Holland Village at a crossroads: Can the indie enclave reclaim its lost vibe?
[SINGAPORE] Once a magnet for nightlife and alfresco dining, Holland Village teemed with diners and bar-goers on weekends. Today, the once-bustling indie enclave faces thinning crowds and shuttered storefronts, in a neighbourhood struggling to find its rhythm.
'Holland Village is a forgotten gem,' said Dasmond Gan, owner of V Lounge Bar, which occupies a second-storey unit along Lorong Mambong. 'On long weekends, the streets are quiet, with very few customers around. Every business is struggling – there's no footfall anywhere.'
The 60-seat bar reaches full occupancy once or twice weekly but serves just 20 to 30 customers most nights, with Sundays as low as 10.
' Holland Village is a forgotten gem. On long weekends, the streets are quiet, with very few customers around. Every business is struggling – there's no footfall anywhere. '
—
Dasmond Gan, owner of V Lounge Bar
Month on month, restaurant sales fell 3.7 per cent in April, based on the latest Department of Statistics data. Sales from cafe, food courts and other eating places inched up 0.6 per cent. With dwindling foot traffic, Holland Village businesses are struggling to stay afloat.
Convenience store Cheers has closed for good, with a 'for lease' sign placed on its doors. Next door, butcher shop Swiss Butchery has shuttered its brick-and-mortar outlet and taken operations online since February.
Along Holland Avenue, Sens Dining, a Japanese restaurant serving teppanyaki and omakase, closed in April after its space was repossessed by its landlord.
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Swiss Butchery shuttered its physical store and has taken operations online since February. PHOTO: CHONG XIN WEI, BT
While longstanding establishments – such as British Indian Curry Hut and Wala Wala Cafe Bar – are still holding on, sustained largely by a pool of regulars, their top and bottom lines have taken a hit.
Footfall at British Indian Curry Hut has slipped more than 30 per cent since 2019, said general manager Khader Basha Ghouse Basha.
Revenue has fallen 37 per cent from pre-pandemic levels. The restaurant sees an average of 1,800 checks and 500 takeaway receipts per month.
Along the same street, Italian restaurant La Nonna logged an 8 per cent year-on-year decline in sales in the first three quarters of 2025, said owner Olivier Dyens. 'Our margin was already melting like snow in the sun. Now with lower sales, we are starting to make small losses,' he said.
' Our margin was already melting like snow in the sun. Now with lower sales, we are starting to make small losses. '
—
Olivier Dyens, owner of Italian restaurant La Nonna
Road closures
Road closures in Holland Village have contributed to the revenue slump, tenants said.
The neighbourhood's two main thoroughfares, Lorong Mambong and Lorong Liput, are closed every day, with swing gates from 6.30 pm to 2.30 am – introduced in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attack. From Dec 3, 2023, the entrance near Holland Village MRT station closes from 6.30 pm to 2.30 am. From Dec 20, 2024, the road closure at the entrance was extended to Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, eves and public holidays from 6.30 pm to 2.30 am.
A spokesperson from Buona Vista Constituency Office said the time-based road closure for parts of Lorong Mambong and Lorong Liput was first introduced in 2002 to enhance safety in popular and high-footfall public areas.
Car visitors can park at four locations: One Holland Village basement, Holland Road Shopping Centre basement, Block 10A multi-storey car park and Warna Road open-air lot.
'In December 2023, the closure was expanded to cover the broader Holland Village area as part of a broader strategy to enhance its safety. This expansion was supported by on-the-ground consultations with stakeholders,' the spokesperson added.
Operators said the road closures have led to lost sales and customer dissatisfaction, as Wala Wala's owner Stanley Yeo noted.
'The overall experience has become less convenient for both customers and delivery partners, and unfortunately, that deters repeat visits,' he added.
Takeaways and deliveries, which account for 30 per cent of La Nonna's sales receipts, fell 30 per cent in the first quarter of this year, said Dyens.
Yeo also noted that with the closure of the open-air carpark in March this year, the number of available parking lots in Holland Village shrank significantly. 'Visitors are finding it more difficult to secure parking, which may be gradually deterring them from coming to the area.'
