Handcrafted ceramic wares that plate our food with aplomb. A custom pasta bench where we ply our craft to a tee. Hand-stitched aprons to keep the spirits high and flour at bay. Peculiar plants for a touch of shade and whimsy. These are just some pockets of our day-to-day design that we've filled with the help of fellow homegrown brands such as @mudrockceramics, @jottergoods, @mizbeth.sg and @thishumidhouse. Brands helmed by talented craftsmen and visionaries who've made their mark in Singapore—boots on the ground—and are all the better of it, rising to every occasion. It's a growing list. For sure. And we're always on the look out for local creatives who can shape our design language through their own unique perspective. Or simply surprise us. You know where to slide 📥

When life gives us a fresh haul of sardines straight from the warm, sparkling Mediterranean waters, it would be criminal to do anything but glaze it and blaze it over an open fire. After all, a fresh grilled sardine is a sublimely thing: from the moment you peel off the burnt, shimmering skin, revealing a delicate pink flesh, an aroma redolent of salted air, the richly nuanced flavours within. But why stop there? Get into the spirit of summer with our 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙀𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖, where we serve the flame-licked fillets with some of Sicily's best and brightest. The island's go-to summer stew of eggplants and capsicums simmered into a sweet, sticky and tangy caponata, slivers of chopped Sicilian almonds, and a judicious sprinkle of Sicilian oregano will do just that. Best enjoyed on a balmy night out on our alfresco patio, where blink.. and you might just find yourself transported from our sleepy streets of Tembeling to any one of Trapani's sandy beaches. Your pick.

𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙄 𝘾𝙊𝙉 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙍𝙊 𝙀 𝙊𝙍𝙊 🇮🇹: Bologna, Emilia Romagna (North) 🤌🏻: Large, ring-shaped egg pasta filled with ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs and parsley. 🍝: Cloaked in butter, warmed gently with herbaceous sage and tomato passata. 🍅 for 🤔: Burro e Oro, or butter and "gold", is a classic Bolognese accoutrement of Tortelloni that paints a rich, velvety butter sauce enriched with not gold, but tomato passata. Diminutively referred to as "oro", no ingredient can conjure up Italian culture and cuisine quite like the tomato today. One school of thought suggests the name came from the first tomatoes that arrived in Italy from south America in the early 16th century, which sported a yellow hue, and was endeared to the locals as the "golden apple". Hence forth the Italian translation of tomato to "pomo d'oro", where "pomo" = apple, and “oro” = gold. It was not long before tomato crops were thriving in the Mediterranean climate that blessed the boot-shaped peninsula, with their ambrosial scent wafting through the summer air. Since then, generations after generations of families from northern Italy would come together to preserve tomatoes harvested during summer into cans and bottles as pulps and purees for use all year round. The many hands that contribute to this yearly familial tradition just to ration the sweet nectar of tomatoes matured to sun-kissed perfection alludes to our second school of thought: where the precious condiment—openly hoarded and stashed by young and old all through summer—is considered to be worth the value of gold, hence "oro". In other words: tomayto, tomahto. Delve deeper down the Tortelloni rabbit hole in our latest #instagramreel, or find out more about our summer slate of pasta shapes via link in bio.

𝙉𝙤 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙏𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙞 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚. Paulo Coleho once famously penned, “in a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.” While we’re pretty certain he didn’t have pasta in mind at time of writing, the sentiment is spot on when we think of 𝙏𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙞 — one of northern Italy's more prominent stuffed egg pasta shapes, which traces its roots to 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙖, or more specifically, the capital of Bologna. It is said that every sfoglino leaves behind on each tortellono his or her own personal imprint; a signature, if you will. One that proclaims the maker’s mark on each ring-shaped parcel, denoting the unique characteristics of that sfoglino’s style from thickness, texture and shape. Not to be confused with 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞 (its smaller, meatier cousin that we’ve talked to death about several posts earlier) each carefully measured square of egg pasta is piped with a filling of ricotta, Parmigiana Reggiano and a leafy green such as parsley or spinach, before being sealed by skillful hands. Venture beyond Bologna into the cities of Ferrara, Modena or Reggio Emilia, and the stuffed pasta adopts completely different tastes and textures, with anything from pumpkin to amaretti biscuits in its cavity. After all, its ancestral makers derived the name tortelloni from the word “torta”, meaning cake or pie. And just like cakes, pies, snowflakes or leaves—from sfoglino to sfoglino, city to city—no two Tortelloni are one and the same. We take our cue from 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙖, where we simply let the tortelloni shine in a rendition of 𝙏𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙞 𝙘𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤 𝙚 𝙊𝙧𝙤 that’s discreetly cloaked in butter, warmed gently with herbaceous sage and tomato passata. Stay tuned for our grand reveal.

