Spago By Wolfgang Puck: Stunning Singapore Skyline And Californian Flavors

Being situated on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands means that you are high above everyone, and the Lion City’s skyline is just underneath your feet. Spago offers an indoor classic dining area and an outdoor lounge that resembles a verdant country garden home, with the look and feel of a colonial-style bungalow. The lounge is a great place for diners to socialize and to enjoy the views of the famous infinity pool.

‘What we try to accomplish here is really staying true to the vision that Executive Corporate Chef Lee Hefter and Wolfgang Puck have – which is to deliver the best product we can possibly deliver, support local growers when we can, and just focus on making good food that people want to eat,’ said Chef Bess, who previously worked at Spago Los Angeles and became the Chef de Cuisine of Spago Singapore in 2015. ‘I wouldn’t say what makes us stand out exactly, but I’m really proud of how amazing the whole team has been at the opening of Spago. Everyone has the same vision of wanting to make this the best restaurant, and I’m amazed at how we’ve all come together to make that possible.’

Chef Bess’s top three recommended dishes are the Foie Gras Kaya Toast, the Pan Seared Red Snapper Laksa and the Tuna Tartare Cones. Bess said the first two dishes are influenced by the Singaporean culinary scene.

‘I think these are special because it represents a point in time where I became enamored by Singapore and its food, and it’s a representation of my culinary experience in Singapore,’ said Chef Bess, who moved to Singapore in 2010 to work for CUT – another restaurant set up by Wolfgang Puck. ‘The dish reminds me of when I had Kaya for the first time; it was a big deal for me because if you go back to the United States, you wouldn’t be able to find this anywhere, and I thought Kaya worked amazingly with foie gras.’

‘As for the Tuna Tartare Cones, it is one of the dishes that ties our restaurants together – Spago in Singapore and Spago in Beverly Hills, where I was born as a chef. That dish is exactly the same here as you would have it in Los Angeles, so it is this common thread that ties our two restaurants together. We have a lot of guests who spend a lot of their time traveling, so it’s not uncommon that we’ll have a guest who will say they were at Spago in Los Angeles last week and ask if we have the same dish. They comment that it tastes exactly the same, so I think that dish is an important element to keep in touch with where we came from. It allows guests to find that familiarity; it makes them feel comfortable, and they can relate.’

The Big Eye Tuna Tartare Cones is a must-try appetizer; the flavors of masago, scallions, bonito and chili aioli mix together so well that it melts in your mouth. The best way to enjoy this is to pair it with Spago’s absolutely outstanding hand-crafted cocktails at the outdoor al fresco lounge, overlooking the stunning Singapore skyline. The Love You Long Time, with tangerine and Ketel One Vodka on the rocks is particularly well blended; it creates an unforgettable impression and sets a completely new standard for cocktails.

After moving into the indoor dining area of Spago, we first ordered the Chicken Laksa Spring Roll as the appetizer. We expected these spring rolls to be just normal spring rolls filled with laksa flavors, but instead, the rolls were filled with laksa noodles. A very good dish.

As for the main course, our first dish was the Garganelli Pasta With Squid Ink; the taste of the pasta was similar to normal tomato pasta, but this tubular-shaped pasta was well cooked and had a bouncy and elastic texture.

Our second dish was the Maine Lobster Cobb Salad, a beautifully and colorfully presented dish with lobster, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, haricot vert, cherry wood-smoked bacon and egg. You can choose to mix it all together or just pick out the particular ingredients that you like. Despite the outstanding presentation, the dish somewhat lacked a distinctive taste. Also, bear in mind that the portion of the salad is American-sized and quite large.

Our final dish for the main course was the Honey Miso Broiled Black Cod. It comprised of chilled egg noodles in an orange chili dressing and Japanese black cod. While the miso black cod was very well cooked and delicious, the chilled egg noodles were not for everyone. Instead of serving it hot like typical Chinese cuisine, it was served cold.

For dessert, we recommend the Traditional Kaiserschmarren. The Kaiserschmarren is a traditional dessert from Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Puck, and is normally prepared as a pancake. However, here at Spago, Wolfgang Puck’s version is a lighter and fluffier soufflé that is served with warm strawberries and strawberry ice cream. It is not too sweet or filling and is just perfectly cooked.

The best thing about Spago is their unbeatable cocktail list and the breathtaking view of the Singapore skyline from the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands. The Californian cuisine they serve comes in generous portions and is of the highest quality; however, some dishes might lack a distinctive taste. Nevertheless, the restaurant offers an excellent atmosphere and service, and is a good place for gatherings.
Overall stars (4/5): ★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-11pm
Reservations: Phone calls or emails
Address: Sands SkyPark, Tower 2 Level 57
Sound: Relaxed
Nearest tube station: Bayfront
Price: SGD100 – 200
Telephone number: +65 6688 9955
Website: www.wolfgangpuck.com