Pasta Inc

Wah, you must really try their squid ink pasta. Its good. Finally got to try it on my second visit before I left my company since it was just opposite. This review its kinda late, but never later than ever?

This time, we got to be the only ones (customers) in the restaurant. Their business got affected by the new eco-friendly mall that its built behind it.

Sad right? But well, all the best for their business.So long as they keep their standards, I think they will pull through! I think la.Competitiveness do benefit consumers at times.. (:I must say, their seafood soup and tiramisu were up to standard from my previous visit!Great job, keep up the good food!

Came here recently after a friends recommendation and looking for a taste of home. Have to say, this place is great, food is good, service is excellent, and I may well become regular here.

My visit was fairly quick on a Wednesday, but I had the Gamberi prawns followed by a simple lasagne. Prawns were good, big and tasty, served with garlic and butter, simple but very nice. Then the lasagne was served, and it was great. The sauce was meaty, the lasagne itself quite soft (fresh lasagne is like that) but it really satisfied my Italian stomach. Afterwards a quick espresso and I was done, but will be back! Recommended.

I recently moved house from the West to less-West. And one good thing about my present location is that it is within walking distance (at a stretch) from quite a few food locations that I've always wanted to try... like this one.

My parents and I thus embarked on a 15 minute walk through Little India to find this little space of Italian heaven, and boy am I glad that I did.

As unlikely as the location is, the experience her is definitely a reason to come back. The ambience is pretty, understated fine but yet casual, and the maitre'd was so warm, friendly and personable we felt completely welcomed (even though we were wearing shorts and slippers from the walk).

We ordered the following:

1) The cream of mushroom ($7.90)

2) The oven-baked portabello mushroom topped with cheese ($12.90)

3) The squid ink spaghetti with clams and calamari ($19.90)

4) The angel hair pasta with crayfish (tomato-based) ($21.90)

5) The tiramisu ($9.90)

6) The dark chocolate mousse ($9.90)

The food, in short, was excellent. The mushroom soup was delicious, and you can never go wrong with the Chef's Recommendations. I loved the squid ink spaghetti. One of the best I've ever tasted, with the pasta done perfectly (al dente), and the squid ink gravy both so fresh and so tasty it was full of flavour but without that icky fishyness. The crayfish pasta was lovely as well, but then again you can never go wrong with tomato sauces, I suppose. For desserts, the tiramisu was excellent; rich and creamy.

Good ambience, great food, excellent service - I'm coming back (15 minute walk included)!

In spite of several checks on streetdirectory.com before making my way down, my friend and I still didn't manage to locate Pasta Inc. without spending a good 1/2 hour like tourists in Jalan Besar. In the end, thanks to their big banner which can be spotted even you are half a mile away. With our pasta dishes priced close to $20, it makes little sense for us not to go for their $22+ set lunch, which comes with soup of the day, pasta (from ala carte menu), a dessert and complimentary tea or coffee. The soup of the day was cream of mushrooms. This was probably one of the best mushroom soups I recently had. Richly creamy soup with comfortingly robust mushroom flavour to chase all your blues away, a must-try for all mushroom lovers. My Italian vocabulary might be limited, but my foodie intuition told me that seppia is squid ink in this context. And this is exactly what I was in for. The spaghetti was cooked to perfection with squid ink sauce, made even more savoury by a light touch of garlic. Every slurp was pure pleasure. It would have been better if most of the clams were filled. On ya, don't forget your serviette. Chocolate mousse was the dessert of the day. Try their tiramisu and apple pie if there is room for more. Our dining experience was overall a pleasant one. The service staff was rather attentive to our needs. After our meal, a short conversation with the friendly owner revealed that Pasta Inc. would find a new home after the current contract ends this year. We both said hooray to that! For a full write-up and more photos, feel free to visit Amasou-Umasou.

You know, there are just some places in Singapore whereby you feel like you're going to like it and when you finally step your foot in the place, you really like it. I certainly felt that way with Pasta Inc and I think that this place is quite something people shouldn't miss! It was my best friend's birthday (just yesterday), so after searching on HGW like a mad dog, I finally settled for Pasta Inc because of its good reviews. We're really just of young girls who're in for good food, nice "atas" ambience and affordable prices. Asked for it, we got it!

Firstly, I have to mention that their service is rather awesome, or perhaps they're so attentive because the place is small so they've less customers to attend to? But anywhos, the people serving/servers (?) were really patient with us and totally caring! For starters, we ordered garlic bread and the server (sorry I'm just going to call them by this term) even asked if we wanted it to come in 5 pieces instead of 3. Also, a friend was going to be late so he suggested he served the garlic bread when she arrives so it'll be hothothot and nice to eat. Like, awesome already?

