What is a chef’s most treasured tool? If you ask Mirko Febbrile, the chef-owner of Somma, he might say it’s the iPad. When inspiration strikes, the 34-year-old often uses his Apple device to capture ideas for a new dish, be it in the form of sketches on the Procreate app or scribbles on Notability.
Febbrile must be doing something right. Since Somma opened its doors in New Bahru in September 2024, offering Febbrile’s fresh take on the cuisine of his hometown, Puglia, the Italian restaurant has been the talk of the town. It helps that Febbrile is a familiar face in the Singapore dining industry: the Michelin-starred chef (who earned that star in 2017 as the chef de cuisine of Braci) also helms Fico, the casual Italian spot along East Coast Parkway that is loved by foodies for its pasta and focaccina, a combination of foccacia and pizza.
The buzz for Febbrile’s latest venture has also gone beyond our shores. Somma was recently recognised by Gambero Rosso, the world’s leading authority on Italian food and wine, as one of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore. Modern Puglian fare aside, the restaurant’s stylish interiors have not been overlooked, either. Just last month, the Spanish luxury fashion brand Loewe hosted an intimate afterparty at Somma to celebrate the Puzzle Bag’s 10th anniversary.
For those who haven’t been, Somma is spread out across two floors. The top floor houses the fine dining restaurant; the lower floor is occupied by Bar Somma, a cocktail and pasta bar. Somma also has a dedicated space for research and development, dubbed “Somma Lab”; this is also where masterclasses on how to make, say, gluten-free pasta, or foccacina, are hosted, led by chefs from Somma and Fico.
Much of Somma—the restaurant’s menu, its design, its workflow—has come together with the help of Apple’s products. Febbrile and his team use everything from the iPad to the Apple Watch to run the restaurant with efficiency, ease, and, might we add, style. “Having everything synced across our devices helped the entire kitchen stay aligned, even when we were refining multiple elements at once,” shares Febbrile.
Ahead, Febbrile tells GRAZIA Singapore how his trusty Apple products boost both creativity and productivity at Somma, and lets us in on the inspirations behind Solterra, the restaurant’s first new menu since its opening.
How has growing up in Puglia shaped your understanding of food and culture?
Mirko Febbrile (MF): Puglia taught me that food is about people, tradition, and seasonality. Growing up, meals were communal, deeply tied to the land, and full of meaning. That philosophy continues at Somma, where we explore Italian cuisine with the same lens, but interpreted through a contemporary lens.
What made you decide to open Somma, and how did you want it to be different from Fico?
MF: Fico is my ode to cucina povera [a traditional style of cooking that originated from rural Italy]; it’s a laid-back seaside spot. Somma is where I channel my creative energy and personal growth—it’s about redefining what Italian fine dining can be. It’s familiar yet unexpected, elegant but warm. Somma is a more expressive interpretation of modern luxury.
What did you want Somma to look and feel like?
MF: I wanted Somma to feel intimate and transportive. The design reflects the arches of my hometown in Puglia, layered with textures, custom ceramics, and natural materials that age beautifully. It’s a space that celebrates both history and possibility.
In designing Somma, how did you share your ideas for the restaurant with the studio Nice Projects and the Italian artisans that you collaborated with? Did Apple’s products come in handy for this?
MF: Absolutely. Apple’s tools were key. Be it sharing sketches and mood boards with Nice Projects or FaceTiming artisans in Italy, we worked across time zones with ease. I used Morpholio Board on iPad to curate visual narratives—mixing textures, tableware, and design references into mood boards we could iterate together. The Apple ecosystem made the process seamless, collaborative, and efficient.
How do you usually find inspiration for a new dish?
MF: Creativity doesn’t just happen in the kitchen—it starts with observation, planning, and storytelling. I use Notability on my iPad to jot down notes, sketch ideas, annotate supplier sheets, or record voice memos the moment inspiration strikes. A quick drawing in Procreate often becomes the starting point for a new dish. Since everything is synced across my iPhone, iPad, and Mac, I can jump between them without losing flow.
How does sketching help you conceptualise a new dish?
MF: I’m a highly visual person, so sketching helps me to visualise and ideate. I mostly use Procreate on the iPad—it’s easy to use! I share those initial sketches with the team, and we would collaborate to refine it further.
Can you share more about the Solterra menu that Somma is currently offering?
MF: Solterra, the newest season at Somma, is inspired by the harmony between sun and soil. It reflects how people in Puglia eat and live during summer. We use ingredients that are nurtured by nature and honour the rhythm of the seasons. This season, we wanted to lean into warmth and memory of this time of the year.
What is your favourite dish on the new menu? Can you take us through the creative process behind that dish?
MF: The Mussels and Razor Clams dish is one I’m particularly fond of. It started as a memory of Taranto’s Mare Piccolo, where mussels grow in waters shaped by both freshwater springs and the Mediterranean tide. That sense of place was the starting point. I began by sketching the dish on my iPad using Procreate. [The Somma team] usually has a brainstorm session where we throw out ideas, flavour profiles and more, and capture these notes on Notion. From there, we refine it further. Throughout the process, we used Notes to document tests, record tasting feedback, and iterate as a team. Having everything synced across our devices helped the entire kitchen stay aligned, even when we were refining multiple elements at once.
Research and development (R&D) play a major role at Somma. Through Somma Labs, you also offer masterclasses. Why do you think hosting these masterclasses is important?
MF: R&D is the heartbeat of Somma, and Somma Lab is the R&D engine that powers our restaurant. I’ve always envisioned it as a place for sharing knowledge and creating access. It’s a space for experimentation and learning—for both our team and the wider community. The masterclasses reflect our belief that innovation should be inclusive and collaborative.
How do you organise and plan these classes with your team?
MF: Our team uses Notion to capture discussion points during our meeting. We use Apple Notes to structure content and outline modules. Each class is led by key members of the team—from our R&D chef to bar manager—so guests can learn directly from the minds behind the Somma experience.
Somma’s workflow heavily incorporates the Apple ecosystem. How helpful has that been for you in running your restaurant?
MF: It’s essential. From design concepts to recipe development, daily operations to content creation—the Apple ecosystem ties everything together. Even on the fly, I use Final Cut Pro on iPad to capture behind-the-scenes content and edit in real-time. These tools let me bring ideas to life with the same precision I put into every plate—and that’s what drives everything we do.
What’s in the pipeline for Somma in 2025?
MF: We’re working on a new seasonal menu that launches at the end of August. And we’re expanding our Somma masterclass series with fresh topics and guest collaborators. We’re also exploring pop-ups abroad—so stay tuned.
Find out more about Somma here.
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