Yet another concept by the folks behind Nesuto Patisserie, Handbello is their latest concept that has taken over the premises of ChiChi at Amoy Street; Handbello itself having started operations during the Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period when dine-in was not allowed. The establishment had since opened their doors for dine-in, moving forward from just takeaway or delivery operations.

There were quite a number of options to choose from but we found ourselves going for the La Nonna’s — a rather homey and hearty pasta dish that features Casarecce pasta, Kurobuta Pork Sausage, Brocollini and Chili Flakes based on the menu’s description of the item; all topped with shaved Parmesan over the top with a squirt of lemon zest. It is little wonder why this item is being named La Nonna’s — Italian for “The Grandmother’s” since it felt exactly like a pasta that an Italian grandma will likely toss up using ingredients found in the fridge (albeit more premium); simple but wholesome. While the Casarecce pasta felt like it could do slightly more cooking time for a texture closer to al-dente (though the dining partner mentioned he found the doneness of the pasta alright; preferences, I guess?), I liked how the juicy and chunky knobs of pork sausage (think something similar to the sausage patty that comes with your McMuffin, but pork — not your Bratwurst sort of sausage) is savoury and well-spiced and seasoned without any undesirable porky stench — very satisfying indeed. Then, there comes the crunch of the broccolini — striking a balance with the use of a crunchy green against the carbs and meat to provide that wholesome experience for the entire dish. The shaved parmesan adds a hint of savouriness to the pasta; a very familiar flavour we are accustomed to with other pasta/pizza/truffle fries dishes that feature parmesan, but I liked how they included lemon zest for a slight tang — adds to the complexity of the dish that makes it pretty interesting to have from start to finish.

The folks behind Nesuto Patisserie have been pretty known to nail it well with every establishment that they have — from their days as 52 Sandwich Shack and Shuu Choux at Raffles City Shopping Centre, to bring Nesuto Patisserie and subsequently with ChiChi; would say that there is something for everyone at Handbello despite its smaller menu as compared to ChiChi — the less adventurous can always go for the That Carbonara or Corny Tortellini that features more familiar elements. With that being said, Handbello is off a good start; and likely even better as they fine tune their dishes further with more feedback obtained along the way as they ease into their dine-in operations.