Latest news with #CasaVostra
Time Out
3 days ago
- Business
- Time Out
Popular Casa Vostra pizzeria with long queues at Raffles City to open second outlet at Jem
Around a year ago, we bid farewell to the iconic McDonald's store at the first-floor corner unit of Raffles City Shopping Centre. In its place, Casa Vostra opened. The Italian eatery is the sister restaurant of La Bottega Enoteca – an award-winning pizzeria in Singapore by Chef Antonio Miscellaneo – and is meant to offer a more accessible, affordable and casual dining experience compared to the original. The reception? Polarising. Some loved that you could get Chef Antonio's signature pizzas at a fraction of the price (from $15 per pizza) and at a more convenient location, since La Bottega Enoteca is located in Joo Chiat. Others found the quality to be inconsistent. And many had things to say about the long queues due to the restaurant's no-reservations policy. Well, love it or hate it, you can't deny the restaurant's immense success, so much so that Chef Antonio has decided to open a second outlet in Singapore, this time in the heartlands. Casa Vostra's second branch is opening this September, 2025 at Jem in Jurong East. So if you're a Westie who's curious to find out if this popular pizzeria lives up to the hype, here's your chance. The new 80-seater restaurant will be larger than the Raffles City outlet, which only seats 60. It will also serve outlet-exclusive dishes like the Prosciutto e Fichi pizza ($27) and baked scamorza ($6). Of course, Chef Antonio's trademarked Newpolitan and Doublecrunch pizzas will still be headlining the menu, alongside dishes like Mamma's Aglio e Olio ($15), made with a recipe passed down by Chef Antonio's mother. Casa Vostra Jem will be located at 50 Jurong Gateway Rd, Jem, #01-03, Singapore 608549, and will be open for lunch and dinner daily.
CNA
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Popular pizzeria Casa Vostra opening new outlet at Jem in September
Casual pizza and pasta hotspot Casa Vostra may have launched its first restaurant a year ago at Raffles City, but it continues to attract daily queues today. The no-reservations eatery currently has an average queue time of 45 minutes during peak mealtimes on weekdays and an hour on weekends. SECOND OUTLET OPENING THIS SEPTEMBER AT JEM MALL Hopefully, the lines will ease with the opening of its second outlet at Jem mall in Jurong East on Sep 1. Casa Vostra takes over the space formerly occupied by Marche on the first floor of the heartland mall. MORE SEATS AT UPCOMING JURONG BRANCH The bad news: You'll still have to queue for a table at the Jurong outlet. The good news – there are more seats here: 80 versus 60 at Raffles City's outlet, which may or may not ease waiting times. While the folks at Casa Vostra have yet to reveal any exclusive dishes and prices for its Jem outlet, some of its signature dishes are expected to remain on the menu, says its PR representative. Some of the dishes we think may be included are: Prosciutto e Rucola Pizza and Carbonara Rigatoni. Similar to the Raffles City outlet, all pastas at Jem will be handmade and some of its preserved meats like guanciale are cured in-house. WALLET-FRIENDLY PRICES Casa Vostra's Raffles City menu currently features 18 pizzas, including options like Mortadella and Tartufo e Funghi (ham with truffle and mushroom). It also serves 16 pasta dishes, including the tasty Agnolotti del Plin bathed in lush chicken jus and butter sauce. Prices for pizzas and pastas at the Raffles City outlet range from a wallet-friendly price point at S$15 to S$28, though they may differ a little at the upcoming Jem location, says the brand's PR representative. The Italian chef-owner Antonio Miscellaneo, 52, tells that the same flavoursome pizza dough will be served at the outlet in Jem: 'It all begins with a mix of unrefined and low-refined Italian flours, which is then made into dough and fermented through different stages and temperatures for 72 hours.' 