Singapore draws food lovers into a rich mix of tastes from around the world. Its food scene blends cultures in ways that spark joy and surprise. This setup lets diners explore flavors from Asia and beyond, all in one city. Take Fi Woodfire Thai at Shaw Centre, for example. It brings bold Thai dishes to life with wood-fired cooking.
Chefs grill fresh meats and veggies over open flames. This method adds a smoky depth that honors Thai street food roots. You get classics like grilled satay skewers, dripping with peanut sauce, or fiery tom yum soup simmered just right. The spot sits in a busy mall, making it easy to grab an authentic bite after shopping.
Now shift to PerBacco on Craig Road. This place dives deep into Italian joy. It serves handmade pasta and slow-cooked meats from northern Italy’s traditions. Picture plates of rich ragu over tagliatelle, or crisp wood-oven pizzas topped with local twists. The cozy setting on a historic street feels like a quick trip to Tuscany.
Both spots show how Singapore mixes global recipes with fresh local finds, like tropical herbs in Thai curries or Italian cheeses paired with Asian greens. They pull crowds—Fi Woodfire Thai often books up on weekends, while PerBacco
draws praise for its warm service.
Head there to taste why these meals turn simple dinners into lasting memories. Singapore’s food world keeps growing, with over 100 new eateries each year, and these two lead the way in fresh, heartfelt eats.
Fi Woodfire Thai: Modern Thai Meets Ancient Cooking Techniques
Ambience & Setting
Fi Woodfire Thai’s recent relocation to Shaw Centre marks a new chapter for this innovative Thai restaurant. The establishment successfully balances modern aesthetics with the rustic appeal of woodfire cooking, creating an atmosphere that’s both contemporary and rooted in traditional techniques. The restaurant’s design philosophy centers around showcasing their signature woodfire oven, which serves as both a cooking tool and a theatrical centerpiece that brings the ancient art of fire cooking into a modern dining environment.
The ambience strikes a careful balance between familiarity and excitement, reflecting the restaurant’s culinary approach. Diners can witness the mesmerizing dance of flames over lychee wood, creating an immersive experience that connects them to the primal act of cooking over fire—a technique that predates modern Thai cuisine by millennia.
Menu Philosophy & Concept
Fi Woodfire Thai’s expanded menu at their new location demonstrates a commitment to innovation while respecting traditional Thai flavors. The restaurant’s core philosophy revolves around using woodfire cooking to enhance familiar Thai dishes, creating what they describe as bringing “both familiarity and excitement” to diners.
The menu is strategically divided into sections that showcase different aspects of their woodfire expertise:
- Appetizers: Creative interpretations of Thai classics
- Woodfire Specialties: The heart of their offering, featuring meats and vegetables grilled over lychee wood
- Wok Section: Traditional stir-fry dishes that complement the smoky flavors
- Desserts: Refined traditional Thai sweets with modern presentation
Signature Dish Analysis
Son-in-Law Eggs (Rating: 4.5/5 – $10)
This appetizer exemplifies Fi’s approach to elevating traditional dishes. The execution focuses on textural contrast—crispy edges meeting oozy, lava-like yolks. The innovation lies in the housemade strawberry tamarind glaze, which adds a fruity complexity to the traditional sweet-sour-salty flavor profile typical of Thai cuisine. The dish succeeds in creating familiarity through the recognizable Son-in-Law egg format while introducing excitement through the unexpected strawberry element.
Technical Aspects: Perfect egg cookery requires precise timing to achieve the desired runny yolk while crisping the exterior. The strawberry tamarind glaze represents a fusion approach that maintains Thai flavor principles while introducing Western fruit profiles.
Signature Moo Ping Pork Rib (Rating: 5/5 – $48)
This dish represents the pinnacle of Fi’s woodfire expertise. The 500g bone-in ribs showcase the restaurant’s mastery of lychee wood cooking, achieving the coveted “fall-off-the-bone” texture while developing rich caramelization from rendered fat. The accompanying nam jim jaew provides the essential Thai balance of tangy elements against rich meat.
Technical Excellence: The success of this dish relies on low-and-slow cooking techniques over consistent woodfire heat. The caramelized edges indicate proper Maillard reaction development, while the tender interior suggests careful temperature control and adequate resting time.
Cultural Authenticity: Moo ping represents street food elevated to fine dining status, maintaining the essence of Thai grilled pork while enhancing presentation and quality through premium ingredients and technique refinement.
