It might sound incredulous, but I first heard about the Italian restaurant iO Italian Osteria at HillV2 about 6-8 years ago when an ex-colleague said its the …
It might sound incredulous, but I first heard about the Italian restaurant iO Italian Osteria at HillV2 about 6-8 years ago when an ex-colleague said its the best homestyle Italian she's ever tried. Yes, that long. I did make a mental note to go, but for some reason the stars and moon did not align until this Covid year when I went a couple of months back (after CB) for a random late lunch with my sister and a friend. Since we went late (like 2.30pm), the place was relatively empty, but the place had really nice vibes that brought me momentarily back to my Italian holidays.
The tall windows are love. The view's on a hill.. oh wait 😅
They have chairs outside for diners - you could tell that it gets really popular (and it does, on weekend lunches!). Reservations recommended! The mall itself is really small and quaint, just a couple of shops and parking in the basement.
Here's the menu (click on it to view larger version in new window). This is just the highlights reel though - there's another QR code to scan if you wish to see their classic pastas and a more extensive wine/cocktail list.
For starters, we were told since it was our first time there to try the traditional stuffed Roman schiacciata (S$10) instead of ordering a pizza (a good recommendation). Schiacciata means smashed in Italian, and basically refers to tuscan flatbread. It arrived warm, stuffed with pecorino cheese and pepper, and was superbly good. Everyone agreed - and it went so well with a light white wine. Ahh, Italy. 5/5
The bread was so good, I had it again recently when I went back there for a 1.30pm lunch on a Sunday (much more packed)! It's a must-try - no other appetiser is as good, in my biased opinion.
The waiter spoke a funny mix of Italian-accented English, Malay and Singlish, and he also recommended for us to try the Italian "siobak" or the Porchetta - which is baked pork belly with wild fennel (S S$9, L $18). I think this is another very traditional Roman dish that I saw an Italian chef on Instagram make (there were a lot of steps). The pork was good - the skin could be crispier, and overall slightly less salty, but the blend of fats and pork was very enjoyable in a melt-in-mouth way especially when it just came out and was warm. However, it can be a tad much food for 2 or 3 pax - so maybe get this if you have at least 4? For a non-casual meat eater like me, this was worth the digestion. 4/5
To be healthier, we got the Grilled Farmers Salad (S$16) to share and this again was surprisingly delish, just based on how simple and fresh everything was - just grilled with a light dash of sea salt and olive oil. And that really is at the heart of Italian cuisine, I think. You get the best of ingredients and try to find a way to savour their maximum flavour instead of detracting from or overcooking it (boiled pig trotters, anyone?). 4/5
Among the 2 pastas we got the first time, the Orecchiette, pork sausage, saffron sauce (S$19) had my vote for being the best one. The ear-shaped pasta's the perfect shape for the rich yet delicate saffron sauce to coat it and hitch a ride to your tastebuds. Coupled with bits of sausage and it's just mmmmm! I was a bit sad when there was no more of this. Try this if you are up for something a bit more different than your spaghetti bolognese. 4.5/5
We also opted for a more luxe Homemade taglioni, prawns, lemon and aromatic breadcrumbs (S$22) which was a decent tomato-based pasta with a strong seafood aroma - but strangely reminded me of seafood ee fu noodles, and could be a tad drier. 3.5/5
On my repeat visit with a dear friend, we decided to opt for their classic pastas (S$24) from the QR code menu (or in my friend's case, the same waiter's recommendation)! She got the Arrabiata with spaghetti, which was flavourful enough. Very simple, straightforward. A little pricey compared to the ones on the normal menu, but I guess you pay for the skill to make a simple dish.
Me? Why, Cacio e Pepe, of course. I had considered ordering that the previous time but wanted to give the normal menu a taste. But this time I decided to go for it. So.. the first time it was served, it smelled ok, but looked very suspicious with a dark brown/pepper sauce (like a gravy). Upon tasting, the pecorino taste was barely there - so I requested for more salt. The waiter saw my dish and promptly decided that instead of bringing me the salt shaker, to kidnap the dish. They must have cooked a new one because the one that came back after 15 minutes was much better looking in colour - and had 50% stronger pecorino taste. I would have preferred if it was drier, but hey I know how emulsifying pecorino and pasta water can be tough. Plus pecorino cheese ain't cheap so. props to them. Yet, due to this experience, I'd say stick to the main menu pastas? It could be a hit/miss - esp. if you don't know the pastas well enough. 3/5
But whatever you do, you need to end the meal with the alcohol-free "better than sex" Pistachio Tiramisu (S$14). No really, someone used those 3 words to describe the tiramisu on IG, and I might have to agree. The pistachio paste surrounding the finger wafers were divine, together with the cream. Absolutely nuts for it! 4.5/5
I'd dare say iO is the best Italian restaurant in Singapore so far, that I have tried. Maybe if I tried the pizzas I might change my mind, but overall from the vibes, the staff and the dishes presented, it truly took me back to better days in Italy.
