Giveaway Results and some Matcha Madeleines

As promised, here are the winners of my strawberry powder giveaway! I know some of you added me on Twitter, but I'm not sure if it's because of the giveaway or otherwise, but because you didn't leave a comment as per the 'rules', I didn't include you in the draw. I used random.org to select the two lucky winners but the problem is I'm an IT noob and I have no idea how to copy and paste the results onto my post?! So you guys will just have to take my word for it - there were 34 comments and the two selected numbers are 7 and 1. This means that Cathy and Angel, you guys are the lucky winners! :]  I'll be emailing you shortly, so do give me your details as soon as you receive my email.

For those who didn't win, don't fret, because I'm going to have another giveaway really soon (hint, it's a fruit and it's freeze-dried and rare in Singapore too!)

So this post was really to abide by the deadline I set myself in the strawberry milk macarons post and I've been so swamped with work that I haven't had time to bake the things that I've wanted to bake. Times like these make me treasure my 'down time' even more - I promise I won't ever complain about having nothing to do! Anyway, last week I was busy bringing my brother's Japanese buddy around Singapore and Malaysia, so I didn't get to bake much, and this week was a busy week, so even mid-week bread plans have been put on hold. In fact, I'm typing this post in between doing work in the office. I'm considering this my rest and 'slack time'.

So like I said, I didn't do much baking, but I thought I'd post these matcha (or green tea)  madeleines which I made some time back, as a tribute of sorts to my brother's Japanese buddy who has since gone home. No, I didn't make these financiers for him to eat, because I'm pretty sure that he would be grossed out by the lack of standard of the matcha powder (the ocha satchets which he gave us produce one of the best tasting ochas I've ever had!) and I mean, serving matcha products to a Japanese would be the last thing I would want to do!

Sorry photos are not particularly imaginative because these were taken some time back.

Matcha Madeleines

Adapted from le livre des fours secs et moelleux de pierre herme

Makes 12

120g caster sugar

20g glucose syrup

120g all-purpose flour

10g matcha powder

4g baking powder

¼ tsp salt

130g eggs

20ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

130g clarified unsalted butter

Method:

1. Heat about 150g of unsalted butter over a saucepan and let it melt until you get white solids on the top. Skim away the foam and allow the remaining liquid to cool. It should smell nutty and appear slightly brown.
2. Sift together the flour, matcha powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside. 
3. In another bowl, add together the sugar, glucose, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until just combined.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients, followed by milk and clarified butter. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
5. Brush your madelein moulds with melted butter and dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess. Fill the mixture into the mould until about 2/3 full.
6. Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove the madelein from the mould and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Best consumed when cool to allow the matcha flavour to show through.

You don't need madeleine moulds to get that distinctive hump ;)

Janine's jots: 

• Note: I know that these are not the typical madeleine shapes, but I didn't have the moulds where I was, so I simply used a muffin pan. Just grease the muffin pan before use and fill it to about 2/3 full as well.  
• Taste: I usually find madeleines too sweet for my liking, but I really liked how the matcha cut through the sweetness.
• Texture: I overbaked my madeleines a little (as seen from the brown bottoms, so the bottoms were a tad tougher than usual, but the tops were delicious!
• Modifications: I would probably try adding some adzuki beans to vary the textures and tastes, and because adzuki is a perfect complement to matcha :] 
• Storage: The baked product keeps very well. Keep in an airtight container and it'll last you a week! Also, I baked some after refrigerating it for an hour and baked the rest after keeping some of the batter overnight in the fridge and the resulting baked product tasted the same and had the same texture as those baked immediately.
• Would I make this again?: Probably not because this produces a lot of madeleines and most of my family members aren't fans of matcha, so I've to eat all of it myself :[ If you're a fan of matcha, this would be right up your alley, because matcha really is cast into the limelight here.

Ferrero Macarons for Macaron du Jour

Today’s Jour du Macaron or Macaron Day in France, and a couple of other places around the world. If you’ve never heard of Macaron Day, well now you have. It’s created by none other than Pierre Hermé, in a collaboration with members of the Association Relais Desserts to raise awareness for a charity. This year, the charity is Autistes sans frontiers, or Autism without Frontiers. What happens is that you can pop by any participating Pierre Hermé Paris boutique and receive a couple of macarons completely gratuit (free). All you have to do is to drop a donation of any amount in the boxes available at the boutique. Pierre Hermé also has a macaron he creates specially for Macaron Day. What’s interesting is that in the recent years, there is a ‘map’ of the participating Pierre Hermé boutiques and if you pop by every one of them, you will get a complimentary box of 25 macarons! And mind you, there are probably that many macaron flavours available at each outlet!

I really enjoy the message behind Macaron Day. While it might have stemmed from a selfish desire to promote his macarons and his boutiques (I’m just speculating here), it does promote a good cause. And I’m hoping that one day, all the macaron-selling patisseries across Singapore can band together and celebrate Macaron Day as well, whilst promoting a good cause. However, knowing how stingy Singaporeans are, the macarons cannot be sold completely free. Not that I’m shaming Singaporeans but honestly speaking, I know of many who cheat the honor system when taking transport in Europe (most transport systems there require you to buy your own ticket and random checks are done). Can you imagine selling newspapers based on the honor system? Many Swiss cantons have a newspaper box where you can grab a newspaper and drop the appropriate amount of money in the box for it. I can imagine many people paying less or even not paying anything for the newspapers! I guess our society just has not progressed to that stage of development yet? Anyway, I digress. What I mean to say is that even though macarons cannot be sold completely free, I’m sure something can be done this time next year to promote the patisseries selling the macarons as well as a chosen charity. Hopefully someone’s listening? ;)

So anyway, this being Macaron Day (it's Macaron Day over at Mactweets as well!) and Macaron Month over at Aspiring Bakers (Aspiring Bakers #17 is March Macaron Madness! hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies), I decided that it was appropriate for me to try something more interesting. And I decided to make myself some Ferrero Macarons! :] Okay, I know that this perhaps isn’t too spectacular, but this is a step up from what I usually attempt. Instead of just ground almonds, I used a bit of ground hazelnuts and instead of just one ordinary ganache, I used two! Yes nothing too fantastic but who cares, it’s my prerogative; p I love hazelnuts and chocolate (otherwise known as gianduja), and I love Nutella (which is gianduja paste) and Ferrero Rochers, so it’s only natural that I make macarons modelled after them. In fact, I guzzled down jars of nutella when I was studying in Europe, where jars were humongous and it was dirt cheap. I also have fond memories of unwrapping the gold-foil wrappers of ferrero rochers and slowly eating it layer by layer, until I got to the hazelnut at the heart of the sphere.

So without further ado, I present you my ferrero macarons (aka gianduja macarons)!

