Nicsmann 1940s by Lewré (The Starling Mall)

In essence, a cheese-wheel pasta is a style of pasta made by tossing freshly cooked pasta into a hollowed cheese wheel. There are two very common kinds of cheese used in making this dish, 1) the Parmigiano Reggiano, 2) Grana Padano. A layer of cheese will then be scraped off inside the wheel and melt together with the hot pasta. At Neroteca, the hallowed cheese part of the Parmigiano Reggiano is lit with fire, giving it a slight edgy burnt taste. Super good.
Being a big fan of Neroteca's, I had similar hopes with Nicsmann. The promise of delicious pasta tossed in a giant wheel of Parmesan seemed enticing coming from the banner in front of the restaurant. Sad to say I was disappointed. The topped parmesan was served slightly room temperature, tasted musty and strands of pasta could be found clinging together like a clumpy, gummy mush. It tasted a little too bland after a while — the flavour was just lacking depth. Hate to compare, but this dish totally lacked in that mouth-filling wonderfulness I had at Neroteca. Decor-wise, it's simple and contemporary, lots of pub vibes, more of a salaryman's weeknight spot than a sunday dinner with the parents.