Brian Kennett
Amateur Chef and Foodie Extraordinaire
Lolla Singapore 2023 Update - Johanne Siy Head Chef of Lolla Singapore has Been Crowned Asia’s Best Female Chef 2022
The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards Ceremony will take place in March of this year. Johanne Siy, who is the head chef at Lolla Singapore, was just given the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef before the event. How incredible is that? I am so humbled to have met this unassuming artisan of her trade, and dined on her exquisite cuisine at Lolla Singapore. I still talk, to this day, about that Morel Mushroom and Mushroom Broth, that she made especially.
The prize, which recognizes women who have left their imprint on the world of gastronomy with their talent and expertise, was given to Siy, making her the first chef based in Singapore to win it. Well deserved Chef, and well done for the recognition of Lolla Singapore.
Johanne, who was born in Dagupan in the Philippines, took the reins at Lolla in 2020 and rapidly gained notice with her creative creations that exploded with bold and punchy flavors. Siy was born in the Philippines. Johanne really has led Lolla Singapore to critical acclaim, propelling it to the 75th spot on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. The restaurant serves food that is inspired by cuisine from the Mediterranean region, but critically with a Filipino food ‘twist’.
Some of the dishes that stand out on the menu are Crab Relleno ‘w’ Aligue Sauce (a fermented paste from the Philippines) and Kaffir Lime, Avocado ‘w’ Smoked Eel & Eel Consomme, and Sea Urchin Pudding ‘w’ Squid Ink Custard. But my ‘up there Chef Siy dish’ is still that simple little plate of Morel Mushroom and Mushroom Broth. Heavenly.
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Get this, it’s interesting to note that Chef Johanne, who is now 41 years old and began her career in the culinary industry in 2011, had previously worked for Procter & Gamble as a regional brand manager.
Johanne, luckily for us, then went on to become a Chef and worked in some of the most renowned restaurants in the world, including the Restaurant Andre in Singapore (which has since closed) as well as Cafe Boulud and Le Bernardin in New York City. She also worked for a time at Noma, the acclaimed restaurant owned and operated by Rene Redzepi. Wowser!!!
William Drew, Director of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “Johanne Siy’s deep understanding of the provenance of ingredients and her flair for presenting cuisine that is produce-driven, alongside mindful inclusions of the culinary traditions she grew up with, make her a worthy recipient of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award. Her work at Lolla Singapore is a true reflection of the many years spent and intentional experiences sought in order to hone her craft.”
What did Chef Johanne have to say for herself after the announcement of the award; Asia’s Best Female Chef 2022
"I am beyond honoured to be receiving this award. It is great validation for my team and I, for all the hard work invested in bettering our craft every single day. I am grateful for this platform that allows me to reach out to so many young chefs to hopefully inspire them to overcome barriers and push boundaries. I want to shine a spotlight on the work of remarkable women in our industry, in the hopes that one day we as a community can thrive and reach new heights by leveraging the symbiosis that a truly egalitarian workforce brings..."
ISLIFEARECIPE is hopefully doing some engagements with the Filipino Embassy and the Ambssador’s crew for Singapore in the not-too-distant future. Incredibly the lovely ladies, Joy Anne, and Rosellie, whom we are engaged with from the Embassy sent us a note recently; “We met Lolla Head Chef Johanne Siy and I saw that you did a piece on her restaurant…” Crazy, crazy small worlds… Watch this space
A Review of Lolla Restaurant an amazing Mediterranean place on Ann Siang Road in the heart of the Singapore City
Thaddeus Yeo, Pang Hian Tee, and Lee Chin Sin have progressed from working together on Guerilla-style dinner clubs and pop-ups to owning two restaurants, one of which is Lolla on Ann Siang, in Singapore’s turbulent culinary scene.
At the helm since Aug’20 is Head Chef Johanne Siy who quietly & firmly orchestrates her incredible crew to serve up dish after dish of umami tastes, popping texture & just stunning plating. And all this is happening right in front of your eyes as you literally sit at the pass, and I LOVE THAT!!!
What I love about being a Singapore Food Blog writer is that I get a lot of recommendations from friends to go to try the food and then write it up, and this Lolla Review is no exception.