Ferrero Macarons

Adapted from David Lebovitz

Makes about 40 2-cm large macarons shells 

For the shells: 

80g icing sugar, or confectioner's sugar

20g ground almonds

20g ground hazelnuts

20g cocoa powder

50g egg whites

50g castor sugar 

For the hazelnut praline or gianduja: 

Method 1 (the lazy person method): 

30g chopped hazelnuts, toasted

50g cream

30g milk chocolate 

Method 2 (making hazelnut praline): 

30g hazelnuts

20g castor sugar

50g milk chocolate 

10g neutral oil (grapeseed or canola or olive oil)

Pinch of salt 

For the chocolate ganache: 

90g cream (at least 35% fat)

70g bittersweet chocolate (I used a mix of 66% and 70% chocolate)

Method:

1. For the macaron shells: Toast raw whole almonds and hazelnuts (without skin) on a tray at 150°C for about 10 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool before grinding them separately. Sift the nuts individually and weigh about 20g of each. The ground nuts can be stored in the fridge for at least a week. 
2. Sift the ground almonds, hazelnuts and icing sugar together. Sift at least twice before setting aside. 
3. Beat the egg whites (which are at room temperature) with the castor sugar. You can put in the castor sugar right from the start. Beat until you obtain stiff peaks. This should take slightly less than 10 minutes, depending on the strength of your mixer. 
4. Using a spatula, dump in all of the dry mixture into the stiff meringue. At first, the mixture will seem clumpy and impossible to fold, but do press on and continue to gently fold the mixture. After about 25 folds, all the dry ingredients will 'magically' be incorporated. The mixture will still seem clumpy, so continue folding until you get a shiny, viscous mixture which 'flows like magma'.
5. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and proceed to pipe 2 or 3-cm large rounds onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners. After piping the shells, be sure to rap the baking sheets against the counter to get rid of any excess air. 
6. Let them sit at room temperature (or air conditioner temperature would be fantastic) until they are dry to touch. You need not actually touch the shells because it will be rather obvious when they dry and form a 'shell'. This should not take more than an hour. 
7. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 140°C (fan-assisted), with the rack in the middle, with top and bottom heating. Bake the macarons for about 16 minutes, making sure to open the oven door at around the 8th minute (or after feet have formed) to let out excess hot air and to turn the tray from front to back. Once the shells are firm to touch, remove the trays from the oven and let them cool on the trays for at least 15 minutes before proceeding to cool them on cooling racks. If you use a nonstick liner, they should be easily removed, if not, use a knife or metal spatula to release the macaron. Store the shells in an airtight container until ready to assemble. 
8. For the chocolate ganache: Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place them in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it starts to bubble. Take it off heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate, making sure to mix quickly until all the chocolate has melted and you get a homogenous mixture. The mixture will appear very liquid but it will thicken after you allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. 
9. For the gianduja #1: Follow the same method as the chocolate ganache above by heating the cream and pouring it on the chopped milk chocolate pieces. Then, add in the chopped hazelnut pieces. For convenience, toast these hazelnuts together with those in step 1 and in fact, just use the hazelnut pieces which are too big to sift through for varying sizes. 
10. For the gianduja #2: You first have to make a hazelnut praline, which requires you to heat the sugar in a saucepan. In the meantime, make sure you have got toasted whole hazelnuts (without skin) neatly lined on a baking tray lined with nonstick liner. Once you get a caramel, i.e. when the sugar turns a medium brown, pour the caramel on the hazelnuts and allow to cool. DO NOT TOUCH THE CARAMEL because it is very hot! If the caramel is at the right temperature, it will harden almost immediately. After it hardens, remove the praline from the nonstick liner and break it up into pieces. Place the pieces into a food processor and process until it breaks into very small pieces. Do not process too much because you still have to add in your chopped chocolate pieces and oil. What I did was to remove some of the processed praline and dumped in the chocolate, salt and oil, and processed until I got a smooth paste. I then added the processed praline back into the mixture to get those chopped pieces of hazelnut praline. 
11. To assemble: You can choose to use a piping bag or use the lazy method and spoon the ganaches onto the macaron shells. I spooned a teaspoon worth of the chocolate ganache on one side of the shell, and about quarter a teaspoon worth of gianduja on the other shell. Match the shells together and store the shells for at least a few hours (preferably a day) before consuming. Remove the macarons 5-10 minutes before serving for the best experience :]

Janine's jots: 

• The gianduja: I have included two recipes and methods for the gianduja which I tried. The first method can be accurately called a gianduja paste whereas the second would be more accurately called a hazelnut praline paste. For the trouble undertaken for method #2, I would definitely not recommend making such small portions. I actually made a triple batch of hazelnut praline (to use as a layer in my entremet) - it keeps very well in the fridge. Of course, the second recipe is sweeter (because of the caramel) than the first recipe. 
• Notes on the ingredients: If you notice, I haven't used cream of tartar or salt with the egg whites in this recipe, as compared to the previous strawberry macarons. Also, I used freshly cracked egg whites here. I have found that there really is no need to dry them out or add egg white powder although that would definitely help in stabilizing the meringue. After numerous attempts at making macarons, I can safely say that it's the macaronage or technique that determines if you have feet or not, because you can use any nut (or not) with varying amounts of sugar and add-ons. So really, practice makes perfect!
• Taste: The shells by themselves were awesome, because the toasted nuts added a different dimension. For my under baked shells (i.e. those which stuck to the paper), I felt as if I were eating chocolate hazelnut paste because the hazelnut taste was so prominent! I also enjoyed the combination of bittersweet chocolate with milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. Deliciously sinful! For more chocolate-hazelnut sinfulness, you can add in some Nutella in the chocolate ganache. 
• Texture: The macarons were also undermixed this round, because they were bumpy but on the plus side, they dried out in less than 10 minutes, and I could bake them almost immediately. I enjoyed the crisp chewy shells coupled with the chocolate ganache, added to that was the fact that the gianduja paste had chopped hazelnuts in it. To really replicate a ferrero rocher, I'd suggest adding half a hazelnut in the centre of the macaron :]
• Serving size: I got about 20 paired macarons, but my macarons were about half the standard size - about 2 cm or slightly more than an inch.
• Modifications: As I said earlier, this is my go-to chocolate macaron recipe, but I would definitely try reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe as the shells were very sweet (too sweet for my liking). I would probably begin by reducing the castor sugar used to about 40g. The bittersweet ganache helped in cutting down the sweetness, but the gianduja had milk chocolate, so that didn't help with the sweetness. 
• Storage: Because the filling is a ganache, the macaron lasts pretty well at room temperature - it starts to soften and slide apart only after half an hour or so.
• Would I make this again?: Definitely! This is my 4th or 5th time using this recipe :]

Matched up, unfilled shells :]

If you're looking for another method of making macarons - i.e., the Italian meringue method, do check out my other post on salted caramel macarons. And don't forget to participate in my strawberry powder giveaway!

Strawberry Milk Macarons and a Mini Giveaway!

I've been on a kick to use "all natural ingredients" or ingredients that are as unprocessed as possible. This of course translates to less refined flours and sugars, and more wholemeal flours, non-wheat flours, as well as different forms of sugar, such as molasses. This has also translated into using only 'natural food coloring' in my foods, and thus far, I've only experimented with red and green, mainly because they are the most easily accessible colors - for green I use pandan, and for red, I stick with my favorite strawberry (and raspberry).

That, plus my recent infatuation with Sadaharu Aoki (I gorged on his cakes when I was in Taipei) meant I was hooked when I saw Pook's strawberry milk macarons which used strawberry powder AND was a recipe by Aoki. 

For those who might not know who Sadaharu Aoki is, do check out his website and be amazed. In fact, a couple of his pastries (including the black sesame eclair) are rated as one of the top few pastries to try in Paris by Adam. Aoki excels in making French pastries and if I'm not wrong, he is probably one of the few Japanese patissiers to make it big in Paris, which is quite telling. He also has outlets in Japan as well as in Taipei, and I was extremely lucky (well actually not really since I purposely made a few trips down to the outlet in Taipei to eat my fill) to have tasted his cakes. He really does excel in pairing Japanese flavors in the French pastries, and one of his best and most famous works has got to be the Bamboo, a matcha and red bean Opera-like cake. The best thing is that the cakes are not overly saccharine or cloying (which tends to be the case when Europeans at making pastries), which is perfect for the Asian tastebud. 

So suffice to say, anything Aoki is a sure-win, and I was quietly confident that these strawberry milk macarons would be fantastic. I was not wrong. 