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙩 🍝 Six new pasta plates, all new shapes. Dressed in flavours light and bright; dreamed up with bang in season produce as fresh as they come. Teeming with time-honoured traditions sussed out from every corner of our favourite boot-shaped peninsula, passed down from generation to generation, border to border. Once again, twirl and slurp your way from the North to the South, and into the Islands. Partake in the fading Sardinian art of beautifully braided 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙨. Humble your palate to 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙞 borne out of necessity in Campofilone. Bear witness to the blissful Apulian union of 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙖𝙡 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝘼𝙧𝙨𝙤 between burnt wheat minchiareddhi and orecchiette. One thing's for sure: we'll never run out of ways to show you how these little parcels, strands and sheets of joy can paint the most vivid picture of Italy’s astounding regional diversity.

Italian restaurants are dime a dozen, but there are certain traits that make you stop for a second and wonder if you’ve stumbled into yet another one of #TheCichetiGroup's. The homegrown team that staff our front and back of house teams, the right hit of spice in every bite, the meticulously curated wine lists, and of course, the art on the walls. Little fun fact you may not know: all the art that line the walls of Cicheti concepts are curated from Southeast Asian artists, and bear a special meaning to the concept. Here at Forma, you can’t help but steal a glance at the works of Malaysian artist Fauzulyusri. Featuring heavy-bodied pigments like oil paints, pumice and industrial texture pasta that are layered over scarred surfaces, his works were chosen for their uncanny resemblance to raw pasta dough waiting to be rolled into shapes, while lending a loose irreverence and rawness to an otherwise polished place.

We're sure you're well acquainted with our 𝙂𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙤 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙤 by now—fried parcels of leavened, lard enriched dough from the streets of Emilia Romagna. Lardo and pink peppercorn, however, are so last season. We've spruced it up for summer by way of our 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣 𝙂𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙤 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙤. Fried with a broader surface area and a more assertive crunch, we lay on what most consider to be the king of cured meats: 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙕𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝘿𝙊𝙋. Made with the noblest part of the swine's thigh, it is the heritage and treasure of the Bassa Parmense—a particular strip of land placidly lying along the banks of the great river Po—where the special climate and traditions of its people add to the cold cut's charm. A drizzle of organic chestnut honey from Sicily, a pinch of aleppo chilli, and wispy shavings of aged parmigiano reggiano lend all the luxe we could muster to this simple Emilian street snack.

Remember the #tortellini that you literally couldn't get enough of? Look who's all grown up now. Just one of the many new discoveries to look forward to in our new summer menu.

Just as you thought @forma.sg's opening menu was as delicious an introduction one could get into the myriad of tastes, textures and traditions found folded, stuffed and shaped into fresh, handmade pasta; complete with the many enticing ways people eat and drink up and down Italy's boot-shaped peninsula... their upcoming summer menu—based on just the trials alone—is shaping up for its very own "hold my beer" moment. Word to the wise? Forget everything you know and love and just come hungry. There are new discoveries at every turn, with a rabbit hole or two for you to fall right through. The delicate greens of spring have come into their own with crisp, crunchy counterparts vibrant from root to shoot. The moreish snacks peddled on the streets give way to playful plates painted with confident strokes of flavours and textures. And as for the the new slate of pasta dishes. My oh my. Let's just say you're in for a treat. Mark your calendars for 16 August. It's going to be a real doozy.

