Fortuna Singapore Review: New Italian Restaurant By Famous Pizza Chef In Tanjong Pagar

Fortuna Singapore is a new pizzeria in Tanjong Pagar

Fans of Italian fare must be doing something right in the first half of 2024—we’ve seen more Italian restaurants sprout up in Singapore recently, including L’antica Pizzeria da Michele in Telok Ayer and Il Clay Supper Club in Clarke Quay. Fortuna Singapore is also on the list, an up-and-coming space that’s been dubbed the first Sicilian-Neapolitan restaurant in our country. What’s more impressive is that Chef Giorgio Sorce, the master pizzaiolo AKA pizza chef at Fortuna, ranked in the world’s top 100 pizzaiolos in 2023! 

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Food at Fortuna Singapore

We kicked off the feast with their Pane Di Casa ($12++), AKA wood-fired bread, paired with Ricotta Mantecata ($16++), a house-made sauce comprising ricotta, spicy hot honey, and lemon zest.

The bread arrived on our table puffed up and inflated like a balloon. Then, a staff cut through it with a knife, making it easier for diners to share. This starter might look like nothing special, but I was surprised by how thin and chewy the dough was all at once. Also, I really enjoyed the complex flavours of their creamy house-made sauce: it was sweet, spicy, and sour.

Next, we tried the Cuoppo Di Pesce ($25++), featuring fried calamari with garlic lemon dressing and salumi XO mayo on the side.

These bite-sized calamari rounds were soft and chewy, and I particularly liked that the batter was thin yet crispy. My colleague enjoyed dipping them in the salumi XO mayo, which boasted a lovely texture thanks to the fine bits of Italian preserved pork within. I, on the other hand, preferred the garlic lemon dressing as it was much lighter on the palate. But all things considered, I found $25++ for a small portion of this rather pricey.

Moving on to their house-made pasta, we thought the ‘1000’ Layers Lasagna ($36++) was the most interesting item of the lot. The lasagna that most of us are familiar with is typified by stacked layers of flat pasta sheets alternating with a hearty tomato sauce and a mix of cheeses. But the lasagna here was nothing like that— it was rather pale and flat, and came with seared edges.

Fun fact: this rendition is an attempt by Chef Giorgio to recreate his mother’s lasagna. He shared that his family members used to fight over the corner pieces of the lasagna as they were the crispiest and tastiest parts. 

Here, you get pasta sheets drenched in pistachio pesto and bechamel, AKA a creamy French white sauce, along with bits of mortadella. I couldn’t quite discern what it was about this dish but I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. Perhaps it was because the edges weren’t as crispy as they looked, or the bechamel became a tad too jelak towards the end of our meal.

And finally, the highlight of our meal at Fortuna was the delicious Gambero & Stracciata ($38++). What made this unassuming pizza unique was the extra crunchy dough, a result of a tedious two-step cooking method: the pizza was first fried, and then baked in the oven. 

This vibrant pizza was topped with all things delicious: stracciatella cheese, fresh and juicy red shrimp, creamy pistachio pesto, cured egg yolk, and some lemon zest as the finishing touch. This medley of ingredients came together really well, but what impressed me the most was the red shrimp—the plump texture was reminiscent of shrimp sashimi, and every piece was fresh and incredibly delicious.

We also got to try the Truffle & Anchovies ($42++) pizza, where the dough is fermented not just once or twice, but thrice, for an extra chewy and fluffy texture.

This pizza was topped with walnut whipped butter, anchovies, truffle, and lemon zest to cut through all that richness. I really enjoyed the briny and savoury combination of the anchovies and walnut butter.

While this pizza dough was crunchy on the outside and airy within, I found it rather pricey considering how there were only six pieces on a plate.

We ended our meal with the Fortunamisu ($18++), a tiramisu layered with ladyfingers, espresso, mascarpone, and an interesting addition: chocolate crumble. I enjoyed the delicious crumble but wished there was a better ratio of espresso-infused ladyfingers to mascarpone cream as the latter was evidently more.

Ambience at Fortuna Singapore

Fortuna Singapore boasts bright and clean interiors with a pop of red. The simple yet elegant setting is perfect for an after-work hangout with your friends or colleagues. Given the orderly arranged seats, I recommend coming in a group of three or four to maximise their space. The restaurant is a quick four-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station.

The verdict

At Fortuna Singapore, it’s all about relaxing in the company of good food within a stunning space. If you’re looking for a new Italian restaurant to visit this week, Fortuna is one for the books—especially if you don’t mind the splurge. 

For more Italian fare, read our Bar Cicheti review, where you can get fresh pasta paired with wine. Alternatively, check out our Chicco Pasta Bar review for handmade pasta from $18++ in Holland Village.

Address: 7 Craig Road, Singapore 089667
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12pm to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 9pm, Fri-Sat 12pm to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Website
Fortuna Singapore is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Paula Formantes.
This was a media tasting at Fortuna Singapore.