Strawberry Milk Macarons 

Adapted from Pook who got it from チャレンジホビー　めざせ！あこがれのパティシエ ", by chef 青木 定治 (Sadaharu Aoki)

Makes 50-60 shells

For the macaron shell

65g   ground almonds

90g   icing sugar

5g     strawberry powder

50g   egg whites

15g   castor sugar 

Pinch of salt or cream of tartar

For the strawberry milk buttercream

3g     all purpose flour

60g   fresh milk

65g   unsalted butter

8g     castor sugar

30g   homemade strawberry jam 

Method:

1. Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar separately. Next, sift them together with the strawberry powder. Set aside. 
2. Beat the egg whites (which are at room temperature), and cream of tartar or salt together with the castor sugar. You can put in the sugar right from the start. Beat until you obtain stiff peaks. This should take slightly less than 10 minutes, depending on the strength of your mixer. 
3. Using a spatula, sift in a third of the almond-flour mixture into the stiff meringue. You need not fold but do mix the ingredients in gently. Sift in the remaining almond-flour mixture in two batches and gently fold to combine. You should get a shiny, viscous mixture which 'flows like magma'.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and proceed to pipe 3-cm large rounds onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners. After piping the shells, be sure to rap the baking sheets against the counter to get rid of any excess air. 
5. Let them sit at room temperature (or air conditioner temperature would be fantastic) until they are dry to touch. You need not actually touch the shells because it will be rather obvious when they dry and form a 'shell'. This should not take more than an hour. 
6. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 140°C (fan-assisted), with the rack in the middle, with top and bottom heating. Bake the macarons for about 12-16 minutes, making sure to open the oven door at around the 8th minute (or after feet have formed) to let out excess hot air and to turn the tray from front to back. Once the shells are firm to touch, remove the trays from the oven and let them cool on the trays for at least 15 minutes before proceeding to cool them on cooling racks. If you use a nonstick liner, they should be easily removed, if not, use a knife or metal spatula to release the macaron. Store the shells in an airtight container until ready to assemble. 
7. For the strawberry milk buttercream, sift the all-purpose flour into the milk and place into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and stir until the mixture thickens. Once a roux is formed, remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool. In the meantime, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Pour the cooled milk roux and gradually beat to combine. Beat in the strawberry jam until you get a homogenous mixture. 
8. To assemble: Place the buttercream into a piping bag and proceed to pipe it onto matched macaron shells. You may have to chill the buttercream for a few minutes before piping if it is too 'soft' for piping. Refrigerate the sandwiched shells for an hour or until the buttercream has firmed. Remove the macarons 5-10 minutes before serving for the best experience :]

Janine's jots: 

• Note: I have to admit that the macarons were severely under filled - in fact, you can't even see the filling for most of them. But I've a good reason - the filling wasn't enough because I kept filching it and it's oh so yummy with the sponge cake I made. So well, I didn't have enough for the macarons ^_^ I didn't mind though, since I don't particularly like too much filling in between my macarons. I would definitely recommend making more of the strawberry milk buttercream because it is simply delicious.  
• Taste: On the buttercream, it wasn't overly sweet because I used less of the strawberry jam and in fact, my homemade strawberry jam is more tart than sweet, which perhaps explains why I loved it so much. This went together very well with the macaron shells, which were slightly flavored due to the use of the strawberry powder.  
• Texture: Although the macarons were not perfect - I undermixed the macarons for fear of no feet, so you can still see bumps and 'nipples' on some of the shells. Nevertheless, the shells turned out pretty shiny and I'm pretty happy with the sideway feet. One other reason why I liked the recipe is because the shells were just the right level of 'crispiness' and the inside was sufficiently moist when paired with the buttercream.
• Serving size: I got about 35 paired macarons, but my macarons were a little on the smaller side - about 2.5cm or slightly more than an inch.
• Modifications: I would definitely want to try this same recipe but with a reduced amount of icing sugar. I've actually tweaked the ingredients quite a bit from the original, and the macaron shells themselves are not overly sweet as in some recipes because of the tanginess of the strawberry powder but for the sake of my waistline, I shall see if I can reduce the sugar even more without sacrificing on the feet! Also, without using red coloring, it is impossible to get the vibrant red colors that Pook got with her macarons. Nevertheless, this dusty rose color found favor with me and the people who ate them. In fact, these macarons were more popular than the salted caramel macarons! 
• Storage: My only gripe is that the buttercream softens wayyyy too quickly! It is very moist and goes very well with the shells, but you'll have to consume the filled macarons almost immediately to get the best mouthfeel, otherwise the filling will be too soft and 'oily' to eat. Do only fill the shells that you will consume the next day or two (macarons have to be filled at least 24 hours to let the moisture and taste from the filling 'diffuse' into the shells). If not, keep the shells and filling separate until ready to eat.
• Would I make this again?: Definitely! I foresee using the same recipe with other fruit powders to get different colors and flavours!

Playing around with the 'aged' effect - what do you think? 

Anyway, I previously tweeted about using my strawberry powder in my macaron shells (it really does give a superb tangy strawberry flavor to the shells), as well as in my mom's birthday layered cake. Some of you have asked me where I got this powder from, and sadly, I've to say that I got a friend to purchase it for me from an overseas organic store. It's basically 100% natural powdered freeze-dried organic strawberries, so it perishes pretty quickly even in freeze-dried form. The recommended use-by date is actually in May 2012, and since I've quite a bit of it, I thought to share the love :] 

I'm giving away 10g of strawberry powder each to two lucky persons, which will be packaged in a clean, tiny ziplock bag. This amount should be sufficient for those interested in trying out the strawberry milk macarons above (the original only requires 3g of powder). You can also use them to flavor cake (like what I've done), so simply sprinkle them on your plain yogurt (which is what I've been doing too). It also works well in coloring icing too!

I know it sounds like a tiny amount, but in my defense, let me remind you that it's organic, unavailable in Singapore and pretty costly :S Anyway, this is just a tiny way of saying thank you for reading my blog (silent or not), and if you aren't picked for this giveaway, please do stay tuned because I've a few more small giveaways in store, mainly because I've some 'exotic' ingredients which I bought in bulk to save on costs and I know some of you out there would love to try out these ingredients. If you're really desperate to get some strawberry powder yourself, Pook shared where she got her strawberry powder from here. 

So to participate, all you have to do is just to leave me a comment below, with your email address and name. It's that simple ;) I'll be opening this giveaway to readers in Singapore and Malaysia, because it's a tiny item which is easily shipped. I'll close the giveaway on 29 March 2012 at 11.59pm. The winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email the next day.

If you're kiasu and want to increase your chances of winning, you can do the following for an extra entry each (please post a new comment for each of the below): 

1. Like my blog on Facebook and leave an extra comment below. The page is still bare, but I'm working on it!
2. Share this giveaway on Facebook. 
3. Follow me on Twitter (@notkitchensink) and retweet this giveaway on Twitter!
4. Follow my blog by clicking on the "Follow" bottom at the top left corner of this page. 

This macaron post is also in support of Aspiring Bakers #17 – March Macaron Madness! (Mar 2012) hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies. I'm also posting this over at the #27 edition of Mactweets! If you haven't made macarons before, do use this opportunity to try them - they might be finicky things to make, but I can assure you that your spirits will lift tremendously when you see the little frilly skirts/feet emerging from the shells and they look and taste super yummy too :] 

List of Pizza Places/Pizzerias in Singapore

Back in the day when I wasn’t so enlightened as to all things pizza, I only thought a single type of pizza existed, and that type of pizza was those served by large chain stores ubiquitous with pizza. Then came the thin-crust pizzas. And after I went to Italy, I realized how diverse the pizza culture can be. I think Americans and Italians have a different attitude towards pizza – one uses the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ method, which is basically throw in as many ingredients as you possibly can, whereas the other believes in good quality, minimal ingredients. In fact, if you pick up any book on Italian pizza, you’ll realize that most of them recommend not more than 4 to 5 ingredients on the pizza, including the tomato sauce!

Speaking about American pizza, it is a misnomer in itself because as we know, there are three main types of pizza in America – the New York style ones which we are most familiar with, the California-style ones (typically with non-traditional ingredients like Thai) as well as the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. I read somewhere that the prominence of pizza in American is probably due to the fact that there was a huge influx of Italians in America, bringing along with them their staples of pizza, which attests to why pizza is so popular and why the US has developed so many different types of pizza.


