Popular pasta spot Chicco Pasta Bar now open at Holland Village

It may only have been open for less than a year, but Chicco Pasta Bar has been booked out night after night, drawing in pasta lovers keen on a value-for-money meal in Telok Ayer. 

So once we got wind of the fact that Chicco Pasta Bar had opened a new outpost in Holland Village, we made a beeline for the restaurant.

Chicco Pasta Bar at Holland Village has a similar menu to the brand’s maiden outlet. It comprises appetisers (or Italian street food, as the menu calls it), pasta, mains, pizza, and a small-ish sweet treats (or dolce) selection.

The main difference eagle-eyed fans of the brand will note, is that Chicco’s affordable lunch sets at its Holland Village outlet go for S$25 nett (as opposed to S$25 with service charge and taxes at Telok Ayer) — it’s a much welcomed move, considering the recent GST hike. 

For the uninitiated, Chicco’s lunch sets come with a choice of one street food, one main or pasta, and one beverage.

Aside from the slight difference in pricing, Chicco Pasta Bar at Holland Village also comes with a few new notable menu items: Duck & parma ham toastie (S$16) and the gramigna (S$20) with pork ragu.

The duck & parma toastie was incredibly savoury, owing to the combination of a well-marinated duck confit and parma ham filling. There was a creamy sauce accompaniment, likely incorporating manchego cheese, but we barely needed it.

Surprisingly, we also really enjoyed its salmon tartare (S$14), which you can also select as part of the lunch set. There was a substantial ratio of lightly-spiced, creamy salmon chunks to sourdough, and the seasoning, too, was on-point for the salmon.

You can also order the brussels sprouts with pecorino cheese & ham with the lunch set, though it isn’t available a la carte. This dish was nicely seasoned with a touch of lemon. We would have fancied the brussels sprouts a tad more charred, but it was still a good dish.

While Chicco Holland Village’s pasta menu didn’t differ from the Telok Ayer outlet’s, my pasta-loving dining companions and I decided to try a few pastas types, for good measure — the rigatoni (S$18), conchiglie (S$22) and the mafaldine (S$24). 

The rigatoni (S$18) comes in a carbonara-style sauce with guanciale, egg and pepper. Off the bat, it’s easy to see that the sauce is made in the authentic way, without cream. This method usually relies purely on egg and cheese to achieve its requisite creaminess — as Chicco’s rendition does, to good effect.

The conchiglie was a nice surprise — since it came with the lunch set, we expected the more “ budget” vegan version to be served, but instead we got the beef version with slow-cooked beef and smoked tomatoes. It’s a homely dish that is a predictable and reliable choice for any bolognese lover. 

The star for us was the mafaldine with spanner crab and bisque — while I would have personally enjoyed a bit more bisque with my pasta, what we got was flavourful enough, brimming with crustacean brininess and umami. 

When we visited this week, the outlet was still half-full, perhaps because the masses have yet to catch wind of this new opening. We appreciated the quietness and the staff were also particularly attentive.  

If you’re one of those that’s been trying to get a seat at Chicco at Telok Ayer, set your sights on Chicco at Holland Village instead — it’s pretty much the same experience and easier to get a spot there, for now.

Hungry for more? Read our latest stories on the new Chinese restaurant Wo Wo Dian at Raffles City and our guide to Bedok 85 Market’s best stalls to explore.

Do explore the GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Chicco Pasta Bar at Holland Village.