iO Osteria
4 Hillview Rise, #02-01, Singapore 667979
Mondays to Fridays 11.30am to 10pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 10pm
Reserve on quandoo or Chope or call +65 67107150
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As some of you might know, I am a fan of having NOTHING on my face (esp. hate wearing masks, eurgh). In fact, I've gone to some lengths to achieve that with LASIK, braces and a good skincare regime (including using a silk pillowcase). And brows are an important part of that process, like I mentioned when I first started doing eyebrow embroidery in 2015. That's why it was a pleasant surprise to find out my brow therapist Lisa has now moved to a new location at Yishun's Wisteria Mall called Lonni Beauty Brow - and invited me to go back for a touch up redo.
Here's me on the way to the studio, brows undrawn! In fact I have no makeup on - only sunscreen. As you can see, my brows have faded quite a fair bit since my last touchup 3 years back! It is also reddish or even maroon in some light, which matches my brows somewhat - but not intended!
Here are the special first-time customer rates for LONNI Beauty Brow with Lisa. They also do other services like mole removal and eyebrow threading, but these are what they are known for. Prices are definitely super fair and at market rate. Most people will go for 3D or 6D - the key difference is in how fine the 'hairs' are. Powder gradient is something new - it creates a fade in effect from start of brows to end - which I experienced later with a combination of the 6D micro blading.
If you're curious about their eyelash extensions, here's the different types of eyelash grafting which Lisa is able to do as well, strand by strand! The difference in 3D and 6D is just how many 'branches' come out from each strand.
Here are the new, single-use and hygienic tools for both the powder gradient (needle, much like doing hand poke tattoos) and the 6D embroidery (blade). As Lisa explained, she had to correct the colour underneath with a green dye - hence she will need to do a powder gradient. Then the blade for the hair-like effect.
Here's me with the outline drawn - it looked bigger than the actual shape of course. As usual, Lisa took her time to really meticulously etch out the guidelines, since it is the most important and 'skilful' part of the process. It is also important if this is your first time - to consult with Lisa and come to a consensus on the style (Korean style is straighter, thicker vs natural) and shape! After all they are your brows and you have to be comfortable with them. It took about 20m for her to shape the brows for me this time.
Then she started, first by applying numbing cream and letting them sit for 20 minutes. After that she used the blade to scrape on the skin (not painful at all). Followed by the needle to colour correct with the green dye (against red, equals brown) and then the actual brown colour. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it - the hand poking needle method (powder gradient) was a little more painful for me than the micro blading (especially since Lisa said the skin on my eyebrows' quite thin, which is true). However, most customers are able to tolerate it well. Here's the finished result after about 2 hours so do allocate that amount of time.
Here's the brows the next day. I had to sleep with a towel on the bed because of the protective gel coating which I had to apply thrice daily for a week, and of course she didn't need to say it but avoid washing that area as well at least for the first 4 days. So I had shiny, dark brows for a bit. Haha. Here it is the next day. Skin's still slightly reddish.
They were still looking pretty intense on Day 5! But I noticed some peeling that started.
Here's them after a week. As you can see, the corners have peeled off and they were pretty uneven. It was alright though since I wasn't going out much and working from home.
A full round of peeling afterwards saw much natural brows, 2 weeks after. I could go back for a touch up if I wanted to but I'm pretty happy now at the colour and not eager to experience the pain again.
Here's a side by side comparison from before to after (day 19). As you can see the shape and colour is much more defined!
I strongly believe brows are the window frames to the soul, and I'm super happy I manage to get these redone! If you're interested to check out Lisa from Lonni Beauty Brow, drop me a DM on Instagram or email me at alexischeong@gmail.com and I can help to arrange the timing, style or answer any questions you might have!
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