Popular Greek restaurant estiatorio Milos has come to Singapore, with a swanky spot in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Founded in Montreal some 45 years ago by restaurateur Costas Spiliadis, Milos can now be found in locations all over the world. The Singapore restaurant is its first in Asia.
Like many Greek eateries, Milos seeks to celebrate the cuisine and culinary traditions of the Mediterranean. At the new location, about 15 varieties of wild-caught fish are flown in daily; diners can pick from the restaurant’s “fish market”, where the day’s offerings are all laid out. Everything goes by weight, and can be prepared in several ways, from sashimi to salt-baked.
Large, sharing-style plates are the name of the game at Milos locations around the world, and the Singapore restaurant is no exception. We start our meal here with a tomato salad ($38++), featuring ripe-to-bursting beefsteak tomatoes alongside cucumbers, olives, onions, feta and bell peppers. Simply prepared and presented, the dish epitomises Milos’ philosophy of sourcing fresh, top-quality ingredients.
We then have the Milos Special ($45++), a visually impressive mountain of deep-fried zucchini and eggplant slices, served with fried Greek cheese and tzatziki. We feel a little oversold on this dish, given its name — the chips lose their crispness and turn into oily pads as soon as we finish the first few, so it’s tough to keep going towards the end.
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A platter of classic Greek spreads ($42++) — taramosalata, tzatziki and htipiti — follows, paired with grilled pita and raw vegetables. We particularly like the taramosalata, a dip made of cured fish roe; it’s smooth, light and super savoury.
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Moving into seafood, we have the Mediterranean octopus ($48++), which comes on a bed of Santorini fava. The charcoal-broiled octopus is infused with a deep smokiness, which is balanced by the subtle split-pea puree. We also enjoy the Athenian-style lobster pasta (priced by seafood weight) — the crustacean is first steamed, before being plated with linguine pasta in a sauce of tomato with lobster bisque.
Milos offers an impressive selection of drinks, including Greek wines — think icons such as assyrtiko and xinomavro — and Greek-inspired cocktails. There’s even a few Singapore exclusives, like the Martini Of The Gods ($24++), a cheeky play on the dirty vodka martini that uses olive oil-infused Greek vodka.
Speaking on the decision to set up shop here, Milos’ chief operating officer Mario Zeniou tells Options that the city-state’s “vibrant dining scene and Singaporeans’ openness to new flavours and experiences” were the tipping factors.
He adds that Singapore is a Blue Zone country, referring to the designation for places with lower chronic disease rates and a longer life expectancy. “[This makes it] a perfect fit for Milos food which is based on healthy Mediterranean ingredients and cooking methods.”
Zeniou also shares that Milos intends to continue growing in Asia. After the meal we’ve just had, we’re glad Singapore got first dibs.