Now in Italy, there are two main camps as well – the Neapolitan pizza – that with a thick cornicone (edge or lip or what we term as the crust) and thin centre, and pizza elsewhere in Italy, typically with a thin crust. Within the different regions of Italy there are differences, but I won’t go into that today. Suffice to say, one of my favorite non-Neapolitan pizzas must be the pizza Bianca and the Roman-type pizza, which is a thin, crispy pizza which we term as thin-crust pizza here.

Anyway, this list has been long in the making. As most of my friends know, I’m rather OCD and you could say that I’m an information whore. I love collecting information and I love listing and categorizing them (yes, I’m weird that way). If only you can take a look at my drafts folder as well as my document folder, you’ll realize that I have tons of lists for everything, from things to bake (down to specific categories) to ramen places to try, etc. I’m also a tad distrustful of other people’s opinions, so when people list out ‘best [insert whatever food] in Singapore’ – you can say that I am more than a little doubtful, hence the need for me to personally try and evaluate their opinion. So this is what I have done. I have alluded to this list previously, and I’m working my way down the list, little by little. Over the past 2 years especially, after I returned from Italy having eaten the best pizzas in my life, I started a search for the best pizza in Singapore. I can honestly say that I don’t believe in ‘bests’, because best is a subjective benchmark, and best could be in terms of taste, ambience, or perhaps price. So what I’ve done is to set out the places that I’ve researched on and my brief comments on each, to let you do the deciding. You might find that there’s a certain push to a few restaurants, and that might be because some aspect of the restaurant appeals to me.

You might also note that I’ve left out Italian Restaurants which may serve pizzas on the menu, instead concentrating more on pizzerias which serve mainly pizza. This is not to say that pizza is the only thing they serve, because pizzerias in Singapore typically do serve sides, pasta, and perhaps a few desserts. You might also see a few Italian restaurants in the list, but their inclusion can only mean that the pizza is darn good or something else is ;p

Finally, you’ll realize that many pizzerias I’ve listed below are closed on Mondays, which might be because many pizzerias in Italy are also closed on Mondays, so leave your pizza eating escapades for another day! I’ve listed the pizzerias based on areas in Singapore, to help those looking for dining options. So if you’re still reading, do read on for the meaty stuff! :]

PS: in coming up with this list, I referred to lists from here and here and here, as well as numerous other food blogs whose reviews enticed me in one way or another to try the pizzas for myself.

Everywhere

1. Pizza Hut

Everyone who knows pizza in Singapore will know Pizza Hut. It’s what we grew up with. The best thing about PH in my opinion is that they have really good deals (check out their offers page), and their chicken wings and garlic bread are really not bad (from what I remember)! Lately, they’ve come up with many new menu additions like pasta (which have been reviewed to death) and their lunch offers are quite value for money too!

Plus point of course is that they’re available for delivery!

Address: Check out a whole comprehensive list here

Contact: 6235 3535 (who doesn’t remember their jingle!)
Opening hours: from 11am to 10pm daily.
Website: http://www.pizzahut.com.sg/
Price: From $18 up for a regular pizza

2. Sarpino’s Pizzeria
I’ve only had Sarpino’s a few times, and mostly because my teachers ordered them in as a treat for us and maybe because each time we were so happy and hungry, Sarpino’s tasted great. The best thing about them is that they are Halal-certified (not that the others aren’t), which is really important especially if you have Muslim friends, and that they have a variety of flavors, from the common pepperoni to more exotic selections like cheese macaroni pizza and chicken pesto pizza.

They also have deals like buy one get one free, and other freebies which come along with a minimum order. Delivery is also free for orders above $20, which is basically the equivalent of ordering 2 pizzas. This is perfect for a party, where you want variety and American-style comfort food.

Address: Check out the full list here

Contact: 6262 6767
Opening hours: from 11am to 10pm daily.
Website: http://www.sarpinos.com.sg/
Price: $18 up for a regular (10”) pizza.


3. Domino’s Pizza
I’m not sure if my chronology is right, but I think Domino’s appeared in Malaysia earlier than it did in Singapore, and that was where I got my first taste of it. I love the thick chewy crust of Domino’s, which is so typical of American-style pizza, particularly how not-oily their crust is, compared to their next-biggest competitor. My favorite is still the classic Pepperoni, although their chicken pizzas are pretty darn tasty too!

There’s no extra charges for delivery, and they almost always have promotions like 2 for $40 large pizzas, etc. Oh and don’t worry, they’re Halal too.

Address: Check out the full list here 
Contact: 6222 6333
Opening hours: from 1030am to 11pm daily.
Website: http://www.dominos.com.sg/
Price: $22 up for a regular (9”) pizza (without any promotion)

West
4. Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe basically means cheese and pepper pasta in Italian, which is a rather common and popular Italian dish. This one’s pretty near my place in the West, but it’s really quite ‘ulu’ if you’re not a Westie. And even so, transport to that area is not exactly the best – you can only take several buses which are headed in that direction. Walking from Bukit Batok MRT is not advisable!

For this, I can do no better than direct you to a review by none other than Dr Leslie here. Like he said, their pasta vongole is superb and their pizza chockfull of ingredients and delicious!

Address: 3 Chu Lin Road, Singapore 669890.
Contact: 6760 3534
Opening hours: Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm, Dinner 6.00pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Mondays.
Website: http://www.cacioepepe.com.sg/
Price: $20 up for a pizza.


5. Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a place in Tuscany where I hope to go one day, and similarly, this restaurant is high up on my to-eat list. Judging from reviews from here, as well as their menu (with ubiquitous and authentic Italian names for the basic pizzas), I must say I have high hopes for this place!

Address: 5B Portsdown Road, #01-03, Singapore 138311
Contact: 64799521
Opening hours:
Website: http://www.ristorante-pietrasanta.com/
Price: $16.90 for a pizza magherita and up.


6. Rocky’s Pizza
Pretty much like other American pizza companies, they serve large pizzas with a lot of ingredients. Personal favorites include the 5 top economy, which allows you to choose 5 toppings of your choice, as well as Rocky’s mountain, when you just gotta have all the meat in the world you want (they use pepperoni, ham, sausage and chicken in one single pizza). You can also order slices and quarter servings, which is a plus for smaller eaters since the smallest pizza they serve is the 12” which is rather huge. They also deliver!

Address: Block 106 Clementi Street 12 (Sunset Way) #01-60 Singapore 120106
Contact: 6468 9188 / 6344 6868
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10.30pm
Website: http://www.rockyspizza.com.sg/
Price: $16.50 up for a regular 12” pizza

Holland Village and Chip Bee Gardens

7. La Nonna
When I head down to Holland Village, this is my top choice for lunch, and one of my top few choices for dinner. La Nonna has a 50% off ala carte items for weekday lunches, which means that their $19 pizza goes for $9.50. Like WTH so cheap right?!?!!? I love love love their pizzas – so far none of them have disappointed me, and I have written a more detailed review here.

Do reserve if you don’t want to be disappointed. And if the weather’s nice, do sit outside, it makes for a good people-watching spot ;p

Address: 26 Lorong Mambong
, Holland Village and at 76 Namly Place.
Contact: +65 6468 1982
Opening hours: Everyday, 12-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm
Website: http://www.lanonna.sg/
Price: Pasta and Pizza starts at $19


8. Wala Wala Café Bar
Wala wala isn’t exactly famous for their pizza, but it’s a bar located on a corner of Holland Village. Music’s good on certain days, and they have Happy Hour daily till 9pm, which is a definite plus as beer goes super well with pizza. Their calamari rings are awesome, as is their Seafood Pizza. Their pizzas are the paper-thin type of pizzas, which some might think equals not too value for money. But beer, pizza, good music and good company, what more can you ask for?

