Pasta Brava Restaurant

For pics, click here. For more reviews, please visit foodmakespeoplehappy.blogspot.com thanks!

Bread





Would have liked it if their breads were heated up more, nonethless they were crusty and crispy still!

Chalks provided for kids/young at heart to doodle on the table!

Cassuela Al Frutti Di Mare $28

Spiced tomato based stew with prawns, clams, squid and crayfish





Look at the amount of seafood given! Everything was fresh no doubt and the soup went super super well with bread!!! The garlic bread given was v crispy and yummy! Mopped up all the soup hehe. Tomato based broth infused with the richness of the seafood and spices, yum! 4.6/5

Risotto Nero Alla Sinfonia Dei Nostri Mari $23

Arborio rice cooked with seafood and squid ink, flavoured with white wine





As with a few other reviews, the boy and I both found that the sauce was a little too salty for our liking? But we soon got used to the saltiness and this dish was actually quite well done! Compared to my current fav at Covelli, I would say it kind of matches up except that I like the sauce at Covelli better! 4.4/5

We'd come back to try out their other pasta dishes. Service was really good, something that the restaurant can definitely take pride about! Friendly, smiley, knowledgable, helpful and polite! Good dining experience (:

The price is high side, but the food is excellent. Probably the best Italina food in the town. I am looking forward to try again the squid ink spaghetti with seafood. Went well with Barolo. Service - Perfect. The wine list is extensive.

For the full review/pics, do visit http://yumyumformytumtum.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/pasta-brava-hearty-italian-at-mass-market-prices/

You know for large group gatherings, an appropriate lunch venue requires affordability, accessibility and of course, a minimum standard of quality, and finding such an ideal lunch spot is indeed a tall task. Faced with such a situation, I humbly suggested Pasta Brava, a restaurant on my to-go list which I had yet to try.

Located within walking distance from Tanjong Pagar Mrt, Pasta Brava serves hearty authentic Italian fare at very very reasonable prices about $25ish to $35ish a person for a generously portioned main. It has cemented its position and credibility in the Singapore food scene after garnering numerous accolades and awards over the past decade which are conspicuously framed up on the wall of the reception area.

The pastas here are pretty heavy so while I’m an advocate of having a complete meal consisting appetizer, main and dessert, you you might want to consider skipping the appetizers unless you are planning on sharing the mains. And instead of having desserts here, you can also consider strolling around the Ann Siang or Duxton area to try the various highly acclaimed patisseries such as k ki, Bonheur Patisserie and Flor Patisserie.

In descending order starting from my favourite pasta, I enjoyed the Spaghetti Della Pescatrice, “Spaghetti with Seafood in Squid Ink Sauce” ($23++) the most. Some of my friends found the briny squid ink sauce a little too salty but I thought it was awesome with the subtle bittersweet clam juices infused into the pasta.

One of the better risottos I have had, the Risotto Al Funghi Porcini, “Arborio Rice cooked with Porcini Mushrooms, White Wine & Parmesan Cheese” ($23++) is something I would recommend ordering here. Don’t attempt to finish this alone though as the cheesiness gets to you after awhile. The Porcini Mushrooms adds a texture akin to smooth fresh scallops to the dish which I find extra inviting,

I have a particular fondness of clams. I think it’s because of the fond memories I have about my trip to Gold Coast when I was younger where I picked up live clams off the beach and boiled them back in the hotel to eat. Subjectivity aside, there was consensus that the Spaghetti Alle Vongole In Bianco, “Spaghetti with Fresh Clams, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Wine and Parsley” ($19++) was one of the favourites of the meal.

Spaghetti Anacapri Al Cartoccio, “Spaghetti with Crayfish, Garlic, Herbs & Tomato Sauce served in Parchment Paper” ($23++). I’m not sure if it’s because of the effect of sealing it in parchment paper that stops the white wine from vapourizing but I detected a stronger than usual wine taste which I quite enjoyed (then again, no description of wine is mentioned for this dish so I might just have imagined things).

