Fresh Pesto

$12.00 ยท 4 Reviews

The first place that would probably pop into any Burpple Tastemaker's mind when you mention Bugis would be Ah Bong's Italian, purely because the food is hearty and the prices affordable. It looks small from the outside, and it's almost always packed, but there are additional outdoor tables to accommodate bigger groups. Come with your carb-loving friends and plan to eat chef-owner Chris's amazing pastas like the Fresh Pesto ($12) and the signature Birthday Pasta ($9). The latter, described in Burpple Tastemaker Russell Leong's words, features "roasted broccoli pesto that is earthy, hearty and bursting with fantastic flavor". If you're a regular patron here, or "superfans", as Chef Chris calls the Burpple Tastemakers, you'll find yourself sampling his experimental dishes pretty often, like the Almost There Pork Belly ($12) that comes with melt-in-the-mouth fat and perfectly crackling skin โ€” a dish that has been in the works since last July. Pro tip: Swing by at lunch to enjoy any pasta, a drink and a small dessert at only $12!
Avg Price: $15 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Russell Leong

What do you get when you cross freshly made (just made the night before me devouring this, as I learned from Chris) basil pesto, a hefty helping of mushrooms and pine nuts with amazingly al dente pasta?

You get a phenomenally palatable and satisfactorily savory experience. Unlike the majority of the pesto sauces out there, Ah Bong's piquant pesto is tremendously thick, clinging onto every strand of pasta like a monkey clinging to a vine. It packs one hell of a flavor punch, being very savory and heavy on the herbs. The fungi in this dish make it even more fun to eat, as the earthy flavors amplify and complement the herby overtones excellently.

With pasta this perfect, it's easy to see why I've become a devotee to Ah Bong's choice creations.

#burpplebugisunder15

  • 3 Likes

The moment this passed my lips I was immediately reminded of my mum's pesto(which is the best in the world). Painstakingly housemade basil pesto that hits all the right levels and notes of herbaceousness, cheesy nuttiness and silky olive oil flavour, clinging on fervently to each length of linguine. Toss in pine nuts, bits of mushroom and grated cheese into the mix and you've got a deceptively simple, earthy bowl of pasta that eats like it was twice the sum of its parts.
#BurppleBestBugis #BurppleBugisUnder15

Taste: 4/5

Scurried over like those painted chickens on the plate the moment I saw the Fresh Pesto pasta was available last Friday (the menu changes every day depending on what the chef-owner feels like cooking, best to track it by checking their Facebook or Instagram accounts). Having heard good things about it from a few people, I was eager to give it a go and with the second Ah Bong's Italian located close to my office, I could do that easily.

My verdict is yes, it's definitely yummy. The slightly coarse and dry-ish basil pesto paste coating the strands of spaghetti was rich and aromatic. There's also slices of mushrooms in this vegetarian dish. However, the amount of pasta wasn't as generous as the crab one I had on my maiden visit when they first opened. I suspect they've adjusted the portion size since, having noticed the crowd in the central area don't tend to finish huge plates of carbs for lunch. Or maybe it's because I happened to be their last customer for lunch that day. ๐Ÿ˜ But seriously, this observation about pasta portion is just that. It isn't going to stop me from returning here again and again and again because everything I have had so far is really delicious! ๐Ÿ˜„

  • 10 Likes
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