PS: service tends to be a bit slow when the bar gets packed, so don’t go upstairs when you’re hungry and all you want is to eat because the place is packed out on popular nights and you’ll probably have to stand. Head downstairs where there are tables and you can eat in peace (without loud music if you so prefer).

Address: 31 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore 277689
Contact: 6462 4288
Opening hours: Generally from 3pm to 2am daily (varies an hour or two depending on the day)
Website: http://www.imaginings.com.sg/ (it’s a lousy company website so don’t bother)
Price: $17 up for a pizza (I think).

9. Crust Pizza
Having had a number of good pizzas in Australia, I was very glad that Crust was opening in Singapore, with two outlets too! I haven’t been down myself to a local branch, but if the pizzas here in Singapore are as good as the ones in Australia, then they are not bad at all! Crust’s trademark is probably the rectangular size of their pizza, plus the fact that they have 10 different types of pizza sauce bases to go along with a million other varieties of toppings. You can have a whole-sized pizza, or you can go with a half-and-half, which is probably the best if you're just two people trying out one pizza. They deliver with a minimum order of $20! And if I'm not wrong, you can ask for a gluten-free option as well!

Address: 34B Lorong Mambong Singapore 27769 and 21R Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349
Contact: 64672224 (Holland Village) or 6456 1555 (Upper Thomson)
Opening hours: Check out the details here
Website: http://www.crustpizza.com.sg/
Price: $23 up for a 13”x8” pizza


10. Da Paolo Pizza Bar
Da Paolo is a rather big chain of Italian restaurants in Singapore – does Da Paolo Gastronomia sound familiar? It’s a deli selling takeaway pasta as well as an assortment of wine, and other gourmet items. Their pizza bar is located in Chip Bee Gardens, next to their restaurant and pastry shop. They have the buffalo mozzarella pizza, as well as a number of typical dolci (desserts) which go down perfect. Their pizzas are all thin-crusted – do check out these reviews for more information!

Address: 44 Jalan Merah Saga, Chip Bee Gardens, #01-46, Singapore 278116
Contact: 6479 6059
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Fridays from 11am – 2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm, open from 9am -12pm on weekends. Closed on Mondays.
Website: http://www.dapaolo.com.sg/index.php
Price: $17 up for a margherita.

11. Pizza Bar da Donato
They serve the pizzas by the squares, as well as calzones and other flatbreads. Their pizza is a cross between the thick Napoli type crust and the American pizza crusts and is rather ‘bready’. However, their sauces and toppings are pretty good, and they have a wide variety of them. My impression of it remains pretty good, even though the last time I ate it was probably 2-3 years ago, and I was ravenous then. The full scale restaurant at Ghim Moh also sells pasta, and other desserts. See here for a dated review.

Address: Block 21, Ghim Moh Road, #01-213.
Contact: 6219 7562/6462 0838/6465 1338
Opening hours: 10.30am to 11pm, Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays.
Website: none
Price: $6 up per slice

They also have a ‘taglio’ or hole in the wall, at 8 Sixth Avenue, Singapore 276473 selling slices of pizzas.

Central

Around Bukit Timah

12. A3 Bistro & Bar

Located next to Bar Bar (this pub selling pretty good beers and burgers, etc.), this is a relatively new place around the area. There is a laidback, casual vibe to the place, and they sell pizzas, as well as pasta and other mains like seafood and other meats. Their Spinach Pizza is pretty unique – it is not vegetarian and contains sautéed spinach along with salami and egg together with the usual tomato and cheese toppings. They also run happy hour promotion for their beers, which is lovely when eaten with their pizza.

Address: 881 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 279893

Contact: 6466 4130

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday: 1130am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 10.30pm;
Saturday, Sunday & PH: 10am – 10.30pm.
Closed on Mondays.

Website: None

Price: $10-15

13. Peperoni Pizzeria
This is the type of pizzeria you’d want to go to with your family or with a large group of friends. The sole reason being the large pizza is HUGE – and really value for money if you share the cost between say, 8 friends. This pizzeria is casual, and has no GST or service charge, which is great, because it's an ideal hangout for students studying in the area, especially the Binjai Park branch.

Address: 7 Binjai Park, Singapore 589821 and 6 Greenwood Avenue 289195 (behind NJC) and 95 Frankel Avenue, Singapore 458221
Contact: 6463 7800, 6465 6556
Opening hours: Mondays to Sundays, 11am to 10.30pm
Website: http://www.facebook.com/peperonipizzeria
Price: $19 for a 9" pizza and $50 for a XXL 21" pizza!

14. Sole Pomodoro Pizzeria
Located near Little India, this pizzeria is one of my favorites! I love the atmosphere there, and their pizzas are certaintly one of the  best I've eaten in Singapore. Read more about Sole Pomodoro from my review here.

Address: 12/21 Mackenzie Road #01-01, Singapore 228678
Contact: 68843671
Opening hours: Opens 12pm till 11pm (Closed on Mondays)
Website: http://www.solepomodoro.com/
Price: $15.90 and up for a Margherita


15. Oishi Pizza
I’ve always believed that Japanese people excel at whatever they set their mind to – L’Operetta is an example of the Japanese excelling and same with Japanese patissiers with French pastries. Oishi pizzas have lots of Japanese choices, such as Teriyaki Delight and Unagi and Wasabi flavor combinations. They also do free home delivery for a purchase of $25 and up, which is essentially two large pizzas. Pretty decent prices for unique pizzas :]

Address: 10 Jalan Serene #02-12 Serene Centre
Contact: 6555 5656
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am to 8pm
Website: http://www.oishipizza.com/

Price: $15.90 for a 10" pizza.

Town

16. Tomato's Pizza
I've never eaten from Tomato's, even though I always smell it when I'm inside Cold Storage at Great World City. They have quite a variety of pizzas, and honestly, they smell very very good, and I've seen a great number of expatriates purchasing from them before. They deliver for free upon purchase of $40 and you can even design your own Neapolitan pizza!

Address: 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Great World City Mall, #B1-18/19, Singapore 237994
Contact: 6733 9719/ 6733 9729
Opening hours: Everyday, 10am-10pm
Website: http://www.tomatos.com.sg/index.html
Price: $22 up for a regular 12" pizza


17. Modesto's

I have only eaten once at Modesto's, on the terrace, and that was a long long time ago, before they revamped the entire place. So I honestly have no vivid memories of Modesto's. The restaurant at Orchard is their flagship and they have a huge branch over at Vivo. Do check out this review if you're interested. They have pretty good offers for lunch so it's a good time to try them during lunch! The foccaccia bread is not bad!

Address: 1 Tanglin Road #01-09/10 Orchard Parade Hotel, Singapore 247905. Also at Vivo and Mt. Elizabeth.

Contact: 6235 7808
Opening hours: Daily, 12pm till past midnight.
Website: http://www.modestos.com.sg/
Price: $18.50 for a regular Margherita

18. California Pizza Kitchen
Conveniently located in Orchard road, California Pizza Kitchen is a good place to go for American style thick crust pizzas. Check out Brad's review here. Having tried California Pizza Kitchen in other countries, I'm not too impressed with it, so I haven't bothered trying the one in Singapore. That said, it is perhaps one of the few pizza choices in Orchard belt (closer to the start of Orchard Road and Tanglin) when you have a craving for Italian food and pasta.

Address: 583 Orchard Road #01-42
Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore, 238884
Contact: 6836 0110
Opening hours: Daily, 11.30am to 11.30pm
Website: http://www.cpk.com/locations/singapore-forum/
Price: $20 odd for a regular pizza


19. Skinny Pizza
I am not a fan of skinny thin pizzas, so I haven't had the impetus to want to visit. Nevertheless, they do have some unique flavours like squid ink, english breakfast and truffled mushroom which looks quite promising! Check out these reviews for more!