Agnolotti Farciti Al Salmone, ”Round-shaped Pasta filled with Fresh Salmon, served with Tomato and Cream Sauce” ($22.50++). Agnolotti is a type of ravioli, and the difference in naming convention arises mainly from the initial place of origin, with Agnolotti originating from Northern Italy and Ravioli from the Coastal South. The difference in locale also results in a difference in terms of stuffing used, where fish, vegetables and cheese was commonly used for Ravioli while meat was used as a stuffing for Agnolotti.

The Fettuccine Alla Carbonara, “Fettuccine with Bacon, Onion, Egg Yolk, White Wine & Cream Sauce” ($20++) is decent but too heavy for my liking. The pasta was also a little on the soft side.

While the Linguini Regina Del Mare, “Linguini with Clams, Prawns, Scallops, Squid, Crayfish, Garlic & Tomato Sauce” ($23++) looks like the Spaghetti Cartoccio (above), the tomato sauce comes across as less flavourful.

There’s no end to good food around the Tanjong Pagar and Outram area but Pasta Brava has left a deep enough impression to warrant future revisits.

I enjoyed our dinner at Pasta Brava altogether, and this restaurant will definitely be worth a few more visits.  Our table had the Rucola con scaglie di parmigiano e pera (SGD 13.00), Ravioli con carne di manzo al gorgonzola (SGD 22.50), the Linguine regina del mare (SGD 23.00), and the Tiramisu al mascarpone e caffe (SGD 10.00).  Pricing is not bad and definitely commensurate to the quality of ingredients and impressive execution of the dishes.

For photos and a more detailed write-up of our orders, check out:

http://goodfoodishappiness.blogspot.com/2012/02/pasta-brava-italian-dining.html

I went with 3 other friends to try out this Italian restaurant after reading the great reviews. After my dining experience there, I have mixed feelings of this place.

Ambience/Setting:

I find the decor charming, but if you are expecting a romantic and quiet ambiance, you would be in for a disappointment. I almost have to shout in order to be heard.

Food/Beverage:

Secondly, the food in general was good. We had 3 appetizers, 4 mains and 3 desserts of different choices and we were not disappointed. However, it was a pity that we didn't have a good wine to accompany the good food. We ordered a bottle of Merlot from the housepour red wine list, recommended by the waiter. When the bottle arrived, I thought the name of the bottle looked different from what was written on the menu. I asked the waiter if it was the same wine that we ordered, and he insisted "Yes, it's Merlot from Bordeaux St Emilion" (though I'm surprised not to see the words "Merlot" and "St Emilion" indicated on the label). Anyway, we took his word for it and opened the bottle. Initially when I tried the wine, I thought that the wine was spoilt because it was very acidic. I asked my friend for a second opinion, and she thought it was acidic too, but not because it was spoilt, but rather because it was a bad wine. For $46 a bottle, it's way too expensive to be paying for a wine that's probably only fit for cooking. Nevertheless, we accepted it as a bad choice on our part.

Towards the end of the evening, without a word, the waiter just dropped the bill on our table and walked off. I thought it was rather rude. While I understand the restaurant may be closing soon, he could have asked if we wanted anything else beforehand or asked if we wanted the bill. Moreover, there were still a number of tables left and who hadn't finished their meal at that time.

When I checked the bill, it confirmed my original doubt that the wine we ordered and the one that was presented to us were different. The one on the menu shows an Italian wine by the name of Merlot delle Venezie, while the one we had was French from Chateau de la Roque (something along that line, but I can't verify now because I didn't take note then and this wine cannot even be found in the wine list!). When we questioned the waiter, he explained that the wine we ordered was not available, so he took the liberty of choosing the French wine for us because it's also a Merlot. When I told him that the French wine he chose was not good at all, he said I should have told him that earlier. The thing was that I didn't know we could reject wine based on the taste. I've always thought it was only possible if the wine has turned bad. Though he apologized for the mistake, it didn't feel sincere and they did not make any effort in trying to make up for that mistake!