' The open-air carpark closed on Mar 9 to make way for new Housing and Development Board flats, said the constituency office's spokesperson, who acknowledged the 'new challenges' brought about by the closure. It added that it is working with stakeholders and relevant agencies to manage this. '
The open-air carpark closed on Mar 9 to make way for new Housing and Development Board flats, said the constituency office's spokesperson, who acknowledged the 'new challenges' brought about by the closure. It added that it is working with stakeholders and relevant agencies to manage this.
Changing consumer habits, reduced spending
Tenants also feel the pinch from post-pandemic shifts in consumer habits. V Lounge's Gan said the strong Singapore dollar against other currencies has spurred outbound travel and loss of customers.
Wala Wala's Yeo observed that consumer habits across generations have shifted. Gen X is going out less, possibly due to health or financial reasons, while Gen Z prefers digital spaces such as online gaming over nightlife. Millennials, though familiar with pre-pandemic nightlife, are now more focused on essentials than leisure.
'These changing habits have had a lasting impact on the social and commercial landscape of Holland Village.'
' Wala Wala owner Stanley Yeo observed that consumer habits across generations have shifted. 'These changing habits have had a lasting impact on the social and commercial landscape of Holland Village.' '
Nasen Thiagarajan, president of Singapore's Nightlife Business Association (SNBA), also pointed out that dampened consumer sentiment caused by macro uncertainties led to reduced spending and lower footfall.
High rents, additional costs
While footfall has thinned and spending has slowed, one thing remains high: rents – compounding the squeeze on already fragile bottom lines.
At That Wine Place, owner Lee Joon Peng pays about S$28,000 per month for a two-storey unit opposite Holland Village Park – up 20 per cent since it opened in 2020.
'This place never makes money because rents are already so high. If this were my only job, I wouldn't have survived. We are not breaking even at all.'
' 'This place never makes money because rents are already so high. If this were my only job, I wouldn't have survived. We are not breaking even at all.' '
—
Lee Joon Peng, owner of That Wine Place
At V Lounge, rent makes up half of total expenses and runs into five figures monthly. With lower sales, the bar has fallen into the red on several occasions, said Gan.
Wala Wala's Yeo said: 'Managing rent increase has definitely been challenging, especially in the current economic climate, where footfall and discretionary spending have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels.'
Rents at Wala Wala rose 9 per cent over the past two years. To cut costs, the restaurant shortened operating hours on quieter days, trimming utility and staff bills.
During the pandemic, it shuttered its live music space on the second floor as live entertainment was halted.
'Maintaining a space with high fixed costs, while unable to generate revenue from live performances, was simply unsustainable,' said Yeo.
When Wala Wala's lease came up for renewal, the landlord for the upper-floor space declined to adjust rent despite the changed landscape. In contrast, the ground-floor landlord offered a sustainable rate, allowing Wala Wala to stay, he added.
Crowds at Wala Wala pre-pandemic. The cafe bar had to close its live music space on the second floor during Covid-19 as live entertainment was halted. PHOTO: BT FILE
Beyond rents, tenants in Lorong Mambong and Lorong Liput pay 'a few hundred dollars a month' to use the outdoor refreshment area. They also pay about S$300 per month to cover security costs and management fees, as well as fees to use the walkway after 6.30 pm, said La Nonna's Dyens.
'These additional expenses are layered on top of the already demanding costs of day-to-day operations – especially in an environment where footfall and sales have declined,' said Yeo.
Business at That Wine Place has been 'up and down' since the bar opened in 2020, and foot traffic patchy. 'We can have no reservations for two days but can fill out spaces by 8 pm the next day. Sales are unpredictable,' said Lee.
Too many cooks
Adding to the pressure was the opening of a new mall at One Holland Village in 2023, bringing a fresh slate of new food and beverage (F&B) options to the area.
Tenants include casual eateries and prominent names such as Japanese bistro Ginkyo by Kinki and wood-fire grill restaurant Fireplace.
Developed by Far East Organization, Sekisui House and Sino Group, the mall spans 145,310 square feet and is fully leased.
