Since opening its doors in 2020, Solo Pizza has become a top-of-mind pick for sourdough-based pizza and freshly-made pasta. Now introducing Solo Ristorante, they’re taking it up a notch; expanding their culinary focus to present a complete tableau of Italian offerings from steak and seafood to a full-fledged bar.
Nooked between Manadonese restaurant Mata Karanjang (also a new addition to the Solo group) and Solo Coffee in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Wijaya in Melawai, Solo Ristorante exudes both an elegant and casual charm. The white tablecloths that sit silverware and wine glasses as well as the charismatic green-tiled bar may say more about the kind of crowd or dining experience the ristorante wants to focus on, yet there’s still a sense of ease flowing across the dining space.
This is owed to the fact that even with the new, more elegant look (a different take to Solo Pizza’s homey and sunlit setup), there’s a comfortable style attached to the Italian offerings they are serving courtesy of Chef Jovan Koraag and his years of expertise in the Italian dining scene as both chef and pizzaiola. “There’s nothing fancy about my cooking, but my orientation to products and ingredients is very strong,” said Chef Jovan.
In the kitchen, Chef Jovan would select ingredients with a focus on quality and traceability, such as sourcing Parmigiano Reggiano and cured ham straight from Northern Italy, cooking freshly caught barramundi sourced from Pulau Seribu, and growing their own herbs in the restaurant’s garden. And of course, elevating their Neapolitan-style pizza with a sourdough starter to add complexity to the bun texture and taste.
While diners can still savour Solo’s signature pies and pasta here, a new lineup of main courses and drinks is the draw of the ristorante. One highlight course is the Branzino all’Acqua Pazza, a delicate and flaky pan-steamed barramundi with a sweet characteristic served with tomatoes and olives. While the marbling and tender Wagyu MB5 Striploin is a good-to-share dish that comes with parmesan butter and potato chips. At the bar, one can order a glass of classic spritz or opt for one of their signature cocktails; the Caffee e Olivia is a delightful blend of grappa brandy and cacao white liqueur with hints of coffee and buttery finish.
There are endless options of Italian restaurants that pepper the city, but Solo’s ambition to be one that sticks out is clear, be it with Solo Pizza or the new Solo Ristorante. If the sourdough pizza is a small show of Solo’s commitment to artisanal ways while sticking to classic Italian flavours, then diners would be delighted to know that Solo Ristorante is a fuller expression of that.