Behind Clay: No. 67 best pizza chef shakes things up at Clarke Quay with foie gras pizza and mala pork belly
Have you heard of Il Clay? Pizza enthusiasts would definitely have caught wind of this restaurant, which is headed by a pizza world celebrity.
Il Clay was opened in 2024, and is a project by chef Ciro Sorrentino, the Italian chef behind Margheri in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was named the No. 67 best pizza restaurant in the world, in 2025’s 50 Top Pizza rankings.
After two years, though, chef Ciro decided it was time to shake things up at the Clarke Quay restaurant, and has just launched Behind Clay, a new concept in the same space.
While Il Clay still operates in the al fresco area outside, Behind Clay will take over the dining area behind its iconic “pizza oven” doors.
Basically, the vision for Behind Clay is that of a bolder Asian fusion-focused lounge sibling to the original concept.
So the dishes aren’t just your usual Italian favourites, as chef Ciro also enlists the help of chef Yip — a seasoned modern Chinese chef with years of experience in various cities across China, Vietnam, and Malaysia — to design the menu.
Modern Asian meets Italian
When we say bold Asian fusion, we mean it. Behind Clay’s menu draws heavily on Chinese influences, and one of the most pleasant surprises was the mala shaker pork belly (S$20).
The assortment of pickled vegetables, chilli flakes, Sichuan pepper, and pork belly is served in a brown paper bag, and you’re meant to give it a hard shake before digging in.
The pork belly is fatty with a nice crunch, while the mala seasoning means there is plenty of kick. It isn’t monstrously spicy like you might expect, especially with the tangy pickled vegetables to cut through it.
Another dish that shows off Behind Clay’s Asian inflection is the shrimp carpaccio (S$28), with thinly pounded sheets of prawn paired with pork lard, chives, sour cream, and assam sauce.
The crux of this dish is the pork lard, since its umami and fragrance fits well with the prawn — it reminds us of our local prawn mee!
As far as pizza goes, there are two choices of butternut chicken (from S$26) or foie gras pate (from S$38).
Butternut chicken curry and pork floss are the star proteins in the former, while the latter spotlights duck foie gras pate.
While foie gras pizza might sound like the perfect late-night indulgence, Behind Clay’s creation is surprisingly more sweet and piquant than rich and decadent.
The foie gras pate is creamy but not too fatty, while the tamarind sauce and pineapple puree balances against it with their acidity — honestly, for a dish built around foie gras, we felt it could use a lot more umami.
Good desserts and S$1 oysters
Despite the Asian-fusion spin being paraded as its main selling point, one of the absolute highlights was actually rather straightforward and traditional.
The highlight was undoubtedly the S$1 oysters. Available all night, guests can order up to six oysters with any order of food or drink, while stocks last.
These oysters are plump, creamy, and not fishy at all — just the way we like it.
We also loved the desserts — particularly the flambe bombe Alaska (S$26), an iconic dessert originally from Il Clay’s menu that involves plenty of fireworks.
It’s essentially a layered meringue ice-cream cake that is doused with a shower of rum, which is then set on fire. The ice cream is creamy and fragrant, while the rum adds a nice and toasty splash of tropical sweetness.
The burrata burnt cheesecake (S$19) is also a pretty decent choice, featuring a rich burnt cheesecake base that’s crowned with burrata, which is bruleed tableside with a torch.
With all that said, our attention is still all on the oysters — if you are the type of person who loves to hunt down good-value oyster deals, definitely add Behind Clay to your bookmarks!
This was a hosted tasting.
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the beloved heritage coffeehouse that will be closing in July and the newest, sleekest bar-bistro that has opened at Neil Road.
Tue 5pm - 11pm
Wed 5pm - 11pm
Thu 5pm - 11pm
Fri 5pm - 1am
Sat 5pm - 1am
Sun 5pm - 11pm
- Clarke Quay
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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