Inventive Pizzas and Light Tapas @ Santi’s, Singapore (+ A Great Place to Brunch)
Dear Father,
I have sinned.
I have sinned for I have judged.
Sister restaurant to popular and neighbouring Sarnie’s, Santi’s is casually chic. Strictly a 2-min walk from Telok Ayer MRT, Santi’s serves nouvelle Italian dishes. I had assumed that Santi’s would a fashionable hotspot coasting on its coolness and with average food at best. That turned out to be completely unfounded.
Grilled Squid $26
Yuzu kosho, shio koji, brown butter, spring onions
Don’t be afraid when the dish arrives in a pool of melted butter. The dish is infinitely lighter than it looks, thanks to the yuzu kosho. The yuzu kosho lends a certain brightness and acidity. This brightness and acidity balances against the protein and butter. There is also a faint hint of spice. In fact, the entire dish is light and subtle.
Green Pig Pizza $30
Avocado crema, almond, roasted coppa, pecorino, basil, roasted garlic oil
There are pizzas everywhere in Singapore. Most stick to traditional flavours. The more un-traditional pizzas are usually Korean pizzas. Or they incorporate Singaporeean flavours (so boring).
I find the Green Pig to be an incredibly inventive pizza yet unlike other attempts to be creative, the overall palette remains western. And yes, the overall palette is also light and subtle.
Of note, the sourdough has an agreeable sourness that whets your appetite rather than fill you up
B.IO Primitive $16/glass
Puglia, Italy
Complex bouquet with hint of cherries, raisins and toasted almonds. Full bodied with a long and pleasant aftertaste.
I ordered this wine because it is an organic wine. I had previously tried an organic wine and it was flat. It was dead. It was almost undrinkable. I wanted to give organic wine a second chance.
This wine completely salvaged the reputation of organic wines. I liked the bouquet—- it was quite noticeable. The cherries and raisins come through, especially the cherries. The body was big and bold, like a Californian Cabernet Savignon. It can handle any heavy meat you throw at it.
Which brings me to this: it is not the right wine to pair with the Green Pig pizza. My bad. I didn’t know what I was getting into with the pizza. With the roasted coppa and pecorino, I thought it would be oily and greasy, almost like a kebab, but as said it was very light. The Green Pig would be much better paired with a bubbly prosecco.
Pot De Creme $12
Vanilla bean, maple syrup, smoked sea salt
This is vanilla custard with a layer of smoked sea salt and maple syrup.
The smoked salt would not be out of place on a steak and it was a genius move here. I really enjoyed the smokiness of the sea salt. The saltiness makes you want to eat more and more.
Though I had dinner here, the lightness of the dishes made it feel like brunch. I guess I know where to go this Sunday. And it’s not church.
Santi’s Pizza & Produce
138 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068603
Tel: 8405 6112