Address: At Wheelock, House, Raffles City and Great World City
Contact: Check here
Opening hours: Generally from 11 pm to 10pm, although the House outlet opens to midnight.
Website: http://www.skinnypizza.com.sg/
Price: Pizzas start from $21


20. The Pizza Place
This little pizzeria might get overlooked by most because it’s tucked in a little corner in Raffles City, slightly behind Skinny Pizza. If memory serves me right, they used to have a prominent place in the basement of Raffles City, prior to the extension renovation a few years ago. I still remember my high school friends and I would make that trip down to enjoy their pepperoni, sausage and BBQ flavored pizzas, which (at that time) used really good gourmet pepperoni and awesome sauces. They serve the typical American thick-crusted pizza with the usual sides like hot wings, chips, etc. I just went back recently to relieve old memories and either standards have dropped or my tastes have elevated. Their pizzas are so-so, but really, nothing much to write home about. It's pretty pricey (about $15 and above) for a decently-topped pizza and it's probably just enough to serve two not-so-ravenous people. Service is pretty quick, but seatings limited and you can’t really have a private conversation because tables are located very close to one another.

Good thing is of course, that this place has no GST and no service charge. This means what you see is what you get :] And for Muslim readers, they don't use pork or lard in their pizzas, so this could be a suitable place to head to.

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre, B1-16, Singapore 179103
Contact: 6336 1979
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm daily
Website: None
Price: around $15 for a personal sized pizza


21. OChre Italian Restaurant

I have been eyeing this place for a long long time now, because of reviews by Charlene and Brad among others, but have yet to find the company and time to head down for a pizza buffet. Rest assured this is on my to-do list this year! This is not exactly a pizzeria but more of an Italian Restaurant which happens to have a pizza buffet and good Italian food. They have a 1-for-1 promotion on weekdays and there's no service charge too!

Address: 181 Orchard Road, #11-03/04 Orchard Central
Contact: 6634 0423
Opening hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 11pm, daily.
Website: http://www.ochreitalian.com.sg/
Price: $16 up for a margherita


Beyond Dhoby Ghaut


22. Timbre pizza
Many university students (especially those from SMU) are no stranger to Timbre. What other place can you go for good music and good food? I've to say again that I'm not a fan of paper thin pizzas, but Timbre's pizzas are really not bad. I've probably tried almost all their pizzas - but roasted duck and the shrimp/seafood pizza is especially nice. And don't forget to order fries and calamari rings on the side too :]

Address: Timbre@ Art House, @ substation, @ old school
Contact: 6336 3386, 6338 8030, 6338 0800
Opening hours: from 8pm till late.
Website: http://www.timbregroup.asia/timbresg/main.asp
Price: $18 up for a pizza

23. Gattopardo
Not exactly a pizzeria again, but Gattopardo is one of the restaurants under the Garibaldi group of restaurants in Singapore, and is one of the more upscale Italian restaurants in Singapore which serve good Italian fare and offer good service. In fact, this is one of my online foodie friend, Jacob's favorite place! I've only been there during Restaurant Week, so my experience probably isn't the most accurate since they serve a fixed menu. But suffice to say, their pasta is homemade, their pizza is thick and doughy, their olive oil is pure and yummy and prices are not too exorbitant! Plus a free flow of yummy homemade bread is a definite plus! :] The only drawback in my opinion, is that it's not readily accessible by public transport and you'll have to drive up to Fort Canning Park to enjoy Gattopardo. That said, it means that your dining experience will be all the more unique and quiet!

Address: Hotel Fort Canning, 11 Canning Walk
Contact: 6338 5498
Opening hours: Daily,12pm–3pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm
Website: http://www.gattopardo.com.sg/
Price: $18 up for a pizza

24. Pizza Memoirs
You would probably have walked past this place if you love soaking up the nightlife over at Clarke Quay. I've seen the place, but have yet to eat there - I've seen a number of reviews and the squid ink dough looks especially enticing! You can check out a review here!

Address: 18 Mohamed Sultan Road, The Foundry, Singapore 238967
Contact: 6733 3102
Opening hours: Sundays to Thursdays, 11am - 11pm, Fridays and Saturdays, 11am - 2am
Website: http://www.pizzamemoirs.com.sg
Price: From $15 for a 9" pizza

25. Verve Pizza 

What’s superb about Verve is that it is for the health conscious too! Their senza pizzas are all less than 500 calories, but ingredients are still plentiful! They serve a thin-crusted, Neapolitan pizza (but minus the thick crust).

The branch at Clarke Quay opens till 4am on certain weekdays, and is a superb place if you want to indulge in some gelato and pizza in between drinking and partying.

Address: at Clarke Quay, Marina Bay and one-north

Contact: see website for details.

Opening hours: Opening times vary between outlets. The Clarke Quay and Marina Bay branches open till late (after 2am).

Website: http://verve.sg/index.php/pizza/

Price: $27 up.

26. Spizza
Spizza has one of the largest varieties of pizzas - their list starts from A and ends at X! They have pretty good lunchtime and outlet promotions which vary from month to month, and they also have new pizzas out every month or so. January's special was a 'kung pao chicken with dried chilli and cashew nuts' tomato based pizza for the festive new year :] You can also check out a 2011 review here.

Address: Outlets at Club Street, East Coast, Bukit Timah and Jalan Kayu. Takeaway at Havelock Road and Pandan Loop
Contact: See here for respective contacts. Call 6377 7773 for delivery!
Opening hours: 12pm -2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm daily.
Website: http://www.spizza.sg/
Price: 12" pizza starts from $19


27. Pizzeria Mozza
This is actually number one on my to-go-to list at the moment, but I’m still waiting for that special occasion to go down and have a complete meal with buccati mozzarella and proper pizza. Hopefully, I won’t be disappointed. Do stay tuned for a write up!
In between writing this and posting this, I managed to find that special occasion to head down and have a good meal at Mozza. Sadly enough, I wasn't too impressed with their pizzas. Admittedly, their mozzarella used was good, but the tomato sauce was just meh and truth to be told, I much prefer the neapolitan-style crust than the NY style that ... makes. However, the crostinis? I had for pre-dinner was definitely delicious, and with the barest of seasoning and herbs, they were exquisite. The meatballs also saved the day.

Address: Marina Bay Sands, #B1-42-46, 2 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018972
Contact: 66888522
Opening hours: Open for lunch on Fri and Sat, Open for dinner daily
Website: http://www.pizzeriamozza.com/singapore/dinner.cfm
Price: $16 up for the cheapest pizza.


28. South Coast Bistro and Bar
This is yet another place on my to-go-to list, so I can do no better than refer you to one of my favorite food blogs – Camemberu, who has done a wonderful review on it. I love how laidback and casual the interior looks, and I’m quite eager to try out their tasting plates which all come with their homemade sourdough bread! Do check out their website – it looks awesome and so Aussie!

Address: 10 Bayfront Ave
#L1-85 The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands
Singapore 018956
Contact: 6688 7600
Opening hours: 8am to 1am, daily.
Website: http://www.southcoast.com.sg/index.htm
Price: $22 up for the basic pepperoni.

Tanjong Pagar area

29. Pizzeria L'Operetta
Ever since I found out that they were Singapore’s first and perhaps only VPN-certified pizza, I’ve been dying to get there. And I did. I went to the ICON village branch on a weekend and tried the Pizza Bianca (which was superb) and the margherita, and I’ve to say that although the crust won me over, their tomato sauce didn’t. I found it too sour and lacking in the typical tomato ‘smoothness’, but everything else hit the spot. They also have pretty good lunch promotions (1-for-1 = cheap pizza!) and pizzas get served within minutes because of the requirement that VPN pizzas can only take 90 seconds in the oven! (of course you have to include time for the chef to actually roll out and top the pizza). Their express lunch sets are really cheap too, at $20++ for a salad, pizza and drink :] Do check out my more detailed review here!