To add salt to the injury, when we asked if there was any credit card discounts, the waiter replied that they never have any promotion in a snobbish way. Ironically, I found a past promotion for ANZ and RBS credit cards on their website. It seems that the waiter doesn't know what he's talking about.

Meet two ex-colleagues for lunch and I suggested Pasta Brava few months back.

I was given a table near the entrance despite calling to make reservations and to rub salt to injury, the place is not even crowded.

Won't bother with the food review as it was not memorable. We ordered set lunches at $27++ which is not really value for money for starter, pasta and deserts. Food is decent but nothing memorable.

I'm a sucker for good service and we had to work extra hard to get the staffs attention. Most of the staff were busy crowding round a table of 4 who ordered wine. Whereas the peasants of three (us), only ordered set lunches.

 

I rated ambience/setting high as the place is a restored shophouse and decor is quite classy. Unfortunately, the software (people) is more important than decor.

For pictures: http://hungryinsingapore.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/pasta-brava-dinner/

I paid an impromptu visit to Pasta Brava for dinner today. Luckily there were seats available. The restaurant was rather packed when I arrived at around 7:45pm. For a small restaurant in a secluded place, on a weekday, their business seemed brisk.

The restaurant was really small but it gave a homely and cosy vibe.

The bread was very normal. However I give it some credit for having crispy crust and being fluffy inside. 

The olive oil, however, was less than average. It didn’t taste pleasant and I had my bread with butter instead.



Starcci Ai Gamberi E Capesante - $22.50++

Thin pieces of fresh pasta with scallops, prawns, green peppercorn, white wine with saffron cream sauce

They were very generous with the scallops and prawns for this pasta. The homemade pasta was alright, but I couldn’t taste anything distinct between this and barilla. The sauce however, was really good! for the sauce alone this pasta is worth a try.

Agnolotti Farciti Al Salmone – $22.50 ++

Round shaped pasta filled with fresh salmon in tomato and cream sauce

I wanted to try rose sauce so I took this pasta. The rose sauce was good! However, I can’t say the same about the pasta. I felt that the pasta wasn’t al dente. It was rather tough to bite, as if the flour inside wasn’t cooked through when the outside was. The salmon filling wasn’t anything spectacular. Perhaps I just do not like salmon to be minced up like canned tuna.

It was a family friend's birthday so I was cracking my head over where to bring her.

Our destination had to be in a fairly central location, a decent variety in the menu (to please my mom who is quite mindful about her eating habits), and some meat to please the other two meat lovers. I was craving for some hearty pasta, thus I finally decided on Pasta Brava. To be honest, my first choice was Bonta. But since they were not open for lunch on Saturday, I had to look for another alternative.

We had four pastas:

Aglio Olio (Clean tasting and not too oily)

Seafood Pasta - Lovely flavors but not the best I have had. In fact, I have had better ones at Pepperoni Pizzeria, La Nonna and Porta Porta.

Cannelloni with lamb - The first bite blew my mind, but not in a good way. It was far...too...rich.... Had to push most of it to my other companions. The huge amount of cheese on top made me a little ill. Order this if you love your pasta ultra creamy and thick.

I can't quite recall what was the 4th pasta, but my companion looked pleased with it.

Overall this is a pleasant enough place to visit once in awhile when you have run out of options. The food met my expectations but nothing further.

For photos, please visit my blog, Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow.



If you have been following this, you'd know I haven't posted in one week, that's because I went to Bangkok for my good friend's bachelorette party. And if you are reading this closely, you'd know that I'm dating someone. Let's call him Fat Cheeks.

What happens in Bangkok stays in Bangkok - but the bachelorette party continues! right up till the wedding (and maybe after). So we went out for dinner but just before dinner, Fat Cheeks called me to call the whole thing off. In my entire year of dating, he's the only one I really really really like; I like him so much I would give up 30% of the green stuff on the globe for him. He made me feel like I'm in a teenage dream. Ah, too bad, so I don't deny that this review is affected by my emo mood.