In 2018, the Far East-led consortium clinched the coveted commercial and residential site in Holland Road for S$1.21 billion, or nearly S$1,888 per square foot per plot ratio.
Deborah Tan, Far East Organization's director for operations and marketing, commercial group, said: 'We believe that the location was ready for revitalisation as it offered a chance to bring new energy to an already established and authentic community.'
She added: 'One Holland Village is conceptualised to complement the low-rise, shopping-street character of the neighbourhood, with an emphasis on creating more public spaces and enhancing the liveliness of the area.'
The influx of eateries is posing stiffer competition in an already saturated F&B landscape, though some point to new upsides.
For one, its 464-lot carpark has improved visitor accessibility. Wala Wala's Yeo said this has encouraged some regulars to return. While sales have yet to see a significant increase, he noted that there may be some spillover effect from the mall.
Tenants also observed a new crowd from homeowners at the 296-unit One Holland Village Residences, which is fully sold. About 90 per cent of homebuyers are locals and permanent residents, with the remainder coming from countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the US, said Far East's Tan.
Le Bon Funk moved into a corner unit along Holland Road in 2023, drawn by the new mall and residential developments, said chef-owner Keirin Buck.
While walk-in traffic at the Holland Village outlet accounts for just 10 to 15 per cent of customers – compared with about 30 per cent at its Club Street branch – Buck said business has been good and the 60-seater still fills up most nights.
Still, some worry F&B supply is outpacing actual demand. SNBA's Thiagarajan said food options in Holland Village have grown 30 per cent since the mall's opening.
'The area doesn't necessarily have more people – it just has more options. If businesses in the mall are doing okay, while the streets remain quiet, it means we're not seeing fresh footfall. We need people.'
Nearby is the ageing Holland Road Shopping Centre, where magazine store Thambi shut down in 2024 and other tenants have also closed. While the strata-titled property has been showing signs of retail fatigue, new operators are set to move in.
' Revitalising Holland Village requires acknowledging that the old formula simply will not work in today's landscape. The vibrant, cross-island crowd we once attracted now consumes differently. The goal now is not to recreate the past, but to interpret the village for today's audience. '
—
Stanley Yeo, owner of Wala Wala
Plans for revitalisation
To attract customers and boost sales, some businesses are diversifying.
At night, V Lounge operates as a whiskey bar. Gan is considering opening from noon for coffee, offering a daytime space to work and relax.
To boost sales, V Lounge's Gan converts its space to host events, such as pottery lessons and art exhibitions. PHOTO: CHONG XIN WEI, BT
The bar can also host events. Renting out the space brings in additional income – a pottery class, for instance, can fetch between S$1,000 and S$3,000, depending on the duration of the session, said Gan.
At the precinct level, Thiagarajan said several tenants are exploring marketing initiatives to improve footfall along Lorong Mambong and Lorong Liput.
These include a three-month campaign starting July or August, coinciding with SG60 celebrations, where participating restaurants will offer discounts, product deals and vouchers. Diners who visit all outlets can enter a lucky draw.
These tenants have plans to hold four marquee events annually, starting from 2026. They could include National Day, Chinese New Year, Christmas and other major dates.
Wala Wala's Yeo said: 'Revitalising Holland Village requires acknowledging that the old formula simply will not work in today's landscape. The vibrant, cross-island crowd we once attracted now consumes differently.'
'The goal now is not to recreate the past, but to interpret the village for today's audience. This includes integrating social media strategies, collaborating with influencers, and creating content-worthy experiences that resonate with a digitally savvy demographic.'