My BFF Steve had been 2 nights before and was in fact invited for that dinner by a gorgeous young lady (who shall remain nameless – for now…) as this was one of her favourites. Steve then gave this a massive thumbs up for the food and the open-kitchen viewing as you dine, and because he is my BFF he knows I LOVE that too, bless him.
What made it even more special was that we sat down and Chef Siy announced; “Hey, your mates were here recently and said you would be popping in. In fact, they sat in those very same seats…” Then we find out Chef Siy is a Filipino, making the small worlds colliding event even more personal.
The crew were brilliant #BeProud of that Lolla. Incredible service and inclusion in our dining experience. It was such fun, it was inclusive and it was STUNNING on the food front. It is up there on the $, but hey you are getting what you pay for with wonderful ingredients, so fresh, and all cooked in front of your eyes. I’d pay the premium just to have that food theatre in front of me and they made this Lolla Review easy.
Lolla Restaurant Seating Review
We sat at the bar, literally the pass so we could watch the food theatre of the Chef and crew doing their magic. That’s heavenly for me and the only time phones were coming out from all patrons was to take pictures. of their beautifully prepared and plated food.
There is also a downstairs dining area which has a massive shared table.
My recommendation. Sit at the bar. 100%. Book ahead to ensure you get that locked in.
We sat here for our lunch today. It was so great to chat to the Chef & her team, including getting questions answered about the food about to hit our tummies.
And here is that rather special downstairs dining location. This would be awesome for Groups or even for work functions – when we’re allowed of course because of bloody Covid. Looks sweet doesn’t it? Superb decor to accompany the superb food.
Lolla Singapore Review now switches up a gear to look at the food we ate today
The Lolla menu really does give them peering status with the best restaurants in Singapore and make it absolutely the best restaurant on Ann Siang and is easily up there with any competitor on Ann Siang Hill or Club Street Singapore.
Chef Siy’s cooking is uncomplicated, with distinct flavours from her experiences in the Nordics and the Philippines. While it is not always Mediterranean (the DNA of the Lolla founders), it does not lean unduly towards the Nordics, and the menu is amazingly balanced when consumed as a whole.
It is just a wonderfully varied dining experience!!! If you are looking for an amazing lunch at an Ann Siang restaurant, look no further than Loll.
Crispy Crab Tart, filled with Spanner Crab, spent Kombu, and topped with Aligue (crab roe).
This is what came 1st & was given with Chef’s compliments, and is that a WOW dish or what? But, because of my idiotic dislike of fish, I could not enjoy this incredible crab dish, despite having watched the labour of love of the crew to prepare and assemble this stunning creation.
It’s official I hate myself for my lack of piscatorial consuming capacity.
The labour of love I was referencing. Two chefs plating this little beauty up.
I had also been watching attentively as the young lady chef prepared the tart casings for this, a process that took our whole lunch to complete. I am so sorry Lolla crew…
Morel Mushroom ‘w’ Mushroom Broth – being a food idiot had it’s benefits today though and Chef Siy smiled kindly upon me and gave me something not even on the menu as ‘compensation’ and this was sensational. If this is on the menu when you visit ORDER IT!!! You have to!!!
What are Morel Mushrooms?
Morels are these pricey mushrooms that seem like miniature trolls standing guard on the woodland floor. With a strong stem and a ruffled, conical “head.”
Price: USD $254 per pound dry; $30-$90 per pound fresh.
Morels are mushrooms that can be found in the springtime across America. They are prized for their spongy texture and deep, earthy flavor. Morels are one of the few types of edible mushrooms that grow above-ground on trees or on the ground. They can be tough to find because they grow in small clumps that blend into the forest floor like pieces of leaf litter, but once you know what to look for, finding them is easy!
Dried Morels are worth more per pound than fresh Morels because the dried ones are significantly lighter. They have a robust, one-of-a-kind nutty flavour and that came through in Chef Siy’s dish. Stunning to look at and to eat!!!
House-Marinated Olives – I can hear you saying it. Yeah, whatever, anyone can do olives. But, what they do here is a rather delicious marinade and then stick them under the grill.
What an impact. The flavour changes, it intensifies & pops…
@ $9.00
Sea Urchin Pudding – What a beautiful serving this is. The menu is limited on the description so we’re thinking. it is a pudding made from seaweed with the beautiful Uni popped on top. This is a half-serving.