'𝘾𝙐𝘾𝙄𝙉𝘼 𝙋𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍𝘼', 𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙉 𝙄𝙉 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 are long, wide and flat ribbons of pasta that have been hand-rolled from sfoglia, ensuring no two bite feels the same. Their broad shape and large surface area make them the perfect twirl-me-up for a hearty ragu, and in true Forma fashion, we’d be remissed to serve it with just any ragu. 𝙇𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙖 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙖 is an iconic oxtail stew borne out of cucina povera in 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙇𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙤, where from root to shoot and nose to tail—nothing was deemed too humble for the pot. The tail, along with other offal offerings, are all categorised as the ‘quinto quarto’ or ‘fifth quarter’ of the bovine: essentially the bits and bobs that fall from a butchered carcass and nobility never had to endure, but prized by the proletariat class for their economy and versatility. The stew would typically be enjoyed by the ‘vaccinari’ of the Rione Regola in the heart of the Eternal City—butchers, tanners, leather workers and the ilk that were connected to slaughterhouses and tanneries, said to have populated the east of the Tiber—as a secondo, with its leftover sauce “stretched” to dress pasta. Today at Forma, nothing about our 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙙𝙖 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙑𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙖 will leave you feeling wanting. Hand-rolled ribbons of pappardelle are entwined in a braised oxtail ragu of crushed tomatoes, Pecorino Romano DOP and red wine, along with collagen that’s spent hours dripping off the bones and into a rich, unctuous sauce.

𝙏𝙇;𝘿𝙍: 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙. If you're dining in one of our restaurants and feel a spine-tingling chill run down the hairs on your neck, don't worry. It's not the devil here with an offer for your soul you can't refuse. Not exactly, anyway. It's more likely just Ronald Kamiyama sleuthing up to you with a bottle of wine he thinks you'll enjoy, and a rolodex of dad jokes that we know you won't—but he tries anyway. We first heard legends of Kamiyama through our friends at @winervlt back in simpler times: a Peruvian-Japanese sommelier whom they thought had balls big enough to pull off @barcicheti's gutsy take on grapes. After all, he's paired his wines alongside plates from some of the world's most celebrated chefs. Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali, Shinobu Namae... and now chef Aun? What could possibly go wrong? 🤞🏻 Five years and three openings later, we can't imagine stepping into any Cicheti concept without spotting his goofy grin and kooky accent bellowing some of his all-time favourite quips like "if they grow together, they go together" or the casually ripped off "great wine? To me it does not exist blah blah blah". Like most of us, he's as Italian as @benfatto_95 is an orecchiette-flicking nonna from Bari’s Old Quarter—but the wines you know for a fact you’ll always discover and delight in each time you dine with us say otherwise. Just at Forma, his 150-odd wine list reads like a love letter to Italy, bringing native and unfamiliar grapes of each region to the fore—from an ancient Schiopettino from Friuli in the north to a Nero di Troia from Puglia in the south. Beyond wines, drinking traditions found up and down the boot-shaped peninsula are provided for, whether it's a Piedmontese lager to start, or a caffe corretto moment to end. Step out of Italy and you’ll find vast flavours of the new and old wine world through newfangled discoveries such as a juicy Japanese orange wine or a classical back vintage Barolo at every turn. But what is possibly our very *favouritest* thing about Ronald Kamiyama, is the look on his face when he brings you the wine list and you ask for warm water instead.

With a list of secondi that reads like a meat lover's wet dream, our 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙪𝙯𝙯𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙖 has fallen criminally under the radar. But those who've had a go at it would happily attest to the ASMR-inducing brain tingles one would experience upon taking a knife against the crackling skin on the slab of pan-roasted blue cod. The surprise one would delight in upon slicing past the embrittled skin that gives way to its plump, flaky flesh. And the kind of pleasure that makes you instinctively close your eyes and go ‘mmm’ as you savour very, very slowly the soft, yielding flakes against a cucielo vermouth-butter sauce, complete with flavourful trappings of fava beans, English peas, cipollini onions, and prosciutto. You’re welcome.