I went to Chicco Pasta Bar sometime back with my group of Pastafarians after hearing that it was by ex-Salted and Hung Chef, Drew Nocente, who also helms Cenzo nearby. Pasta places are a hit and miss and the only way to find out if its any good is to try it out. I'm happy to report that Chicco was quite a good experience overall.
The shophouse restaurant is located in the buzzing area of Telok Ayer St. and took over the old Market Grill. While there is no food smell in the well-ventilated semi-air conditioned gastrobar, my only tiny gripe was that sound bounces off the walls and surfaces of the place and it can get quite noisy.
Here's the menu, which I appreciate for its size. Just 8 pastas as well and most of it fall below $20.
Drinks are pretty good as well especially the happy hour and cocktails. We ordered a bottle of Italian white wine to share instead.
We first started with the Spaghetti (S$18) with clams, pancetta and seaweed broth. The seafood combi enhanced by the broth with the spaghetti instead of the typical tomato or aglio olio was a good touch and ingredients were also quite generous. The only gripe was the pasta was a bit sticky and soft. 3.5/5
The second pasta was the Rigatoni (S$18) with guanciale, egg and pepper. A classic take on no-cream carbonara, it really showed off the skills of the kitchen team to balance out the cheese and fattiness of the pork cheek. Very classic and well-executed. 4/5
We also had the Mafaldine (S$22), which comes with slow cooked beef and smoked tomatoes. The smoky flavour really permeated through with plenty of generous tender beef bits. The pasta was a bit more firm in here as well. I think their tomato sauce's legit because both tomato pasta dishes were a hit. 4/5
The last one was the Conchiglie (S$18) with tomato, basil and stracciatella. Again, a super simple dish but super addictive because the tomatoes were just the right level of tang and the creaminess of the cheese helped to balance it, with the al dente ear-shaped pasta that takes in the sauce perfectly.
Lastly, this is a must-try. Their Tiramisu (S$12) with pistachio and coffee mascarpone was such a pleasant surprise, first when it was served the cream spread out all over the cake and bits of the pistachio made every bite a textural delight.
In all, Chicco Pasta Bar is a great little place in town for a casual meal or date, with a good range of Italian food and wine and a jovial atmosphere. I highly recommend ending the meal with the tiramisu!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if nearby ✔️
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🤷 Try if nearby ✔️
💁 Bookmark this
Chicco Pasta Bar
208 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068642
Mondays to Saturdays 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5-10 or 10.30pm
Closed on Sundays
Reservations via inline
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