I love Italian food. Like A LOT. This hasn't been so throughout my life, but I guess you can say I truly fell in love with Italian cuisine after I visit Italy earlier this year. There's something about the mix of their hospitality and fresh pasta that makes it so wonderful. My most memorable meal in Rome was a small osteria away from the centre of the town and the whole feast costed us only about $50. When I return to back to Singapore, I sort of accepted the fact that I'll probably never enjoy such fresh home made pasta for such an affordable price.
Fast forward to last week where we visited Pastaria Abate for the first time. I've got a really good vibe about this place because when I called ahead of time to book the seats for all of us, the lady on the other side of the phone was so friendly and welcoming. She booked a spacious long table at the middle of the restaurant for us. The place itself shared the same vibe, the front of the restaurant is bright and airy, while warm lighting encapsulate the rest of the restaurant at the back.
When we were ordering our main dishes, we were told that the pasta here is freshly made. Now this definitely a huge plus for me. On top of that they actually have such a wide variety of pasta available, ten different types in fact, ranging from tagliatelle to squid ink.
The process for ordering the pasta dishes is a little bit of a mix and match because you really get exactly what you want. You choose the pasta base first and then the sauce. Again the pasta sauce consists of three different types of sauces, Red Sauce, Cream Sauce, and the White Sauce.
I personally ordered the Calamari Fritto ($14.80) with a squid ink pasta pairing. It turned out this was an amazing choice. The taste was outstanding, and I can honestly say that I've never tasted such combination in my life before. The mountain of rocket leaves at the top balances out the perfectly battered calamari. The sweetness of the tomatoes compliments the salty, sea flavour of the calamari, creating the perfect umami.
It was really fun to watch what my friends ordered and how they paired the pasta base to their sauce. One really mouth watering one was one that my friend, Grace, ordered. Italian Meatballs ($12.80) paired with the spaghetti pasta base. If ever I come back (and I definitely will) I'm planning to order the Martini Grilled pork ($15.80) because honestly it looks damn amazing. We were told that all of the ingredients that were presented were sourced directly from Italy. I think it really made a world of difference, especially when it comes to the flavours of the pomodoro sauce. It was as sweet as I remembered it in Italy, which for it's price point is pretty damn amazing.
The real dark horse for me were actually the appetizers though. We ordered the Truffle Fries ($8.80) and Hot Wings ($8.80), as well as the Fried Mozarella ($6.80) that were served with Berry sauce. While this was definitely not my first time to try Fried Mozarella (shown in the first image), the pairing with the berry sauce left me pleasantly surprised.
Overall, I really loved our lunch experience at Pastaria Abate. I truly reminded me of my time in Italy. From the warmth and the reception of our hosts (which is the key ingredient in any Italian cuisines in my opinion) to the freshness and careful care put into each one of the dishes. It's definitely a place you can go back to again and again for a friendly chat and a plate of pasta.
Pastaria Abate
43 Craig Road, Singapore, 089681
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 11.30 pm
Closest MRT: Outram Park, Tanjong Pagar
www.pastariaabate.com
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