Cicada at Portsdown Road

Nestled in the bosom of foliage and a sea of green, is a gem called Cicada.

Drenched in full golden glory, this sun-kissed bungalow converted into restaurant is the perfect chill-out spot after a hard day’s work.

I first chose to sit inside the restaurant because of the cozy ambience but decided it a waste to miss the sunset, hence I shifted outdoor instead.

The al fresco area was a great place to watch the coming of night, with the cricking of cicadas, an overture to a starry evening. Not many places in Singapore could dish out such an intimate experience with the nature nowadays.

I began the night with The Perfect Mojito. Perfect it was. Sweet and strong, a minty, refreshing kick right out of the Caribbean, I daresay. And it made me happy.



That was shortly followed by the Slipper Lobster Capellini. It was an explosion of flavors from the very first mouthful. I was very intrigued by the layers of flavor in the sauce - a tomato base cream with a hint of white wine quite pronounced. A hearty dish, best eaten whilst it’s warm.

Watch out for the big bites of fresh lobster!

Next up I had the Infamous Cicada Burger. I had expected to find the beef patty à la those served in fast food joints but was pretty astonished to see chunky silvers of beef hand-molded into a patty. Alongside the beef were caramelized onions, fresh mushrooms and two cheeses: Gorgonzola (the Italian blue cheese) and Gruyère (a sort of hard, yellow cheese from Switzerland).

I loved how the burger buns soaked up all the beef juices and the details that had gone into the side dishes. Uniquely seasoned fries and fresh salad marinated with special sauce – I’d say, eat the tomatoes individually to taste the marinate. Here was a brilliant case of Finesse meets Fast Food Nation.

I always maintain that one can’t have too many desserts. Succumbing to temptation, my sister and I shared three different desserts between us to satisfy the inner dessert goddesses: Caramelised Apple Crumble with Honey & Fig Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie Crunch Cake with Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream and Pavlova with Whipped Cream, Passion Fruit Curd and Fresh Seasonal Fruits. What sweet galore!


PAVLOVA, an immaculate mountain of ivory meringue baked to a crisp exterior. You’ll find a light candy-floss texture upon cracking the shell. I was so enthused by the discovery of it (‘cos we don’t see much of pavlova in Singapore), that I took the liberty to speak with the head chef, Norman, and he spontaneously entertained all my queries.

According to Norman, a French-trained chef, the desserts were all hand-made in the Cicada kitchen. No outsourcing, not outsiders. Just the ingenuity and skills from the maestro himself. How impressive?

I was also let in on an inside scoop that Cicada would start a ferry service. A chartered 11-seater would drive all customers from Buona Vista MRT to Cicada during lunch hour. That's quite cool I reckon.

My evening at Cicada was quite an experience I would say, in terms of being a gastronomic eye opener as well as a feast of five senses. Glorious food in a garden-like setting. For those who seek quality and exclusivity at a place you could feel like home, it’s time to start owning this piece of haven.

Address: Cicada 7 Portsdown Road Singapore 139298
Tel: 64722100
Website: http://www.thecicada.com.sg/

- the Fad girl