Medusa opens in Singapore as a Roman osteria that charms rather than petrifies

For anyone familiar with Italy, the word Osteria usually signals a more casual and everyday dining affair: a neighbourhood spot with a rotating menu, a few dependable staples, and a copious amount of wine bottles. In contrast, Fortuna Group’s newest dining concept, Medusa, is located inside the JW Marriott Hotel on South Beach Road and trades rustic simplicity for a kind of cinematic glamour, while it positions itself as Singapore’s first Osteria Romano.

Even its name follows this trend. While the story of Medusa is one that is vengeful and evokes something more sinuous and dangerous, the space itself leans more towards Venus with its laid-back, yet charming and sophisticated red interior. With that said, these misnomers do set the tone for a restaurant that borrows heavily from Roman tradition and is unafraid to reinterpret it through a glossy, modern lens.

The heart of Medusa is Italian cooking, specifically centred around Rome’s culinary culture. This of course, includes pasta. One of its centrepieces is its Fettuccine, with alfredo sauce, egg fettuccine tossed with Italian butter and Pecorino Romano; and Spaghetti Carbonara.

Medusa also takes a more experimental approach to Rome’s classic pasta sauces. Instead of presenting carbonara, amatriciana and cacio e pepe as separate dishes, the kitchen folds them into a single creation called Caserecce. The name loosely translates to “the dirty one” in Roman dialect, a reference to its indulgent mixing of sauces, bringing together cured meat guanciale, sausage, tomato puree, egg yolks and Pecorino Romano cheese. The name Caserecce also refers to the pasta used in it; casarecce is a short pasta with curled edges and a groove down the centre, designed to trap sauce, making it a fitting vehicle for this rich dish.

For diners who struggle with commitment, there is also the Il Divorzio half-and-half pasta, which allows guests to enjoy two flavours with one order.

With that said, those well-versed in Roman pasta may notice a conspicuous absence from the Caserecce pasta: Gricia, often considered the fourth pillar of Roman pasta alongside carbonara, amatriciana and cacio e pepe. Since it’s a little difficult to mix gricia and cacio e pepe, Medusa’s solution is to turn gricia into a pizza instead. This dish is white based, topped with guanciale, Pecorino and black pepper.

The Gricia sits within a broader menu, featuring a wide selection of pizza. Pizzas come in two formats: the Pizza Romana, a whole pie in thin-crust Roman-style, as opposed to the currently fashionable Neapolitan style; or the Pinsa Romana, served as two crunchy slices. Guests can choose from familiar options like Margherita and Quattro Formaggi (four cheese), or more interesting ones, like the Mortazza and Pistacchio pizza which features cured pork and, of course, pistachios.

For those looking for a fuller meal, Medusa also offers a number of starters. These include Suppli al Telefono, tomato-based croquettes that are a Roman street food staple; and a fascinating savoury take on the classic Maritozzo Salato. Instead of traditional whipped cream, the brioche bun is filled with pecorino cream, prosciutto and shaved truffle, turning a beloved Roman sweet into an indulgent, flavourful delight.

Guests can close their meal with one of a few desserts. There are traditional dishes with a twist, like the Truffle Tiramisu; safer bets like Maritozzi in various flavours; the visually stunning Bigne Tower; and a rich yet comforting Torta della Nonna (grandma cake).

Behind Medusa is a distinctly Italian team, led by general manager Federico Burci and head chef Federico Scordo, both of whom bring Italian roots that clearly inform the concept. Over at the pizza section is dough master Giorgio Sorce, whose experience underpins the Roman-style approach and ensures that the base is treated with as much care as the toppings. Together, they provide an authentic foundation for a restaurant that is reinterpreting Roman dishes for Singapore, with a modern twist and generous amounts of black pepper and Pecorino cheese.