There were six of us. Inadvertently, Huccalyly and I always order the same dish: Linguine ai frutti de mare, or if you cannot read Italian, it's linguine in the fruits of the ocean. It is usually served in a tomato based sauce but since we live in sin, we changed it to cream. I changed my pasta to fusilli, the one shaped like a corkscrew. It's my favorite pasta because it's tiny and therefore won't cause splashes on clothes; and it has a large surface area which means it absorbs much of the sauce. The scientific education in Singapore has helped my food review!

As you can see from the photo above, the seafood was very ample and I love the fresh and chewy scallop but for the life of me, I can't tell whether it is good pasta or not because I could cook this myself. It was too salty and oily and got a bit je-lak, a bit sickening. Rating: 3/5

My sister ordered Pappardelle al ragu d'anitra con funghi or pasta with duck and mushroom. Has anyone wondered why Italian restaurants in Singapore like to be call their dishes in Italian names, knowing that no one can pronounce it? My kind sis (probably in a good mood) gave it a 4/5; she said the taste of duck had soaked into the pasta, flavoring it. But when I tasted it, I thought the ribbon-pasta was a little too tough and the dish too salty.

No more Italian names ok? Dora ordered Squid Ink Risotto. I have a running joke with squid ink because I almost always order squid ink pasta everywhere I go since I NEVER had a good one, so I keep ordering. Luckily, Dora is my guinea pig. She gave it 3.5/5. I only ate a morsel but didn't think much of it, not much different from eating rice.

Chantel ordered a safe bet, carbonara. What can go wrong with it, right? She gave it a 3.25/5, claiming that the bacon wasn't infused with the pasta, and it was too oily.

Lastly, Sak-It ordered the Special of the Day, which I forgot what. I think it's beef stew with carrots pasta. I thought it was olive-oil based but Sak-it corrected me: white wine-based. Sak-it and I thought it was overly salted, giving it a rating of2.75/5.

To maintain our hour-glass figures, six of us shared two desserts, opting for the boring tiramisu and panna cotta. The panna cotta wasn't impressive, very normal, but I really like the tiramisu. My sister thought it was too rich but I like the moisture of liquor (I couldn't tell what it is, but it's very slightly sweet) and the sweetness of the liquor is offset by the bitterness of real coffee. This may top Da Paolo's tiramisu.

The service was prompt and accurate; the servers remembered our orders; the food was reasonably priced ($29/pax); the servers even tied bibs for customers who are eating long pastas. Huccalyly said the waiter wanted to cover her C-cup (or D-cup?) boobs; I said that's because they are ugly. I love the ambience, quiet, very good for romantic dates. (WAILS, Fat Cheeks, if you're reading this, I'm the good-horse-doesn't-eat-backward-grass kind because "none of them are worth the risk but you are the only exception... you are the only exception." Ok, stop singing. So if you think you're ready for a relationship, even if you regain the weight you lost, become a fat balloon waiting for a pinprick again, I want you to know that a fool is here, willing to take the risk with you. We would be so good for each other; we had such great chemistry in such a short time.)

Overall, the food isn't great, but everything else is.

Went there with a big group and very looking forward to it.

I ordered squid ink risotto and I actually liked it. Very fragrance rice & squid ink combi. But the seafood wasn't that fresh and exciting (in terms of portion).

Also, the air-con was not strong enough, so I was actually perspiring while having my dinner. Slowly the waiters finally realised, or some customers must have complained, they lower the air-con temperature so we felt better after that.

I always like to stress test a Italian restaurant with its tiramisu. Pretty disappointing as the lowest level of sponge is too soaked wet with coffee & alcohol. It's bitter actually.

When making payment, I was not given my Standard Chartered card discount cos we split our bills. This is simply silly. They might have their policy to follow, but the fact that the didn't make an effort to please the customers, that is my last draw on this restaurant.