Singapore has no shortage of fabulous Italian restaurants from the elegant Sospiri to my favorite iO Italian Osteria. Joining the Italian dining scene is Fortuna.
Fortuna is the second venture of three friends – Omar Tutino, Ergon Marzaioli and Giorgio Sorce – who started Fortuna Drink & Eat in Sydney in 2021. Omar Tutino is the head chef, Giorgio Sorce is the pizza master and Ergon Marzaioli is in charge of service.
The space is small and cozy, much like a Sicilian home. The earthen colors, modern decor and bright lighting makes this perfect for any occasion. There were at least two birthday celebrations on the day I visited.
What to order
You can find their full menu here.
I have had Korean beef tartare (which is known as yukhoe) at Ssak3 Korean BBQ & Bistro but I have never had the Italian version of beef tartare so I decided to try Beef Battuta [S$32]. While the Korean version is sweet, the Italian version is sour and savoury, both of which are appetising.
I thought lasagna is meant to be red but ‘1000’ Layers White Lasagna [S$36] proved otherwise. It’s plated so prettily layering slices of cured pork (mortadella) with provolone cheese sauce and finished with pesto pistachio sauce. It’s savoury, creamy and delightful.
If you want something with a more theatrical effect, you can order Mafalde [S$34]. The server will melt the piece of provolone cheese perched on top of ribbon pasta tossed with 24-hour slow-cooked ragout at the table with a torch. The 24-hour slow-cooked ragout is so aromatic and flavourful, do add some of their homemade chilli oil to bring it to another level.
Giorgio Sorce is nominated number 87 Top Pizza Chef in the world, so you can assured that the pizzas at Fortuna will be amazing. Moreover, the pizzas are made with pizza doughs that have been fermented for 50-hours which allows for more complex texture and flavour. The pizzas come in two sizes – piccola (22cm) or grande (30cm).
I should have ordered Fortuna [Piccola S$31, Grande S$44] but I got sidetracked by the artichokes in Capricciosa [Piccola S$27, Grande S$35]. Pomodoro cheese, fior di latte cheese, cotton levoni (Italian cooked ham), artichokes, mushrooms and olives gives this pizza an abundance of flavours.
If you are a cheese lover, Parma [Piccola S$28, Grande S$38] is a good choice with three types of cheese – pomodoro cheese, fior di latte cheese, stracciatella cheese together with Italian cured pork and crushed pistachios. Cheesy and very Italian.
If you can have only one dessert, it has to be Fortunamisu’ [S$18]. The ladyfingers are soaked with Bialetti Italian coffee, layered with mascarpone cheese and finished off with chocolate crumble. The coffee taste is less strong than other tiramisu yet hit all the right spots. Mind you, each serving is huge, but it’s so good that I finished the whole thing by myself.
Cannolo Siculo [S$15] is another great dessert of deep-fried cannoli shell filled with sheep ricotta and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. One bite of the crispy shell packed with creamy sheep ricotta and nutty pistachio is enough to send you into food coma.
Besides the glorious food, Fortuna also has red and white wines as well as cocktails to pair with your food.
I got myself one of their signature cocktails From Milano to Napoli [S$22] which comes in a tall-stemmed wine glass topped with white foam. The cocktail itself is a mixture of limoncello, elderflower, pinot grigio citrus and mint. It is light and refreshing, perfect with the pastas and pizzas.
Fortuna
Address: 7 Craig Road, Singapore 089667
Telephone: 91151597
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm; Friday – Saturday 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Website: https://fortunadrinkeat.sg/