We also ordered the Portobello mushroom which my friends and I actually got a shock when it came. It's $13.90 and it came in like, one mushroom head sliced into 4 parts served with a salad bed. Ok shocking! But oh well, I guess my one bite of it did taste like it was worth $3.50. The only conclusion I have for its pricing iss cos... It came with salad! Haha yknow, 2-in-1? Nvm.

Moving on to the pasta (we skipped on soup/salad etc....... we were famished haha). We ordered the squid ink, seafood pasta in special saffron cream sauce, tube pasta cooked in bacon etc, tube pasta cooked with Italian sausages and lasagna.You can check the prices at http://pastainc.sg/primi_piatti.html. Though I don't suggest you rely on the website for other information cos it's pretty much under construction and isn't totally updated. Better to call!

Overall, I feel the best was the lasagna. I don't know what they put in their sauce but its really BEEFY. From the first scoop, that's the taste you instantly recognise. So if you don't like it, better to avoid it. After awhile though, you begin to feel the creamy textures in your mouth and you'll start loving the dish. Only advice, take it slow cos you may feel "jelak" after a few mouthfuls of it.

As for the pasta, I don't know if it's just my preference but I felt that the pasta for all the dishes were a bittttt hard. Is that the style Italians do it? I'm so used to having home-(over)cooked pasta that I found the softness, or lack of it, in the pasta to be strange...

That aside, everything was good and my girls and I totally enjoyed ourselves. Oh yeah, did I mention that we got free dessert for the birthday girl? In addition, she got a voucher too!

Last but not least, this place doesn't mind CAMWHORES!! There are some places with the whole dim ambience which kinda makes you feel like you're not allowed to snap pix with flash or something. This place isn't like that at all. In fact the servers actually asked if we wanted to get our pix taken. Aww that's what I call perfect service aka knowing what your customers want and need.

Officially, I love Pasta Inc and will prolly drop by with my other group of friends soon!

(Tip: Keep mentioning 'HGW' and they'll give you a discount if the promotion is on. That's what we got!)

Arriving in Singapore from San Francisco 7 months ago, I've been looking for a restaurant that reflects those certain qualities I adored back in the United States. Pasta Inc. really does a great job. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful throughout the evening. We went for a friends birthday and the staff was attentive to many of our needs. We ordered:

Appetizer: Bruschetta and Garlic Bread
Mains: Beef Lasagana, Pesto Penne, Pasta Carbonara, Seafood linguini in white sauce, and the squid-ink pasta
Wine: Dolcetto
Dessert: Tiramisu

Overall the pasta was great. The consistency was al dente and the flavors of each dish were unique and reflected the use of fresh ingredients. Portion sizes were more than adequate. In fact, most dishes could have been shared between two people. Prices were also very reasonable.

Again, I must say that the ambiance was wonderful. The decor, music and overall setup was intimate and a great place for a date or small party (6-10 people). I will give this staff an A+ for service. Frankly, I am disgusted with the level of service at most restaurants in Singapore, including the high-end restaurants. Never should our glasses be empty, we should always be "checked in on" at regular intervals, greeted with smiles and friendliness, etc. Most places in Singapore would die in the states if the service here were reflected back in the US. But at Pasta Inc, the staff really exceeded my expectations on service in Singapore (which let's face it, is horribly low in general as compared to the US). However, Pasta Inc. modeled a "fine-dining' experience when it comes to service that I would expect from back in the United States. Congratulations to that.

To top off the evening, our hosts treated us to complimentary desserts as well as sambuca, an Italian anise-flavored liqueur that is colorless and usually served at parties. They even lit the shots for each of the guests. Again, this is going above and beyond my expectations and I hope Pasta Inc continues this tradition of fantastic service. I am confident it will benefit them and their clientele for years to come.

I came here for their in-house specialty, Squid Ink Spaghetti ($19.90). I once tried Spanish squid ink paella rice and it left deep impression on me. It is hard to describe squid ink. To me, I find it rather tasty and pleasant. There is no pungent or fishy smell.  I love it.
Here, the squid ink spaghetti is cooked till perfection, top with bountiful of squids, clams and fresh prawns. I was pretty satisfied with the rendition here. The pasta is well-executed with a wonderful seafood flavour. This is one dish that you must try at the restaurant.

I am impressed with Aglio Olio with Scallops & Prawns ($24.90). The crisp freshness of the garlic and fragrance of oliv oil, the pasta is certainly robust in flavour. Without doubt, I should say they have one of the best aglio olio.

I was seeking for some hot comfort food and risotto came to my mind. Saffron Risotto with Parma Ham ($25.90) was recommended and it did not disappoint at all. Texture was excellent and I love the soft mushy rice. Risotto served with parma ham and scallops, it was marvelous.

Instead of the usual Italian dessert, tiramisu, I decided to have Apple Pie ($10.90) to end my meal. For the price, I was surprised of the tiny portion when it was served. Apple pie topped with vanilla bean ice-cream. Yes. Peaks of vanilla bean still excites me! Unlike the usual apple pie, the ones here has a texture close to bread pudding. It was soft, with layers of apple slices and a thin crust at the bottom. It was not bad but for the hefty price, I can find a better alternative elsewhere.

Great pasta, nice ambience and attentive service. My kind of place.

For full write-up and other reviews, visit Simply Angeline.

Its my birthday and i was given a choice of choosing a restaurant that was recommended for its service, ambience or food. i chose service & ambience. I guess, i made the right choice. My friend brought me to this little restaurant in jalan besar (honestly, my first time to this area).

First impression, a small cosy place that are not that furnished. But after being guided to a nice corner, i grew to love the place. The lighting is beautiful, the ambience was great with light music at the background. The service? Excellent. We felt bad as a friend & i toppled the glasses of water, not once but twice. But all we received was a smile of assurance that its really ok. They took care of it without any unhappiness, i am sure many place may not provide such service. They may not show attitude, they definitely will not smile back.

Checked out their shower sink next to the lavatory. Its unique and cool! One more thing about ther service which i must REALLY SAY. This store closes at 2pm before reopen in the evening. We did not know about that and we stayed till around 3pm. They did not chased us away, they did not bill us till we requested it. This may be simple service but it really speak alot for a small restaurant like Pasta Inc. For this, i saltues to the staff that were present that day

We ordered 4 main dishes, 2 soups & 1 desserts (but i could only remember the name of the followings, the rest too italiano to remeber =x) :

SPAGHETTI PESCATORE AL NERO DI SEPPIA - $18.90

A spaghetti dish cooked with fresh assorted seafood in a squid ink based sauce. I'm sure you will not be attracted by this black coloured dish when you first see it. But surprisingly, it is rather tasty. Just make sure you wipe & rinse your mouth as it will get your teeth black!! haha.

FETTUCCINE ALLA CABONARA - $16.90

Ribbon pasta with bacon and onion in cream and white wine sauce with egg yoke. Personally, i quite like this dish as it is creamy & tasty. But for those who may feel sick for having too creamy stuff, this dish is not for you.

PENNE AMATRICIANA - $16.90

Tube pasta cooked with bacon, onion and white wine, served with Pasta Inc's tomato based sauce. The dish taste a little too strong, ie. salty, sweet... Hence, not one of dish that i will recommend.

MOUSSE AL CIOCCOLATO - $9.90
Dark chocolate mousse flavored with orange liquor, but honestly, i could not really taste the orange liquor. Its light for my tongue, though my friend could taste the orange flavor. Overall, this is still a nice dessert after a meal as its not too filling and give a sweet aftertaste.

Soup of the day (some soup with fresh clams)
Forget the actual name of the soup but this soup is definitely for clams lover. I believe that it is some sort of a Clam chowder soup. The Clam taste is strong and my friend loves it! Not for me as i am not really a seafood lover (especially shell seafood)

One last main dish is a spaghetti dish that features prawns, mushrooms, spices and erm... some hair like spaghetti... I could not remember the name as i couldn't really find it from the menu. Its recommended by the staff there. It tasted very local. More like a vege dish from local zhi char store. Moreover, the spaghetti is a lot! Hence, rather filling and you may not be willing to finish it.

I will definitely go back there but the accessibility may be a problem to me.

p/s: Pasta Inc is now on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pasta-Inc/41896982858?v=wall)

I love food establishments that reek of passion. Passion for their trade. Passion for their food. Passion to serve. Very often, the difference between a mediocre restaurant and a good one, lies in the passion of its owner/chef/service staff.

Here at Pasta Inc, I've not been disappointed in the last 4 times I've been there in 2009. Maybe one of my friends was disappointed with her limp garden salad and the presentation of the appetisers in general, but their service recovery was impeccable with promises of improvement (which I noted).

Let's just rate the place based on the food I've eaten:

***Seafood Soup***
Rich with intense flavours due to the reduction process. In other words, it is NOT watery, not bland.

The seafood within was rather generous.

***Mushroom Soup***
Taste wise. Its excellent. One of the best for the price range

However, I would caution against looking at it while eating it because the dollop of cream they spoon in tends to clot inside and look a little "yucks".

***Crayfish bisque***
This is one of the most wonderful bisques I've had in Singapore. It was intense in flavour due to the reduction process. Best paired with red wine. I'm salivated just recalling the experience

This is not a regular item on the menu. I had it over New Year.

***Grilled portobello mushroom (appetiser)***
Presentation - No frills. Just came on a small white plate with nothing on it.
Taste - As good as a grilled mushroom should be.

*** Squid Ink Spaghetti***
Rich. Yummy. Bordered on decadent. The pasta was cooked al dente and cooked with a generous portion of squid (which they harvested the ink from), and a fair portion of scallop and mussles

This pasta is not for first dates because it blackens your lips and for some, the teeth. Neither is this highly recommended for people with cholesterol or health problems.

***Crayfish pasta (I usually change it from Angel Hair to linguine) in tomato cream sauce***
Ok, this version of pasta sauce is not on the menu but can be done upon request. Again, the pasta was done al dente. If you choose to have the angel hair, be warned that the pasta will seem a little over-done. But this is typical of angel hair, the angmoh 'mee suah'.

If I'm not wrong, the pasta came with 2 small sized crayfish. The tomato cream sauce was rich and tasted like it was made from scratch and then reduced for a pretty long time. Good stock! With cream added, the sauce because much much thicker and I think looked "clumpy" to me. Apart from its looks, I had no complaints about the taste

***paper baked angel hair with seafood***
This is their signature dish. Again, I highly recommend that you change the pasta to linguine or spaghetti because of the tendency for angmoh mee sua to get too soggy.

Taste wise, the tomato sauce was rich and really quite delicious on its own.

***Squid ink risotto***
Not available on the menu. But available upon advanced order.

When I ordered this, I really wasn't sure if it would turn out good because not many people in Singapore know how to cook risotto the way I like it. Not too "wet", not too "dry".

Like the squid ink pasta, the dish was served black. All the photos turned out horrible because there was no contrast between the grains. It was a pile of mush. Black mush.

So here came the taste taste. The grains were cooked just nice and I reckon that the chef didn't use as much butter as a typical recipe required. If you like the rich flavour of squid ink, you won't go wrong with this dish that came (again) with lots of squid.

***Mushroom risotto***
Available on the menu. Advanced order preferred. Aiyah, just order in advance lah

This risotto was served with a slight red tinge which gave me the impression that it was cooked with some tomato sauce. I also suspected some wine to bring out the flavour of the rice and mushroom while removing the woody notes of the fungi.

Each grain had 'bite' and was cooked just the way "a ha a ha" I liked it.

***Grilled Lamb Chops served with half a roast potato and buttered veg***
Nothing to shout home about. It wasn't bad. In fact it was grilled really nicely and somehow, the chef managed to seal the flavours of the herbs used in such a short span of time (I saw the frozen chops being taken out from the freezer). However, for that price point, I think Pasta Inc could do better in terms of presentation to up the "value for money" perception.

***Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Mousse (Dessert)***
Not too heavy nor cloying. Neither was it exciting. It was just nice.

The lime sorbet served with it was quite refreshing and a nice contrast to each spoonful of dark chocolate mousse. Try it. Its nice

***Tiramisu***
Good but the quality can be a little inconsistent.

Good because the scotch fingers (when done properly) are well soaked in good espresso. The mascarpone was generous that balanced the taste of the coffee soaked scotch fingers.

***Coffee***
Okay to Good. Relatively strong coffee but not the best I've had. But good enough to round off the meal.

Things to note:
1) Value for money good Italian pastas
2) Please park at Petain Road or City Square Mall and walk
3) Call to reserve a table on weekends
4) Lunch promotions at $24.90 nett includes any soup, any pasta (even the expensive ones, excluding the risotto), dessert (usually a half sized tiramisu) and coffee (even latte or cappuccino). Only on week days.

I went to Pasta Inc with my colleagues and I must find that the place is warm and cosy.

I tried their veal, squid ink spagethi, butter prawns and tiramisu.

Their veal is succelently tender with a good sauce too.

Squid ink spagethi is the peak of the night. It gives you that 'shiok' feeling that you normally don't get while eating in a fine restaurant.

Butter prawns are very fresh and good taste.

We close the night with my fav dessert the tiramisu. Its soft texture is makes the cake melt in your mouth instantly while not compromising the firmness of the cake. The taste is balancely placed between the sweetness, cream and bailey's.

80% of my colleagues loved the food and 100% of them came home satisfied.