten hot, the arancini reveal molten mozzarella and steaming beef ragu oozing out when sliced open.
Arancini are best eaten hot at Kucina Kiosko.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Pizza lovers can try the Diavola – Spicy Chicken Salami Sourdough Pizza ($17.20), made with Pinsa Romana dough, a long-fermented blend of wheat, rice and soya flours for a lighter, crisp crust.
Diavola – Spicy Chicken Salami Sourdough Pizza at Kucina Kiosko.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
For dessert, the Tiramisu ($11.90) is made without alcohol and layered with mascarpone cream, coffee-soaked sponge and cocoa powder. The Panna Cotta ($10.90) uses halal beef gelatine, with no stabilisers or preservatives, and is served with raspberry sauce.
Panna Cotta (left) and Tiramisu at Kucina Kiosko.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
DIY pasta and pizza options start at $7.90 and $10.90 respectively, with toppings priced from $1 for grated Parmesan to $6.90 for Chef Gero’s Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.
Where: MR11 Food Republic, 05-01 313@somerset, 313 Somerset Road @kucinakiosko_sg
MRT: Somerset
Open: 10am to 10pm daily
Info:
