Pastaro

Have came across several posts about a bistro “hidden in a supermarket” on social media on the past few days and got a little bit curious about its existence — this is how we got to know about PASTARO that had recently set up shop within the grounds of Chancery Court along Dunearn Road. Turns out, PASTARO isn’t actually located within the Cold Storage supermarket there — it does however have a window within its premises that overlooks the supermarket from above. PASTARO is a fairly new addition to the second level of Blk H at Chancery Court; it is in fact opened on the second level of the block — those familiar with the building will be able to find it located right across Banele. As one steps into the bistro, there is a sense of familiarity that one can find in its decor; whilst seemingly casual, the interior fittings does exude an upscale vibe with wooden weaves fitted on the ceiling — the use of white walls, concrete floors and wooden furniture and fittings giving a sort of industrial and raw vibe at the same time. It is little wonder why this all feels familiar; PASTARO is a concept by Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket, Relish and Roketto — the interior design of the space does somewhat closely resembles that of his other concepts as well. As the namesake of the establishment suggests, PASTARO is a concept that has a strong emphasis on pasta dishes — the menu is split into categories such as Sides & Sharing, Pasta and Sweets. Beverages available at PASTARO will include espresso-based specialty coffee using beans roasted by PPP Coffee, Tea, Soda and alcoholic options like Beer on Tap, Sours, Cocktails, Sake and Wines.

Skimming through PASTARO’s menu, the menu does seem to carry dishes that is particularly known to Chef Willin Low’s style of mod-Sin cuisine; an item that is distinctively so would the Singapore Fried Noodles — this would be his take on a dish that is often heard about being served in Chinese restaurants all around the world, but something that does not really quite exist in the local food culture here. PASTARO’s menu describes the Singapore Fried Noodles as a dish that comes with elements such as crustacean oil, prawn, chili and kaffir. One thing that is well noted about the pasta dishes at PASTARO is how all of them do feature pasta that are made fresh in-house daily. It does seem that the Singapore Fried Noodles does come with pasta that is slightly thinner than the usual spaghetti — tossed in crustacean oil, the pasta does come al-dente with an incredible punch of umami; a constant flavour that one would get out of the entire dish. We also liked how it was tossed with sufficient crustacean oil that provided all that flavour without making the pasta feel overly greasy. Squeezing in a bit of that lime zest, it throws in a bit of that zippiness that cuts through the umami-ness; something which we really liked for the contrast it gave since we aren’t big fans of prawn soup-esque flavours. The dried shrimp does add a bit of a crunch and enhanced those umami notes, while the chunks of prawn were fresh — provided a natural hint of sweetness typical of crustaceans whilst also carrying a firm bite.

During our visit, we had also went for the Laksa Pesto Spaghetti; this is yet another pasta dish that comes with a mod-Sin touch that Chef Willin Low is particularly known for. The Laksa Pesto Spaghetti features elements such as slipper lobster, laksa pesto and quail egg — it does seem to feature the same pasta that is also used in the Singapore Fried Noodles that we had went for. Laksa and pesto are two elements that do not necessarily come together often but we could definitely see the thought process that they have gone through whilst creating the dish after our first mouthful — the laksa pesto is tossed in a way that consistently coats every strand of spaghetti here. While the notes of the dish can get a little salty for some, there is quite something about the rempah in the laksa that gets amplified by the herb-y notes of the pesto in the finishing notes — a rather interesting twist to the usual notes of laksa leaves that one would expect. The quail eggs come with soft whites and a fully cooked yolk that wasn’t too firm, while the chunks of slipper lobster provided a bouncy bite; also pretty fresh and naturally sweet as well. Sharing the Har Jeong Fritter across the table, this is essentially shrimp paste pork belly; a bit of a twist to the usual Hakka-style pork belly that uses fermented beancurd, and a dish that somewhat replicates the shrimp paste fried chicken wings to a certain degree as well. What’s really enjoyable here would be the light and crisp golden brown batter on the exterior, while the meat is tender and juicy — pretty much melt-in-the-mouth without feeling particularly gelatinous. The accompanying chili dip adds on to dish further; it does seem to include the use of Chinchalok (i.e. fermented small shrimp condiment) that gave it another dimension of umami-ness that made in really addictive.

For dessert, we wanted to try the Purin but was told that it was sold out for the day by the time we made our visit there; that being said, they were able to provide us with sampler portions to try. Featuring elements like Pandan and Gula Melaka Caramel, we especially loved the Gula Melaka Caramel for its thick and rich consistency; deep and earthy notes amidst the sweetness that also seemingly comes with a slight hint of saltish-ness — matching the light fragrance of the Pandan in the smooth and soft pudding very well. PASTARO does embody that same characteristics and spirit of Wild Rocket, Relish and Rocketto — one that celebrates the flavours of local cuisine, and marrying those elements with western-style cooking methods to create a dish that is distinctly Singaporean in a contemporary style. With an intimate environment and thoughtful pastas with great execution to boast, PASTARO does work well especially well as a date destination to impress the partner on important occasions — that, as well as being one spot to check out for those whom love pasta, or those whom have been following Chef Willin Low throughout his various concepts throughout the years!