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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Why restaurants like Scarpetta do not take reservations
Mr Theeviyan Raja (left), a front-of-house staff member at Scarpetta, welcomes diners as the restaurant opens for dinner. By 6pm, around 80 customers had joined the queue. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Why restaurants like Scarpetta do not take reservations SINGAPORE – Dining out is a fairly straightforward process in Singapore, swathed, for the most part, in the certainty of a guaranteed seat. You pick a place, punch in your details and rock up at the prearranged hour. Recognition glints in the host's eyes as your name surfaces in the system. The food arrives after a while. You pay, you leave. In some cases, a special reservation link is sent to your e-mail, and the cycle begins anew. But what happens when a restaurant eschews convention for the unpredictability of a walk-in system? Suddenly, it is anyone's game. The question becomes not just what to order, but also what time to show? How long to wait? When to throw in the towel and leave? Restaurants that do not take reservations argue that there is a method to the madness. At Scarpetta, a viral pasta bar in Amoy Street, queues start an hour before doors opens. Once, the line stretched 10 units down to the food centre at the mouth of the street. The situation is a lot neater now that the restaurant has introduced a new system. The first 28 guests are seated when doors open and everyone else is given a time to return, their names scribbled down on a tiny blackboard. 'It's much better than what we had before, with just a straight queue. Some people would wait 2½ hours in the hot and humid weather, so they would be really grumpy and hangry (hungry and angry) by the time they got in,' says owner Aaron Yeunh , 32. Service moves fas t. Ea ch seating lasts about an hou r, a nd Scarpetta can accommodate three or four rounds of guests every night. This, Mr Yeunh says, is the only way he can sell handmade pasta in the middle of town for $17 to $26. 'The only way to charge these prices is with high volume. And if I need volume, I can't take reservations because that would limit my dinner seatings to two a night.' Queues at Scarpetta tend to snake along Amoy Street, once even reaching Amoy Street Food Centre. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO For restaurants like Mensho Tokyo Singapore at Raffles City, doing away with bookings helps to democratise the dining experience. No number of bots or connections will make the line move any faster. 'This ensures that every guest has an equal opportunity to enjoy our ramen, creating a welcoming and fair experience for all,' says a spokesperson for the Japanese chain. Likewise, Mr Lim Kian Chun, 33, chief executive of Ebb & Flow Gro up, which runs popular Italian restaurant Casa Vostra at Raffles City, adds: 'Physical queues keep things simple and accessible to customers of all ages, especially our segment of older customers who are less familiar or comfortable with digital reservation systems.' Cancelling cancel culture It is a type of survival tactic too. With cancellations rising across the board – Mr Yeunh says that a 20 to 30 per cent cancellation rate, which some restaurants are experiencing, is enough to kill a business – it is sometimes easier not to section off seats in advance. Mr Lim says: 'Implementing reservations introduces the element of unpredictability with no-shows, late arrivals and variable dining durations, which can disrupt the dining experience for other s.' By eliminating the logistical scramble, staff can focus on the parts that count the most: food and service. And that extra bandwidth comes in especially handy when walk-in traffic continues unabated throughout the night. The first 28 guests are seated when doors open and everyone else is given a time to return, their names scribbled down on a tiny blackboard. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Mr Yeunh recalls: 'We were really grateful that response was so overwhelming when w e opened in February, but part of the issue was that we were running out of food. So, people would wait two hours, only to find that we've sold out half the men u. I imagine that would be incredibly frustrating. ' The seven-person team, now fortified with two extra chefs, has since fine-tuned operations to guarantee that all guests who wait in line will be able to order whichever dishes they came to try. They try to estimate based on the capacity of the restaurant, but as a general rule, 'we make as much as we can'. Casa Vostra's team also had to adjust to the daunting task of keeping up with demand while maintaining a consistent quality of food and service. Over a year in, Mr Lim says they have got the hang of things. 'We've worked very hard to improve our daily operations and food and service standards, and hav e managed to reduce waiting times while continuing to serve the same volume of customers.' Great expectations The longer the queue, the higher the expectation. 