French Poulet (Rating: 5/5 – $32)
The use of organic GGTM French Poulet from Toh Thye San Farm demonstrates Fi’s commitment to ingredient quality. The woodfire cooking method imparts subtle smokiness while maintaining the chicken’s natural flavors. The bold chicken liver jaew showcases authentic Thai flavor building, though alternatives accommodate varying palate preferences.
Sourcing Excellence: Daily fresh delivery ensures optimal texture and flavor, while the organic certification aligns with modern dining preferences for sustainable, high-quality ingredients.
Menu Challenges & Areas for Improvement
Several dishes reveal opportunities for menu refinement:
Grilled Green Mango Salad (2.8/5): The attempt to incorporate woodfire cooking into a traditionally fresh salad highlights the challenge of applying fire techniques universally. The grilling softened the mango’s essential crunch, demonstrating that not all dishes benefit from the restaurant’s signature cooking method.
Basil Minced Pork on Charred Eggplant (2.8/5): Over-sweetness and sauce dominance suggest seasoning balance issues, while the absence of detectable basil indicates either insufficient quantity or cooking method problems that diminish aromatic herbs.
PerBacco: Northern Italian Tradition Meets Singapore Sophistication
Ambience & Design Philosophy
PerBacco’s Craig Road location strategically differentiates itself from neighboring Italian establishments through its focus on Northern Italian regional specialties. The restaurant’s design creates distinct zones for different dining experiences—a casual bar area with rustic brick walls and red sofas at the entrance, transitioning to more intimate seating behind an artistic divider crafted from stacked wine crates with the restaurant’s embossed name.
This design philosophy reflects the owners’ vision of creating an “inviting and unpretentious” environment that contrasts with the sometimes overly serious atmosphere of traditional fine dining establishments. The custom wine crate divider serves both functional and aesthetic purposes, reinforcing the restaurant’s wine-centric identity while creating visual interest.
Regional Cuisine Focus
PerBacco’s commitment to Northern Italian cuisine represents a sophisticated approach to Italian dining in Singapore. The regional focus means:
- Pasta yields to risotto and polenta: Reflecting Northern Italy’s rice and corn cultivation traditions
- Butter over olive oil: Aligning with Northern Italy’s dairy-rich cooking style
- Cheese-based sauces: Emphasizing the region’s renowned cheese-making traditions
- Hearty, warming dishes: Suitable for Northern Italy’s cooler climate, adapted for Singapore’s dining preferences
Cicchetti Culture & Small Plates Excellence
The restaurant’s cicchetti (small plates) program allows Chef Marco Fregnan to showcase creativity and personality through carefully crafted appetizers that set the tone for the dining experience.
Spicy Crab Meat Croquettes (Rating: 3.8/5 – $12)
These demonstrate technical proficiency in creating textural contrast—crusty exterior protecting creamy ricotta and potato interior enriched with fresh crab meat. The spicy tuna sauce provides the necessary flavor bridge that connects the mild croquette interior with more assertive flavors.
Technical Analysis: Successful croquettes require proper binding to prevent breakage during frying, while maintaining moisture in the interior. The ricotta-potato combination provides both richness and structural integrity.
Sweet and Sour Prawns (Rating: 4/5 – $24)
This dish represents intelligent adaptation of traditional Venetian cooking. The substitution of prawns for sardines in the classic Sarde in Saor demonstrates how traditional techniques can accommodate different ingredients while maintaining flavor principles. The Parma ham wrapping adds salinity and texture complexity while allowing the prawns to retain their characteristic sweetness and bounce.
Cultural Innovation: This dish showcases how authentic regional cooking principles can be applied to create new dishes that respect traditional flavor profiles while offering novel experiences.
Signature Dishes Deep Dive
Green Pea Risotto – Risi e Bisi (Rating: 4.2/5 – $20)
Chef Marco’s use of his grandmother’s recipe represents the highest level of authenticity—family traditions passed down through generations. The addition of minty oil creates a refreshing element uncommon in typical risottos, demonstrating how personal touches can enhance traditional dishes.
Technical Mastery: Perfect risotto requires constant stirring, gradual stock addition, and precise timing to achieve the ideal creamy texture while maintaining individual grain integrity. The mint oil integration requires careful balance to enhance rather than overwhelm the delicate pea flavors.
Milk-Stewed Codfish – Baccala’ alla Vicentina (Rating: 4.2/5 – $32)
This dish exemplifies Northern Italian cooking philosophy—slow, gentle cooking methods that transform ingredients through patience rather than aggressive technique. The 1.5-hour milk-stewing process with onions and anchovies creates complex flavor layering while maintaining the codfish’s delicate texture.