Address: 12 Gopeng Street, ICON Village, #01-78-81 (nearest MRT is Tanjong Pagar).
Contact: 64382482
Opening hours: Open for lunch and dinner daily
Website: http://www.operetta.sg/
Price: $18 up for a Magherita

Also fully owned by them, the Enoteca L’Operetta is a full-scale Italian restaurant at 78, 79 Boat Quay Singapore 049866, selling main courses, etc, as well as a smaller range of pizzas.

30. Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
Opened by Sicilians, the Etna has a typical Italian feel to the place, albeit more high class (the usual checkered tablecloth is slightly hidden by the white layered on top of it). They serve baskets of warm bread, which you can order for $4-$9, and it’s a delight to have! They sell Pizza Biancas (mozzarella-based pizzas) and the usual tomato based pizzas, and they are pretty well known for their white pizzas. Also interesting is the prominent use of pistachios in many of the dishes – on the pizza, in their famous pistachio tiramisu, etc. This is no surprise of course, since Sicilian pistachios are perhaps one of the yummiest pistachios you can have!

Do note that the Etna that was listed as one of the Top 10 pizzerias in Singapore in the Epicure magazine is the outlet at Duxton and not the one in Siglap, because I’ve read that there are some variations in quality of the pizza.

Address: 49/50 Duxton Road and 110 Upper East Coast Road
Contact: 6220 5513/6444 9530
Opening hours: Daily: 12pm–2.30pm, 6.30pm–10:30pm
Website: http://www.sicilia-mia.com/
Price: $18 for the cheapest pizza.


31. Mont Calzone Pizza & Pasta
Catering mainly to the office crowd, Mont Calzone is a pretty decent place to have your pizza and pasta – they sell basic pastas at $13.90, with a choice of spaghetti, linguine or penne. You can add $3 if you want the more exotic ravioli or tortellini. They also have a huge variety of thin-crust pizzas, and you can make all pizzas into calzones or if you wish, make a 2-in-1 pizza just by adding $3. They probably have more than 20 pizza selections, but my advice is to stick to the more basic ones because at $15.90 for a black truffle pizza, the black truffle didn’t taste that good, whereas the basic Hawaiian pizza was loaded with ingredients. Their salmon and parma ham pizzas are not bad though!

Address: 38 Pekin Street, #01-01, Far East Square, Singapore 048768
Contact: 6557 2304
Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: 11.30am – 3.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm; Saturdays from 5.30pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sundays.
Website: http://www.montcalzone.com/
Price: From $15.90 for a 8” pizza.

32. Da Mario Pizzeria
I’ve read so many good reviews about this place, which makes me sad to give it a lousy review. The 2 pizzas I ordered, a Funghi and the Bianca pizza were honestly, quite bad. My siblings who were dining with me agreed – in fact, Domino’s tasted much better. The tomato paste was bland, and the mushrooms were the tinned types. Pizza Bianca should have good quality cheese topped, and this was just plain. I honestly had to use Tabasco sauce to make the pizza a semblance of tasty. I had high expectations for this place, which makes me doubly disappointed really.

Address: 60 Robertson Quay #01-05/06, The Quayside, Singapore 238252
Contact: 62357623
Opening hours: 12pm-3pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm on Mondays to Saturdays, closed on Sundays.
Website: www.damariopizzeria.com/
Price: from $9 for a pizza Bianca and $14 for a margherita.


33. Bella Pizza
If you head down to Robertson Quay, don't get confused if you see two outlets, one called Bella Pasta and the other, Bella Pizza along one stretch of shops. Both are essentially the same and serve essentially the same things. Do head to Bella Pizza for the greatest variety of pizza though. Word of warning - Bella Pizza is usually very very packed during the weekends, so please make a reservation before heading down or you'll have to wait more than an hour to get seated :/ You can also state if you want an inside or outside seat when reserving - the outside's good if it's late at night and the sky is clear - the river breeze would be lovely. If not, book an inside seat with air-con! ;p

Do check out my more detailed review here  - this is the second of my favorite pizza places in Singapore with good delicious pizzas and good atmosphere.

Address: 30 Robertson Quay #01-14,
Riverside View, Singapore
Contact: 6734 0139
Opening hours: Closed on Mondays. Tuesday to Friday: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 6pm to 11pm;
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday: 11.30am to 11.30pm

Website: www.bellapizza.com.sg/
Price: $18 up for a margherita.


34. Boston Pizza Company
Again, typical American-type pizzas, but they also offer other things like clam chowder and pasta, which is not too bad. They cater mostly to the office crowd in the area, and the best thing about their pizzas is that they have a rather wide variety of pizzas which are vegetarian.

Address: 5 Boon Tat Street , Singapore 069613
Contact: 6219 9219
Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 1030am to 1030pm. Closed on Sundays.
Website: http://www.pizza.com.sg/
Price: $18.80 up for a 12” regular pizza

35. Extra Virgin Pizza

This is a pretty new place, and I first got to read about it from Justin's blog. The pizzas are pretty good - I didn't have a chance to try the pistachio pizza since my dining partners didn't want them - but we went with Margherita with the mozzarella di buffala and the meatball pizza. I love the high seats and if you get there after 7pm, the breeze is awesome. They have very good service too - after we were seated and the staff saw that we each carried handbags, they promptly offered us bag hooks! +1 for good service!

The pizzas are very somewhat of a cross between Neapolitan and Roman styles - not too thin crust and not too thick either. I love the large cornicones though - the blisters on the pizza prove that they are done in a wood fired oven :] The mozzarella was not the most tasty I've eaten, but I've gotta say that the tomato paste that they use is pretty good - not too sweet and not too sour! And if you get there between 5-8pm, there's Happy Hour! They have Kirin beer which is pretty good with the pizza :] I can honestly say that this ranks among my top 5 favorites!!

Address: 8 Marina View, #01-04, Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Contact: 6247 5757

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 7.30am - 11pm

Website: http://www.extravirginpizza.com/

Price: $18 up for a margherita

North

36. Buono Pizza
I’m not exactly sure if this place is still there but from what I’ve searched on the internet, this place sells good pizza and is a quaint little restaurant.

Address: Serangoon Garden Estate, 27 Lichfield Road
Contact: 6733 5646
Opening hours: Daily: 12pm–2pm, 6pm–10pm
Website: None.

PS: As you can guess, I don't really travel to the North that much, so my list of pizza places there are considerably limited. Do let me know if there's any nice pizza places there you wish to include in this list!

East

37. 12-inch Pizza and Records

Yet another venture by the Timbre Group, you can expect pizzas of the same quality over at 12-inch. I've again only read reviews - especially Justin's review and it does look pretty good! Like the namesake, it sells 12 inch pizzas named after song titles and group names. Some names include "Goodfellas" (which probably only locals will know) and The Cranbellies (presumably after The Cranberries). Some pizzas I've my eye on is the pear and gorgonzola as well as the black pepper crab. Even their  menu is a 12-inch record! This is definitely something I'm KIVing when I'm in the vicinity!

Address: 70 Jellicoe Road, V Hotel, Level 4 (near Lavender MRT)

Contact: 6296 1622 or 6352 6266 (delivery)
Opening hours: Daily: 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm.
Website: www.facebook.com/12inchPizzas
Price: $22 up for a pizza

38. Bruno’s Pizzeria & Grill
I’m not really an ‘eastie’, so what I’ve tried in the East of Singapore is really limited. Do check out reviews from here and here and here! All of them have favourable reviews of the place!

