Cover Italian chef Mirko Febbrile (Image: Fico)
Italian chef Mirko Febbrile (Image: Fico)
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The Italian chef’s new dining concept is an homage to his hometown of Puglia, and was opened in partnership with The Lo & Behold Group
Mirko Febbrile is no stranger to the local F&B scene, having helmed Braci as chef de cuisine and earning a Michelin star less than a year after it opened in 2017. After leaving the restaurant in 2021, he spent some time staging at renowned restaurants like Noma in Denmark and helming wildly successful, month-long hawker pop-up at Chinatown Complex last year. Now, the talented and affable Italian chef is back (much to the excitement of gourmands) with his own dining concept, Fico.
“The restaurant is an homage to my hometown of Puglia,” muses the chef, whose face lights up when he recalls the childhood memories of growing up in the coastal region of Italy, famed for its vibrant culture and amazing cuisine. Thus, it made sense for Febbrile to open Fico at East Coast Parkway which overlooks the sea, as it’s a good representation of the majestic sea view you’d get in Puglia.
Febbrile adds that the restaurant, which was designed by Nice Projects (who also imagined the look of Odette, Claudine and Le Bon Funk in Holland Village), brings a slice of Puglian culture to the island with the live pasta counter and communal tables that make for lively conversations over food and wines. The chef hopes that guests would experience this same once the doors open on May 18. Currently, the restaurant is only open for dinner but Febbrile plans to open for lunch in the near future.
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Fico
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The link to Puglia extends beyond the sea view and space, as Febbrile tirelessly worked with Puglian and Singaporean artists to design everything from the plateware with green dots that bring to mind the colour of the olive oil the region is known for; pin wheel-shaped lights that are often seen in local festivals; to the clay pots shipped from Puglia (some are over 100 years old, others are new and designed by the chef) that decorate the al fresco area.
Febbrile is quick to point out that guests shouldn’t “expect cooking from my grandma”. He created the menu with “La Cucina Povera” in mind; the waste-not want-not culinary approach simply means cooking with the best seasonal ingredients, and that is why his dishes are often crafted with three to four ingredients only.
The dine-in menu might be concise, for now, but the dishes are big on flavours and are made for sharing. His signature Focaccina, for instance, is made with 80 per cent semola and 20 per cent flour to create a nutrient-dense light base and crunchy crust that complements the assortment of toppings such as Piennolo Giallo tomatoes, gulf anchovies, baked black olives and capers.
Its location at East Coast Parkway guarantees high foot traffic, which is why Febbrile also launched a dedicated takeaway kiosk where everyone from cyclists to tourists can buy an array of delights inspired by Puglian street food. It is his way of making people happy through delicious and accessible food, whether they decide to have their meals in the restaurant or enjoy them in the comforts of their home.
Fico, 1300 East Coast Parkway, Carpark F2, S(468964), 8121 7208
Credits
Images: Fico
Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
