It may look like the goody-two-shoes sister of the rebellious, grungy Lolla, but the menu will take you to places you’ve never been
The first thing you notice about Lollapalooza on Keong Saik Road – if you’re familiar with local sister restaurant Lolla – is how different it is from its older sibling; the dining room is much bigger, brighter and more polished, with marble-topped tables, mint-green leather booths, brushed wooden chairs and copper pendant light fixtures.
In fact, there’s nothing similar about the two restaurants. Lolla specialises in small plates with big Mediterranean-inspired flavours while Lollapalooza focuses on seasonal, uncomplicated sharing dishes on its ever-changing, freestyle menu. There are a handful of mainstays to return to Lollapalooza for, though chef Issac Lee (formerly of now-defunct Spanish restaurant Kaixo) finds innovative ways to integrate fresh, daily produce into the “signatures”.
Case in point: The ahh-mazing housemade burrata, which came with stinging nettle pesto and pomegranate bits on one occasion, and served whole with yellow peaches and raw honeycomb on the next. If you’re after something more “exotic”, try its roasted lamb hearts and corned veal tongue – although you may encounter them strewn with different sauces and sides each time.
Having a seasonal menu means very little time for culinary experiments, but chef Issac manages to surprise even the most adventurous of foodies by using rarely seen ingredients (as you’ve gathered from above) like veal sweetbreads, white asparagus, dog cockle and even a tuna eye. On paper, some of its dishes – which are primarily cooked with the wood-fired oven that burns applewood all day long – sounded a little too out there; on the plate (and in the mouth) they proved to be a harmonious combination of varying textures and natural flavours. Not too keen on these unusual dishes? Go for the fresh seafood; the lovely whole seabass we had during our last visit was moist, well cooked and utterly phenomenal.
With a solid and exciting wine list of about 140 labels (of which 20 are available by-the-glass and 500ml carafe), it will be a sin not to order something to accompany your satisfying dinner. Take a peek inside!
Lollapalooza, 1A Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089109, p. 6221 3538. Open Mon-Sat 11.45am-2pm (last order 2pm); 6pm-11pm (last order 10.30pm). Sunday brunch coming soon.