Address: 338 Tanjong Katong Road
Contact: 6440 4525
Opening hours: Tues to Sun: 12 noon – 2.30pm, 6 pm – 10.30 pm
Website: None
Price: $18 up


39. Al Forno
I know this isn’t exactly a pizzeria but more of an Italian restaurant but it is a restaurant opened by Napolis and I thought it was worth highlighting. For those staying in the East, they do free delivery for orders above $40, which is pretty good if you’re too lazy to get out of the house and you want a proper, delicious Italian meal with primo plat and carne, etc.

Oh and pizza’s good too!

Address: 400 East Coast Road Singapore 428996
Contact: 6348 8781, delivery hotline 63488861
Opening hours: 12pm-2pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm daily.
Website: http://www.alfornoeastcoast.com.sg/
Price: $20 up for a margherita


40. Pizza Capers
For the rare few people in Singapore who are gluten-free – pizza capers is where you want to have your pizza from! They not only have kid sized pizzas, they also have gluten free 10” pizzas, which cost a slight fraction more than the large 12”. FYI, their kid sized gluten free pizzas only cost $7.95! What’s more, they do delivery (though to a limited area) as well, which is perfect for parties. They also have a great variety of pizzas, as well as pasta and risotto!

Address: 226 East Coast Road Singapore 428923
Contact: 62626262
Opening hours: 10.30am to 10.30pm daily.
Website: http://www.pizzacapers.com.sg/store-location.aspx
Price: $16.95 up for a regular 9” pizza.


41. Pizza Goemon (Yomenya Goemon)
This is yet another Japanese pizza place - what is it about Japanese and pizzas in Singapore? Anyway, I've only seen this and have only tried their pasta menu, which is pretty good and value for money btw. They also have pretty good set deals for lunch at not-too-exorbitant prices!

Address: 112@Katong and Changi City Point.
Contact: 6636 3692 (Katong)
Opening hours: 11.30am - 9.30pm daily
Website: http://www.n-rs.com.sg/
Price: $15 up for a pizza

And that ends off my list of pizza places and pizzerias! Do let me know if you check out any of them and have anything to say about them, especially those places which I've not been to because I would love to hear reviews on them for me to better decide which to head to first :]

[Thursday's Trio] Multigrain Banana Loaf (with Sorghum)

There was a time, not too long ago, when my life merely revolved around white flour and wholemeal flour. Like I mentioned in my previous Thursday’s Trio post on buckwheat, it was blog surfing that introduced me to looking outside the “wheat box” and boy am I glad I did!

Today’s flour of the day or Thursday's Trio is sorghum flour, or jowar flour as it is known to many Indians. In my last post, some asked me what is sorghum and hopefully this post today will answer all your queries and perhaps whet your appetite to try out sorghum for yourself!

As with many cereals and crops, sorghum was originally cultivated in Egypt, and it continues to be a staple food source in Africa. I guess one main reason why it has lived through the ages is because of its sturdiness and resistance to drought. Over in India, it is commonly used, and appears in foods like jowar roti and other flatbreads (chapattis) all over India. You can check out some jowar roti recipes here here and here. They use pretty much the same proportions. And yes, I bought my pack of sorghum flour from the Indian shop as well :]

Sorghum has gained popularity recently because it is gluten-free and people suffering from celiac disease can safely enjoy foods made with sorghum. Sorghum is seldom used alone, because it is bland (flavourless). That being said, its neutral flavour and light colour is also precisely the reason why it is used as a substitute for wheat flour since it does not alter the taste and smell of the finished product. It does alter texture however – it results in a crumbly end product because of its lack of gluten, so it is usually used in tandem with rice or corn starches or more fat.

Three interesting facts on sorghum

1. Sorghum is the 5th most important cereal crop grown in the world! It is typically used as a replacement for wheat in India and Africa. And what’s even more interesting is that it is also known as “Milo” in Spanish!
2. There was once when the nutritional benefits of sorghum were not known – in fact, the UNFAO found them to have “poor nutritional quality”. Nowadays, sorghum is known as the next “superfruit” for its high antioxidant power – studies have shown that it has 4-12 times MORE antioxidants than fruits like pomegranates, acai berries, and blueberries!
3. Sorghum is also high in insoluble fibre, which is helpful for improving digestion and bowel movement. Also, the starch in sorghum is more slowly digested than other cereals, which makes it friendly for diabetics because it controls blood glucose.

Three ways of using sorghum

1. Sorghum is also used to produce sorghum sorghum syrup or molasses, which is used as a sugar substitute. The stalks of the sorghum plant are harvested, crushed like sugar cane to produce the syrup. Just check out this recipe for instance.
2. Sorghum grains can be ‘popped’ just like popcorn, and they taste even better!
3. You might not know this, but sorghum grains are usually found in the ten-grain mixes (十谷米) that you can find in organic food stores.

Three interesting recipes I’ve bookmarked from blogs

I couldn’t find local blogs using these recipes, so I’ve picked some from my favourite blogs, and I’ve cheated a little by including three of each category below to show you how versatile sorghum can be!

1. Tart crust containing sweet white rice (glutinous rice), millet, cornstarch and sorghum by Tartlette
2. Chocolate chip cookie using sorghum flour, millet flour and tapioca and corn starches
3. Scones, scones and cinnamon rolls!

How to store sorghum flour?

Most recommend storing sorghum (and all other flours) in a sealed, airtight container and placing it in a cool dark place. If you're afraid that it'll deteriorate under the tropical heat, just store it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge :]

  

Gluten-Free Banana Loaf

Makes a 6" round cake or 15cm loaf and a couple cupcakes 

50g butter

45g brown sugar

25g castor sugar

55g egg (without shell)

150g banana, mashed

90g gluten-free flour mix* 

¼ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

50g milk

*I used a mixture of the following: 15g almond flour, 15g millet flour, 15g sorghum flour, 15g rice flour, 15g tapioca flour, 10g corn starch and 5g ground flaxseed.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Sieve the various flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together. Set aside.
3. Cream butter until softened. Add in the sugars and cream until fluffy. Add in the egg and beat well, for about 1 minute or until mixture does not appear too curdled. 
4. Next, add in the mashed banana and mix well. 
5. Sieve in half of the dry ingredients, beating until all traces of flour disappear. Add in half of the milk and mix well. Repeat with a quarter of the dry ingredients and the remaining half of the milk, and end with the last quarter of the dry ingredients. You should get a smooth cake batter at this stage.
6. If baking as a round cake or loaf, bake for about 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. If baking as cupcakes/muffins, bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops turn golden brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes on wire racks before serving. The cake tastes best the next day, after it is fully cooled and the cake has had time to develop its rich banana flavor. 

Janine's jots: 

• Taste: I upped the cinnamon this time around and I much prefer this cake because of the added spiciness.
• Texture: Because of the lack of gluten, the loaf is slightly more compact and moist in the centre. But this could also be because of the greater amount of liquid (I used 50g milk instead of 20g per my previous recipe), greater amount of mashed bananas (150g instead of 120g) and smaller amount of sugar (70g instead of 90g). The batter is slightly more liquid than usual as well.
• Serving size: I used a small loaf tin and made tiny cupcakes with the rest of the batter. If you want a nice and tall loaf, I suggest using a 15cm or (4 x 7) loaf tin!
• Modifications: I would probably stick to the original liquid and banana amounts (about 20g milk and 120g banana) because I found this gluten-free version a little dense in the centre for my liking. I much prefer a breadier texture for my banana loaves. But this purely be because of the lack of gluten here. I haven't had enough attempts to determine my optimum proportions yet ;p But my mom did enjoy its moistness and said the extra banana made it super yummy.
• Storage: Because the cake contains banana, it only stores well for a day at room temperature in our tropical climate. After that, the cake will feel a little sticky. I would advise keeping the cake in the fridge, and it will taste good for at least a week. If you prefer, give the cake a quick 5s zap in the microwave and it will be slightly warm, perfect with a cup of tea in the morning :]
• Would I make this again?: Yes definitely! Check out my previous recipe here!



Check out the dense (and moist) crumb!