Culinary Class Wars chef Fabrizio Ferrari helms Italian seafood restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa 

Best known globally for his appearance in Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, Italian chef Fabrizio Ferrari is helming Laurus Table at the newly-opened The Laurus, a Luxury Collection Resort in Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).  The restaurant, which focuses on seafood dishes from Italy’s Amalfi coast, marks Ferrari’s first venture outside Seoul, where he is based.

Ferrari, who is a consulting chef at Laurus Table, hopes to capture the spirit of the Amalfi Coast through dishes prepared using sustainably sourced seafood, organic regional produce, and herbs freshly harvested from the resort’s own garden.

He says: “My philosophy has always been about letting the finest ingredients shine. With precise, traditional techniques and state-of-the-art equipment, we create dishes that are executed simply yet with finesse. Guests can look forward to savouring the pure flavours of sustainably sourced ingredients while soaking in the warm, welcoming ambience of Southern Italy.”

A social media sensation in South Korea and a long-time advocate for responsible dining, Ferrari is also known for running his family’s one-Michelin-starred seafood restaurant, Al Porticciolo 84 in Lecco, Italy. It held on to the accolade for 15 consecutive years.

 After stints at renowned restaurants including Mauro Uliassi’s three-Michelin-starred Uliassi in Senigallia, Ferrari relocated to Seoul after winning a culinary competition by the Italian Embassy in Seoul. In 2019, he relocated to South Korean permanently, closing Al Porticciolo 84 two years later.

In Seoul, he runs an Italian restaurant, Fabrizio’s Kitchen, where he blends his heritage with his appreciation for Korean cuisine. Ferrari, who is fluent in Korean, is also a culinary arts professor and runs the popular Italy Fabri YouTube channel.

The menu at Laurus Table revolves around a Mediterranean touch on seafood and fish prepared in a Southern Italian style. Highlights include Panzanella di Polpo, slow-cooked octopus with Panzanella salad and candied lemon, and Branzino in crosta di sale, finocchietto e limone, a whole sustainably-farmed seabass baked in a salt crust with fennel and lemon.

Pasta dishes include Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare al cartoccio, a rich seafood pasta, wrapped in foil and unveiled tableside, and Mafaldine al burro, limone e alici, which pairs the ribbon-shaped paste with a sauce made with Amalfi lemons and limoncello liqueur and anchovies.

Sustainability plays a big part in the concept of Laurus Table, with Ferrari serving as a global ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council. The seafood is sourced from The Fish Farmer, a Singapore-based sustainable fish farm, while organic herbs and produce are procured from the region or harvested from the hotel’s herb garden.

Reclaimed wood, crafted into serving ware, and art inspired by Singapore’s marine life echo the restaurant’s eco-conscious ethos. Besides dining, guests can take part in herb garden tours and interactive cooking classes.