Review: The Fresh Pasta proves fresh pasta at hawker prices is possible

Handmade pasta has become something of a movement in Singapore over the past few years. Decades-old traditional Italian restaurants aside, it’s now not uncommon to find the fresh stuff at new-ish places such as Noci Pasta Bar and Scarpetta, and people are lapping it up. 

But fresh pasta in a hawker setting? That’s rare, and I can only think of a handful off the top of my head, such as the viral Eightisfy at Bukit Merah and the now-defunct Nudedles.4 at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, which closed in 2023. 

Which is why the arrival of The Fresh Pasta — which soft-launched in late December — feels both hopeful, but slightly risky.

The backstory

If the stall looks familiar, that’s because The Fresh Pasta has taken over the exact spot once occupied by Swirled at CapitaSpring’s Market Street Hawker Centre.

Similar to its predecessor, The Fresh Pasta is a pasta-only concept aimed squarely at the CBD lunch crowd — but unlike Swirled, there’s one key difference that’s clearly emphasised by its name: The pasta here is made fresh, in-house.

The Fresh Pasta soft-launched in late December and operates only on weekdays, which makes perfect sense given its location. 

Its menu is neatly split into three sections: Cold pasta, classic pasta, and fusion pasta, with prices running from S$6 to just over S$11, which sits comfortably in the hawker range.

You can choose between egg yolk, beet root, and spinach pasta, though you’ll have to top up S$0.50 for the latter two options. 

For now, The Fresh Pasta only makes its spaghetti and tagliatelle from scratch, though you can likely expect more handmade styles in the coming months.

Our verdict

The Fresh Pasta isn’t trying to be a fancy Italian restaurant, or even a restaurant at all, and that’s precisely why it works. These guys are making proper fresh pasta in a hawker centre without the pretension or price tag that usually comes with it.

Is everything perfect? No, and we don’t see it winning Michelin stars any time soon, but for time-crunched office workers who want decent pasta without crazy long waits — my dishes took two to three minutes each on average to prepare — or the wallet damage, this new entrant fills that gap just fine. 

What it’s good for

The cereal prawn aglio olio (S$10.50) with egg yolk pasta, reminiscent of our beloved zi char staple, is fusion done right. 

Someone here had the brilliant idea to marry buttery, toasted cereal crumbs with the garlicky spicy base of Italian aglio olio, and honestly, I love it.

The golden crumbs deliver that savoury-sweet hit and texture that typically makes a cereal prawn dish so addictive. The prawns themselves, while simply cooked in butter and garlic, are fresh and sweet, supported by sliced cherry tomatoes and savoury strips of kombu.

Only egg yolk tagliatelle was available during my first visit, and while it has a noticeably softer bite than traditional al dente, that’s to be expected of fresh pasta. 

Flavour-wise, it’s good and lightly slicked with a light garlic-chilli-olive oil sauce rather than swimming in it. Those who prefer a punchier aglio olio may find the garlic flavour a little restrained, though.

If you’re looking for another to try from the fusion category, carbonara gets the Japanese treatment in the mentaiko salmon carbonara (S$11.50) which I had with fresh beetroot spaghetti (additional S$0.50). 

Here, spicy cod roe is cooked into a creamy sauce with a briny umami depth — it’s rich but not too heavy, so you can still taste the orangey-pink beetroot noodles, which has a subtle earthiness to it.

A medium-portion of salmon is cooked properly — still moist and flaky rather than dry. — and it pairs naturally with both the mentaiko and the cream. 

There’s also a small pile of caramelised crispy bacon like in traditional carbonara. While not particularly refined, this is a comforting and tasty take on carbonara that’ll probably feel satisfying and familiar to those who like Italian-Japanese fusion.

For something lighter and more refreshing, the cold truffle angel hair pasta (S$6) is just good value, considering that you’re essentially getting a quality vegetarian pasta for just over S$5, and could easily cost more than two or three times more elsewhere.

The truffle oil perfumes the dish well without overwhelming it, complemented by the earthiness of pan-fried oyster mushrooms. Naturally, the combination is completed with a perfect sous vide egg that breaks open nicely.

It’s worth noting that this is the dish here that doesn’t use fresh pasta… yet. (I’m told the folks at The Fresh Pasta are still sourcing for an appropriate cutter to make them from scratch.) 

The current angel hair maintains enough structure to hold up to the oil dressing, so it’ll be interesting to see if fresh pasta can do the same. 

If you’re wondering what classics to get, let’s just say there’s nowhere to hide with a simple classic such as the beef bolognese (S$6.50) with spinach spaghetti (additional S$0.50), and thankfully The Fresh Pasta delivers.

Its version is solid, reliable, and way more refined than what you usually find at a coffeeshop “western food” stall. 

The sauce tastes like it’s been simmered for some time to develop a tangy tomato complexity, and the minced beef (a good mix of lean meat and fat) breaks down into tender and flavourful pieces rather than remaining as thick chunks. 

A sprinkle of parmesan ups the umami, and the spinach pasta adds a subtle vegetal note and visual contrast, though its flavour remains rather gentle.

What it could improve on

Due to the nature of housemade pasta, the quantity and type of pasta The Fresh Pasta can churn out each day is limited, and its closing hours are dependent on when its pasta supply is sold out. 

The absence of fixed closing hours can be frustrating if you can’t get there early enough, or if you have a pasta craving that just needs to be met, stat. 

The crew mentioned that they typically sell out by 1.30pm on weekdays, so any time before that, or even earlier would probably be your best bet, for now.

That said, kudos to the team for listening to feedback: I was told by staff that they’re ordering new cutters to make more styles of pasta for more options. 

Plus, the store has since started using metal cutlery (I had my meal served with disposable ones on my first visit), which enhances the eating experience so much more.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? Not particularly — it’s a bustling hawker centre especially at lunch time.

Is a reservation necessary? Walk-ins only.

How to get there? The Fresh Pasta is on the third floor of CapitaSpring’s Market Street Hawker Centre, accessible from Raffles Place MRT Exit B via sheltered walkway.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this restaurant for this review.

For more hawker-style pasta spots, check out Eightisfy at Bukit Merah or Bronzo at Bukit Timah.