'The dough is further shaped by pizzaiolos, and baked in a wood-fired oven at 460°C for a base that's crispy, airy and melt-in-the-mouth all at once.' The man is right, declares our food editor, a fan of his pies. Several new dishes introduced in April this year at Raffles City will also be available at the Jem outlet. The dishes include: PROSCIUTTO E FICHI PIZZA A savoury-sweet number layered with salty Parma ham, sweet fig puree, bitter, nutty rocket leaves, umami Parmigiano Reggiano, crunchy candied walnuts and gooey Fior di latte cheese. Pretty addictive paired with the crisp, puffy-edged crust, says our food editor. BAKED SCAMORZA A tiny but mighty-tasting appetiser of stretchy baked cheese, which boasts an irresistible smoky flavour and oozy mouthfeel that's lovely with a drizzle of honey. Shiok. MAMMA'S AGLIO E OLIO This simple dish of house-made fresh spaghetti with garlic, chilli, fresh parsley and a scattering of sun-dried tomatoes is inspired by chef-owner Miscellaneo's mum's recipe. HOW CASA VOSTRA WAS BORN Since opening its doors at Raffles City Shopping Centre last July, Casa Vostra has been drawing massive queues. The pizzeria is co-owned by the quirky and talented otaku Italian chef Antonio, who began his culinary journey with private dining concept Casa Nostra ('our home' in Italian) at his condo. After closing his home diner, Miscellaneo launched his first commercial eatery: The award-winning La Bottega Enoteca, a slightly upmarket brick-and-mortar Italian restaurant in Joo Chiat. From there, Casa Vostra ('your home' in Italian) was spawned – initially as a home delivery service, offering more affordable pizzas out of a central kitchen in Tai Seng. Next came its thriving dine-in equivalent at Raffles City and soon, Jem. Casa Vostra was opened in collaboration with F&B company the Ebb & Flow group, which is also behind other food concepts like tapas bar, Carlitos. Stay tuned to Casa Vostra's socials for updates on exclusive dishes as well as the opening date of its Jem outlet.
Tatler Asia
30-05-2025
- General
- Tatler Asia
The Great Debate: pineapples on pizza and how a fruit sparked a culinary civil war
Above AI-generated image of Clemens Wilmenrod's Toast Hawaii (Photo: Gemini) Of course, like all good origin stories, this Hawaiian pizza is highly contested. Food historians have unearthed evidence suggesting Panopoulos may not have been the sole pioneer. In Germany, TV cook Clemens Wilmenrod popularised the Toast Hawaii, an open-faced sandwich topped with ham, cheese, and pineapple, in 1955, seven years before Panopoulos'. Even the use of the moniker Hawaiian pizza was subjected to debate, where a Hawaiian pizza was discovered in Portland, Oregon, as early as 1957, albeit the pie excluded ham. While Panopoulos's name may be the most recognisable, the existence of these precursors suggests the world was, perhaps unconsciously, preparing itself for an impending sweet and savoury revolution. The science behind the scandal and why it works (or not) Above AI-generated image of a scientist examining a Hawaiian pizza under the microscope (Photo: Gemini) One should peek into the microscope to understand why adding pineapples to pizza generates such visceral reactions. The tropical fruit's distinctive character is derived from a complex combination of flavour compounds: citric acid providing tartness, fruity esters contributing sweetness, vanillin lending vanilla notes, and even eugenol, which lends that inimitable clove-like warmth to taste. When these compounds meet pizza's usual suspects, the flavour contrast is reinforced. Think acid cutting through the richness of melted cheese, sweetness countering the savouriness of tomato sauce and salty ham, and when properly caramelised by the fierce oven heat, introducing the complex Maillard element into every bite. In case you missed it: Beyond the Dough's Eddie Murakami on what makes their viral Tokyo-Neapolitan pizzas unique Above Diego Vitagliano is the chef-owner of 10 Diego Vitagliano in Naples, Italy (Photo: Alessandra Farinelli) Above Antonio Miscellaneo is the Italian chef-owner of pizzerias La Bottega Enoteca and Casa Vostra in Singapore (Photo: Casa Vostra) The real war, however, isn't fought in laboratories but in the arena of cultural identity; tradition versus innovation. For Italian pizza purists, pineapple represents nothing short of a culinary abomination. 'From a classic Italian point of view, pineapple, ham and tomato are a big no, not just on pizza, but also as an isolated combination,' asserts Antonio Miscellaneo, the Italian chef-owner of pizzerias La Bottega Enoteca and Casa Vostra in Singapore. 'In Italy, we would not adulterate the taste of tomato as we prefer flavours to remain pure and simple. On top of that, I don't enjoy fruit on pizza, as I find sweet elements out of place—unless, of course, if it's a dessert pizza.' Diego Vitagliano, the chef-owner of 10 Diego Vitagliano in Naples, Italy, and the world's number one Pizzaiolo chef (conferred by 50 Top Pizza World 2023), echoes this sentiment: 'We think about wild garlic, cheeses from the Lattari Mountains, or San Marzano tomatoes, long before we think about pineapples. I take inspiration from local ingredients to honour local producers and support the regional economy. By only using ingredients from Campania, I could express my identity and sense of belonging.' The fusion frontline of pizza provocateurs Above Mirko Febbrile is the chef-owner of Somma, a progressive Italian fine-dining restaurant in Singapore (Photo: Somma) Conversely, the Hawaiian pizza embodies everything exhilarating about culinary fusion. It represents the experimental spirit that drives gastronomy forward, the willingness to challenge convention, and the recognition that tradition, whilst venerable, need not be immutable. 