@ $38.00
Cinco Jotas Jamon Iberico de Bellota – Jude Jude would so have loved this. What a beauty. Paper-thin but punching flavour out with every little mouthful. Incredible Jamon, best I have eaten.
@ $49.00
Grilled Octopus – It seems that Spago retains the Filipino vote for best Pulpo in Singapore still. Sorry Lolla, you did not topple the Kings.
I tried a little of the smoked mash potato and that was just off-the-charts delish. Wifey really liked the flavour, just the texture was a little chewy…
@ $42.00
Duck-Fat Potatoes – WOOF!!!
These were great. So crispy and with that added duck-fat flavouring & some parmesan shavings so umami. My issue was that I was fast approaching food coma haha and these were so moreish, but I also had my Quail on the way… Oh man!!!
@ $17.00
Koji-Cured Quail, Egg Yolk Confit, Black Truffles – WOOF!!!
I drifted off piste for this one. Well, off the main menu to the Seasonal Menu. I really wanted to try this and was in a quandary of this or the Iberico Secreto.
This was a belter. That egg yolk confit is sitting in a pool of Filipino Adobo, give that a little mix up and use as a dipping sauce for the superiorly delicate Quail meat which has been roasted and charred & then throw some fresh black truffle – KABOOM!!!
Yeap, me like a LOT!!!
@ $68.00
We even squeezed in Lolla Dessert
Smoked Chocolate Ice-Cream – Double-WOOF!!!
I saw this on the specials board and had to try it. Apparently it is a partnership with an ice-cream maker, and what a match made in heaven this is with Lolla as we were gifted another dish and when we did the 1+1 dessert, Angels truly start singing.
The smoke taste is subtle, the chocolate a high-content cocoa, so then add that to Lolla Burnt Cheesecake and goodness gracious me….
@ $10.00
Burnt Cheesecake – Do NOT let the name put you off.
This will likely be the best cheesecake you’ll ever consume in your life. It has a smoked cheese in there which just just gives a unique flavour. Then add some of that smoked chocolate ice-cream and KAPOW!!!
BEST CHEESECAKE I HAVE EVER HAD!!!
The Lolla Menu & Pricing
Lolla Singapore Specials
The specials are up on the board like the Smoked Chocolate Ice-Cream, but they also have a completely separate SEASONAL MENU as you’ll see below.
This is packed with seasonal goodies, and I was lucky enough to eat a couple of those from this, The Winter Seasonal Menu. Like the Quail and a brand new one not even on the menu yet which was stunning with a Morel Mushroom ‘w’ Broth.
Frequently asked questions about Lolla
This is a great question and again I cannot find anyone from the crew explain why they named it such, but I am hopefully that they just chose lollapalooza and just shortened it.
one that is extraordinarily impressive / an outstanding example.
Because that is just so befitting for this cracking restaurant.
I could not actually find the Lolla Singapore Menu Price on line, but you can now see both the current main menu and the seasonal menu here, and that includes the pricing
Let's hear from them... I personally think this underplays what you are gonna be getting to eat when you visit. Just saying like...
Simple yet inspired small-plates combining the finest ingredients and seasonal produce with the influences of the mediterranean.
Does Lolla do Delivery
Yes indeed they do deliveries, so you imply go to the website and click the food delivery link which then takes you to Chope.
Lolla Restaurant Opening Times
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Sun
11:30 – 15:00 / 18:00 – 22:30
Cook Your Own
If you don’t want to travel or get a delivery, why not cook your own dinner or lunch by following some of our simple recipes including the same ingredients
Lolla Singapore Location & Contacts
These guys are in the very hipster and cool location of Ann Siang and neighbours in Club Street.
22 Ann Siang Road Singapore, Singapore 069702
You can organise a reservation by giving them a call at 6423 1228 or via their email; info@lolla.com.sg
To compare to Lolla Restaurant Review let's have a look at some other Mediterranean restaurant reviews from ISLIFEARECIPE
Asador @ Joo Chiat Place – get your Basque BBQ head on and bring empty stomachs
Blu Kouzina @ Siglap – superb Greek fare in our local neighbourhood
Fotia Greek Restaurant – another cracking taste of the Med
