WHAT IS CANTABILE
Italian tradition, listened to through Japanese ears.
Cantabile is a vegan Italian fine-dining tasting menu in Singapore: eight movements of plant-based Italian cooking, served the first week of every month at Wakamama in Pasir Panjang. Unlike Singapore's vegetarian-friendly Italian restaurants, Cantabile is fully vegan — no dairy, no egg, no animal products of any kind. Chef Joyce rebuilds Italian classics from scratch using Japanese fermentation, ageing and fire: koji-cured "charcuterie," egg-free fresh pasta, and a dairy-free tiramisu. Eighteen seats, by reservation only.
THE DISTINCTION
Singapore's only fully plant-based Italian tasting menu.
Most Italian restaurants in Singapore offer a vegetarian section; a few add vegan options. Cantabile is built the other way around — a 100% plant-based Italian menu where nothing is adapted or substituted at the table.
There is no cheese, no cream, no egg, and no butter hiding in the pasta. Instead, Chef Joyce uses amazake, sake-kasu, koji and house ferments to reach the richness Italian cooking usually borrows from dairy. It is vegan Italian fine dining conceived as a complete experience, not a menu footnote.
THE CANTABILE MENU
Eight Movements of Plant-Based Italian Fine Dining
$168 five courses · $238 eight courses
0
PRELUDIO
Sottoli e Sottaceti
Two small notes before the overture. Pickled vegetables, preserved in the Italian way — in vinegar, in oil — through Japanese hands.
I
PRIMO MOVIMENTO - OVERTURE
Tiramisu in Shadow
A beginning that disguises itself as an ending.
Kabocha uni.
II
SECONDO MOVIMENTO - ANDANTE
Mare Secco
A charcuterie of the sea. Koji beet bresaola, kombujime radish, dehydrated watermelon, smoked musk melon, coconut lardo.
III
TERZO MOVIMENTO - ALLEGRO
The Pasta Trilogy
i. Charcoal tagliolini, “nudja” di fagioli, caper, shoyu koji.
ii. Mushroom “escargot” pappardelle, sage brown butter, shiso pesto.
iii. Handkerchief pasta, amazake burrata.
IV
QUARTO MOVIMENTO - ADAGIO
Tiramisu in Light
The first movement returns. What began in shadow ends in luminous.
Sake-kasu mascarpone, espresso, ceremonial matcha.
V
CODA - PIANISSIMO
Cinque Piccoli Addii
Five small farewells. A bento of Italian sweets, told in Japanese form.
ITALIAN TRADITION, JAPANESE TECHNIQUE
Not Italian food with the meat removed.
Cantabile is Italian tradition listened to through Japanese ears. Koji does the work of aged cheese; sake-kasu stands in for mascarpone; fire and smoke replace cured pork. It is the same fermentation-first philosophy behind Wakamama's vegan omakase, turned toward Italy — which is why Cantabile reads as fine dining first and plant-based second.
WHEN & WHERE
A single evening, the first week of every month.
SEATING
18 seats, by reservations only
THE TABLE
Eight movements, one evening
THE ROOM
ICON @ Pasir Panjang
218 Pasir Panjang Road, ICON @ Pasir Panjang #02-15, Singapore 118579 — five minutes on foot from Pasir Panjang MRT, with parking on site. Seats are few; we recommend reserving well ahead.
FAQ
Is Cantabile fully vegan?
Yes. Cantabile is 100% plant-based — no dairy, no egg, no honey, no animal products at any stage. It is not a vegetarian menu with vegan options.
Is the pasta really egg-free?
Yes. All pasta is made from scratch without egg, using semolina and water, with richness built through fermentation rather than dairy or yolk.
How is this different from a vegetarian Italian restaurant in Singapore?
Most Italian restaurants here are vegetarian-friendly — they adapt existing dishes. Cantabile is a dedicated, fully vegan Italian tasting menu designed plant-first, with no cheese, cream, butter or egg anywhere on the menu.
Do I need to be vegan to enjoy it?
No. Most guests aren't. Cantabile is built for anyone who loves Italian fine dining; the plant-based part is the technique, not the limitation.
When is it available and how do I book?
The first week of every month, by reservation only. Seats are limited to eighteen per evening — reserve through the button below.
How much is it?
$168 for five courses, $238 for the full eight-course menu.