'Sure, pineapples on pizza is not traditional, but neither was the Margherita in 1889. Taste evolves. Cultures collide. That's how cuisine moves forward,' declares Mirko Febbrile, chef-owner of Somma, a progressive Italian fine-dining restaurant in Singapore. 'I'm not here to gatekeep what people enjoy. I respect what it represents: freedom to taste, to question, to create. Differences are what make food (and life) interesting. So I say bring it on, let them eat pineapple. Just make sure the dough's fermented right.' In case you missed it: An Italian chef's food guide to Sicily, Italy Above Vincenzo Capuano is the chef-owner of Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano along Mohamed Sultan Road (Photo: Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano) Singapore's great migration of international pizza superstars ensues as May brings in the anticipated likes of 2022's World Champion of 'Contemporary Pizza' Vincenzo Capuano, who debuts Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano along Mohamed Sultan Road; and Tsubasa Tamaki's Tokyo-Neapolitan style pizza joint Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) in Tanjong Pagar. We check in with both pizza stars. While Capuano has gained TikTok fame for his contemporary Neapolitan pizzas, which experiment with longer fermentations, lighter doughs, and creative toppings, he remains anchored in Naples tradition. 'Other than those with tourist-oriented menus, you won't find pineapples on pizza in classic Neapolitan pizzerias,' shares Capuano. 'I wouldn't put pineapple on a Neapolitan pizza, but I'm not against experimentation. Pizza is a universal language, and everyone has the right to express it in their own way. As long as it's done with passion and respect for the product, I'm open to new ideas.' Above Tsubasa Tamaki is the chef-owner of Tokyo-Neapolitan style pizza joint PST in Tanjong Pagar (Photo: Pizza Studio Tamaki) Above Eddie Murakami is the Japanese pizzaiolo behind popular pizzeria Beyond the Dough along Arab Street (Photo: Beyond the Dough) On the flipside, Tamaki champions pineapples on pizza with vim and vigour. The Okinawa-born chef is crafting a pineapple pizza for his June monthly special, utilising Okinawan pineapples known for their 'strong sweetness and balanced acidity, where some have a peach-like aroma, while others are bred to be easy to eat with little to no core'. While the new creation is only available at PST's Okinawan branch, Tamaki suggests pairing pineapple with spicy sausage or seasonal green chilli peppers for those keen. Echoing Tamaki's sentiment is former apprentice Eddie Murakami, a Japanese pizzaolo behind the popular Beyond the Dough along Arab Street. As a fan of sweet and savoury combinations, which make up the backbone of countless beloved dishes in Southeast Asia, Murakami hones in on his time spent in the United States, where he had fond memories of enjoying Hawaiian pizza regularly. 'It is such an appealing contrast,' he confesses. 'Pineapples on pizza tend to divide opinions, but that's why it makes it interesting.' Will there ever be a democratic verdict? Above The pineapple pizza phenomenon unites all in a passionate yet benign discourse () Perhaps the pith of the pineapple pizza phenomenon isn't all that divisive. It is a dish that humbles acclaimed chefs, street food vendors, and foodies to the same level of passionate yet benign discourse, reminding us that taste, ultimately, remains subjective. So, whether you're team pineapple or resolutely opposed, this contentious debate will likely continue stirring up controversy as long as it may. And in a world where we can all agree on so little, my discord wouldn't be about fruit on pizza, but perhaps whether I should ask for extra cheese.
CNA
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - A meal in Casa Vostra
CNA938 Rewind Play Is authentic Italian food that does not burn a hole through your wallets, too good to be true? The answer is no - and the snaking queues outside Casa Vostra may be a testament to that. Cheryl Goh explores how Chef-Owner Antonio Miscellaneo is serving up food with elements from his childhood and his mother's love and recipes.