'It best be worth the wait,' quips chef consultant Fiona Tang, 35, who eventually snagged a seat at Scarpetta 2½ hours after arriving. Her sentiment is echoed by fellow diner Kelly Pohan, a 17-year-old student who visited Scarpetta in May. 'The food does not just have to be good, but also good enough to justify wasting two hour s. ' However, she also relished the anticipation of waiting to try very in-demand restaurants, whi ch ' creates more excitement'. Service at Scarpetta moves fast, with most diners finishing their meal within an hour. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO For 20-year-old undergraduate Raen Tan, a snaking queue – like the one she joined outside Casa Vostra – is a worthwhile gamble. 'It suggests that the food is either good or new. As someone who's adventurous, I'd be willing to queue to try new things that are popular or raved about.' Besides, as Ms Joey Chua, 29, a liquefied natural gas market analyst, points out: 'I can do many other things, such as read, look through e-mails, reply texts or daydream while queueing. To me, it doesn't really count as a waste of time.' In Singapore, where queueing has all but been gazetted as a national pastime, hers is far from an atypical view. Dr Hannah H. Chang, associate professor of marketing at SMU, says it is an example of social proofing – a phenomenon in which people make decisions by following the actions of those around them – that has found special resonance here. 'Queue culture is sometimes discussed as a demonstration of kiasuism, that if you don't queue, you may miss out on a good deal, experience or produc t.' Mr Sai Ming Liew, a senior adviser at global research and innovation consultancy Behavioural Insights Team, adds that while the tipping point may come when customers feel that a queue is not moving fast enough, the sunk cost fallacy sometimes keeps them in place longer tha n intended. 'The longer people spend in a queue, the more they start to feel a sense of psychological ownership over the object or experience they're waiting for. Because people are naturally averse to losses, this can make them reluctant to walk away, even if it might no longer be worthwhile,' he notes. Though this fear of missing out has proved something of a boon to Scarpetta, Mr Yeunh laughs off accusations that he is creating a queue for the sake of it. 'I always tell the team that we have to deliver. Don't skimp on the hospitality. Don't skimp on the food. Be super focused. Take our food really, really seriously.' In the past, before the blackboard system freed customers from having t o sta nd in line outside the restaurant , staff would try to sweeten the wait by handing out free drinks. Refreshments are also distributed outside at restaurants such as Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu at Raffles City. Nonetheless, some restaurants have caved and done away with their no-reservations policy. Spanish restaurant Esquina opened in 2012 and started accepting bookings in 2014, after it added a dining room on the second floor. Though walk-ins are more efficient for a busy restaurant like his, chef-owner Carlos Montobbio, 38, concedes that bookings made a big difference to the guest experience. 'We care a lot about service, and having people wait outside – especially if it's a business dinner, a date or regulars coming back – just didn't feel right. Letting people book a table gave them a much more comfortable and reliable experience,' he says. Others, like local cuisine chain Great Nanyang, which gets multiple queries a week about whether it takes reservations, have found a compromise of sorts. Since April, groups of at least 10 diners can secure their seats at any of its outlets in advance. 'As our customers have different dining time periods, it i s di fficult to get available empty tables side-by-side to combine for larger groups. To cater to groups of this size, we need to plan and set aside tables in advance,' says founder Keith Kang, 42. Though he is wary that the sight of empty tables may provoke some unhappiness among walk-in guests, no complaints have been made so far. Casa Vostra's Mr Lim is also grateful that most customers understand the reasons for the restaurant's policy, and vows to go the extra mile to maintain that trust. He says: 'Our team makes every effort to offer attentive service and maintain relationships with our regulars – from remembering their favourite dishes and preferences to connecting with them each time they dine.' Worth the wait? The next time you find yourself staring down the barrel of a weekend with no prearranged plans, try your luck at one of these no-reservations restaurants – the final bastions, some might say, of dinnertime democracy. Scarpetta Cacio e Pepe pasta with Crispy Guanciale from Scarpetta. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Where: 47 Amoy Street Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), 6 to 10.30pm (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), 6 to 11pm ( Thursdays ), 6 to 11.30pm (Fridays and Saturdays) Info: @ on Instagram This chic 28-seater was modelled after the pasta bars of London – think Padella, the perennially popular Borough Market institution, and the like. So, it was that ethos of casual excellence that Mr Aaron Yeunh, who lived in the English capital for over a decade, sought to recreate here: great food at fair prices, without so much as a whiff of pretentiousness. Scarpetta's menu is lean and disciplined. It is split into four modest sections, with most prices hovering around the $10 to $20 range. The most expensive thing on sale is al granchio e limone ($26), a dish of taglioni with blue swimmer crab and confit garlic that would, in most other centrally located restaurants, have retailed for upwards of $30. There is undeniable finesse in the way pasta here is twirled – continuously and right before the eyes of hungry, restless diners too. The cacio e pepe ($20) is really a pasta alla gricia, with a black pepper-pecorino romano base and crispy guanciale topping. Whatever its name, it is a textural delight, perfect for anyone who prefers his or her pasta al dente and salted with pockets of fried fat. All'assassina from Scarpetta. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO The all'assassina ($18) with pomodoro tomatoes and chilli is more divisive, says Mr Yeunh. Diners might be forgiven for mistaking the messy nest of slightly burnt strands for a kitchen accident that snuck onto the table . But the char is intentional, and elevates the springy, spicy noodles in the same way wok hei breathes fragrance into a plate of bee hoon. Cut the heaviness with a radicchio salad dressed with a truffle vinaigrette and showered in parmigiano cheese ($14), before diving into the sweet embrace of dessert – milk gelato draped in extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt ($6). Tip: Visit during off-peak hours, such as 1.35pm on a weekday or after 8.45pm for dinner. Mensho Tokyo Mensho Tokyo Singapore is famous for its chicken soup ramen. ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK Where: 03-43 Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road Open: 11am to 9pm daily Info: @ on Instagram Mensho Tokyo, a Japanese ramen chain whose San Francisco outlet is currently listed in California's Michelin Guide, arrived in Singapore in July, trailed by hordes of curious diners eager for a sip of its umami-rich soup. Its signature toripaitan ($28++) la yers A5 wagyu chashu, smoked pork chasu, duck chasu, chicken chashu, king oyster mushroom strips and ajitama eggs on wavy wheat noodles. All this is steeped in a creamy chicken broth that does not immediately knock you out in the way that pork, with its stronge r fl avour, sometimes does. A dry alternative exists in the form of the A5 wagyu aburasoba ($41++), which blankets its chewy wheat noodles in two types of Miyazaki beef. A sauce made of barrel-aged shoyu adds savoury depth to this oily, indulgent bowl of noodles. Other more unconventional options include the duck matcha ($25++) and chilli crab ramen ($28++) – a Singapore-exclusive tribute to a local classic – which have yielded mixed reactions from diners. Th e restaurant also serves up a bevy of sides, like fried chicken ($12.80++) perfumed with Japanese black vinegar, crispy enoki chips ($8.80++) and torched corn with tare sauce ($8.80). Tip: Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, when the restaurant tends to be quieter – you might even be able to enter without queueing. As wait times can reach up to 30 minutes on weekends, guests are encouraged to arrive early. Tonshou Hire katsu set from Tonshou. ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK Where: 51 Tras Street Open: 11am to 9pm daily Info: @tonshou_sg on Instagram Tonshou is a Korean pork cutlet chain more than capable of going toe to toe with the top Japanese tonkatsu restaurants in Singapore. Its not-so-secret weapon? A charcoal-grilled pork cutlet that redefines what tonkatsu should look and taste like. Instead of rectangular blocks trimmed with fat – though it has those too – Tonshou's Instagram-famous hire katsu set ($28++) rolls in on blushing pork loin medallions. A meticulous four-stage cooking process packs the juices into the meat, ensuring the cutlet remains crispy yet succulent. The rosu katsu set ($28++), on the other hand, more closely resembles the version of this dish typically found at Japanese eateries, and offers much of the same textural duality, plus an added burst of fat. These breaded slabs of gold can also be stuffed between bread. A pork cutlet sandwich costs $21++, while a shrimp tempura sandwich goes for $24+ +. Because this is a Korean chain, all sets come with a small saucer of kimchi. The usual accoutrements follow too: miso soup, shredded cabbage and rice. Tip: The restaurant uses a QR-based remote queueing system, so join the waitlist before travelling to the restaurant to minimise waiting time. It is also in the process of setting up a reservation system. Casa Vostra Italian restaurant Casa Vostra has updated its menu with new dishes. PHOTO: CASA VOSTRA Where: 01-49/50/51 Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily Info: After a year at Raffles City, casual Italian joint Casa Vostra is still commanding formidable queues, even on weekday evenings. To keep up with the hype, the restaurant