Traditional Technique: This Venetian specialty demonstrates how traditional preservation and cooking methods (codfish was historically salted for preservation) evolve into refined dining experiences. The milk cooking medium provides gentle heat transfer while imparting richness.
Wine Program & Value Proposition
PerBacco’s wine program reflects its commitment to accessibility and authenticity. The Tuesday promotion (6-8 PM cicchetti with wine purchase) demonstrates understanding of Singapore’s dining culture while maintaining Italian conviviality traditions. The selection of Marchesi Gavi DOCG and Marchesa Vincenza Stanga Barbera d’Asti at $6 net provides exceptional value while maintaining quality standards.
Comparative Analysis: Two Distinct Approaches
Cooking Philosophy Contrast
Fi Woodfire Thai employs ancient fire cooking techniques to enhance modern Thai cuisine, creating excitement through the primal appeal of flame cooking while maintaining familiar flavor profiles.
PerBacco focuses on preserving traditional Northern Italian techniques and family recipes, creating authenticity through generational knowledge transfer and regional ingredient focus.
Innovation vs. Tradition Spectrum
Fi represents the innovation end of the spectrum—taking established dishes and reimagining them through woodfire cooking, sometimes successfully (Moo Ping, French Poulet) and sometimes less so (Grilled Mango Salad).
PerBacco sits closer to the traditional end while allowing for intelligent adaptations (Sweet and Sour Prawns) that respect traditional principles while accommodating modern tastes and ingredient availability.
Price Point & Value Analysis
Fi Woodfire Thai operates in the mid-to-premium segment with signature dishes ranging from $10-$48, reflecting the labor-intensive woodfire cooking process and premium ingredients.
PerBacco offers more accessible pricing with most dishes under $35, enhanced by promotional pricing that makes Italian dining more approachable for regular dining rather than special occasions only.
Delivery & Takeaway Considerations
Fi Woodfire Thai Delivery Challenges
The restaurant’s strength lies in the immediate impact of woodfire cooking—the visual drama, aromatic smoke, and optimal serving temperature. These elements face significant challenges in delivery:
- Temperature Retention: Woodfire-cooked meats require careful packaging to maintain the contrast between crispy exteriors and tender interiors
- Smoke Flavor Preservation: The subtle lychee wood smokiness may diminish during transport
- Textural Elements: Dishes like Son-in-Law Eggs depend on textural contrast that may suffer during delivery
Delivery Optimization: Successful delivery would require specialized packaging systems, potentially separate containers for sauces, and clear reheating instructions to maintain dish integrity.
PerBacco Delivery Advantages
Northern Italian cuisine generally travels better than many other cooking styles:
- Sauce-based Dishes: Risottos and braised items often improve slightly during resting time
- Robust Flavors: The rich, cheese-based sauces maintain their appeal even at slightly lower temperatures
- Structural Integrity: Dishes like croquettes and braised meats maintain their form during transport
Delivery Considerations: Risottos would require immediate consumption to prevent overcooking, while braised items could be safely transported and gently reheated.
Conclusion: Complementary Excellence
Fi Woodfire Thai and PerBacco represent two successful approaches to ethnic dining in Singapore’s competitive restaurant landscape. Fi’s innovation-forward approach appeals to diners seeking familiar flavors presented in exciting new ways, while PerBacco’s tradition-focused philosophy attracts those yearning for authentic regional experiences.
Both restaurants succeed by maintaining clear identities—Fi through its commitment to woodfire cooking excellence, and PerBacco through its dedication to Northern Italian regional authenticity. Their different approaches to ambience, menu development, and cultural interpretation provide Singapore diners with complementary rather than competing experiences, enriching the city’s diverse culinary ecosystem.
The success of both establishments demonstrates that Singapore’s sophisticated dining scene can support multiple approaches to ethnic cuisine, rewarding both innovation and tradition when executed with skill, passion, and clear vision.
- Limited Information: Most establishments appear to be dine-in focused
- Takeaway Available: Several hawker stalls and coffee shops
- No Delivery Mentioned: For most locations
Tourist Accessibility:
- Highest Value: Maxwell Food Centre, Tong Ah Eating House, Original Katong Laksa, Atlas Bar
- Moderate Accessibility: Most hawker centres and established restaurants
- Advance Planning Required: The Ampang Kitchen, Burnt Ends reservations
Cultural Significance:
- Historical: Tong Ah (1939), Singapore Zam Zam (1908), Song Fa (1969)
- Heritage Preservation : Kim Choo Kueh Chang, Tan’s Tu Tu Coconut Cake
- Modern Innovation: Burnt Ends, Cloudstreet, % Arabica
Cooking Techniques Highlighted:
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