refreshed its menu in April, unveiling homely fare such as the aglio e olio ($15) inspired by the recipe of chef-owner Antonio Miscellaneo's moth er. It tosses in sun-dried tomatoes for some summery pizzazz. The beef cheek parpadelle ($25) is another new entrant worth waiting for. Silky pasta sheets act as the perfect vehicle to sop up a rich and meaty ragu stewed with tomatoes and smoked speck. A smattering of new sides have wound their way onto the menu too. For example, the baked scamorza ($6), a dangerously gooey puddle of melted cheese drizzled with honey. Last but not least, no trip to Casa Vostra is complete without a slice of its trademark Newpolitan pizza, dressed up this time with the sweet-savoury melange of Parma ham, fig puree, rocket, Parmigiano Reggiano, candied walnuts and Fior di latte mozzarella ($26). As always, the crust – whipped into shape by a long process of fermentation and baking – is perfectly airy and crisp. If its sweet undertones do not suit your palate, there is a steady selection of traditional flavours to pick from, all affordably priced and well under the $30 mark. Tip: Drop by from 2 to 5pm, the restaurant's off-peak hours. Check out ST's Food Guide for the latest foodie recommendations in Singapore.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Japan trade negotiator Akazawa says he made progress in US tariff talks
The latest round of talks may be the last in-person meeting between Japanese and US officials before the upcoming Group of Seven leaders summit. PHOTO: REUTERS Japan trade negotiator Akazawa says he made progress in US tariff talks TOKYO - Japan had made some progress in a fifth round of trade talks with US officials aimed at ending tariffs that are hurting Japan's economy, Tokyo's chief tariff negotiator said. 'Tariffs have already been imposed on autos, auto parts, steel and aluminium, and some of them have doubled to 50 per cent along with 10 per cent general tariff. These are causing daily losses to Japan's economy,' Mr Ryosei Akazawa, said in Washington on June 6 after talks with officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Mr Akazawa declined to say what progress they had made. The latest round of talks may be the last in-person meeting between senior Japanese and US officials before the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders summit that starts on June 15, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Japan also faces a 24 per cent tariff rate starting in July unless it can negotiate a deal with Washington. 'We want an agreement as soon as possible. The G-7 summit is on our radar, and if our leaders meet, we want to show what progress has been made,' Mr Akazawa said. 'Still we must balance urgency with a need to guard our national interests,' he added. In May, Japan's trade negotiator said US defence equipment purchases, shipbuilding technology collaboration, a revision of automobile import standards and an increase in agricultural imports could be bargaining chips in tariff talks. In a bid to reach an agreement with the US, Japan is also proposing a mechanism to reduce the auto tariff rate based on how much countries contribute to the US auto industry, the Asahi newspaper reported on June 6. Mr Akazawa said Japan's position has not changed and that the tariffs are not acceptable. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business Times
Japan trade negotiator Akazawa says he made progress in US tariff talks
[TOKYO] Japan had made some progress in a fifth round of trade talks with US officials aimed at ending tariffs that are hurting Japan's economy, Tokyo's chief tariff negotiator said. 'Tariffs have already been imposed on autos, auto parts, steel and aluminum, and some of them have doubled to 50 per cent along with 10 per cent general tariff. These are causing daily losses to Japan's economy,' Ryosei Akazawa, said in Washington on Friday after talks with officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Akazawa declined to say what progress they had made. The latest round of talks may be the last in-person meeting between senior Japanese and US officials before the Group of Seven (G7) leaders summit that starts on June 15, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Japan also faces a 24 per cent tariff rate starting in July unless it can negotiate a deal with Washington. 'We want an agreement as soon as possible. The G7 summit is on our radar, and if our leaders meet, we want to show what progress has been made,' Akazawa said. 'Still we must balance urgency with a need to guard our national interests,' he added. Last month, Japan's trade negotiator said US defence equipment purchases, shipbuilding technology collaboration, a revision of automobile import standards and an increase in agricultural imports could be bargaining chips in tariff talks. In a bid to reach an agreement with the US, Japan is also proposing a mechanism to reduce the auto tariff rate based on how much countries contribute to the US auto industry, the Asahi newspaper reported on Friday. Akazawa said Japan's position has not changed and that the tariffs are not acceptable. REUTERS
