Eightisfy Western: Ex-Cicheti chef selling handmade pasta and homely Western in an ulu kopitiam

Let’s be real: The pasta hype in Singapore is out of control.

We love a high-quality plate of hand-made pasta but with its intense popularity comes ludicrous prices sometimes. Especially when pasta is actually a dish that has roots as unpretentious “peasant food” enjoyed by Italian households.

That is exactly why we love the under-the-radar Eightisfy Western at Bukit Merah, which opened in 2022.

This little gem is hidden deep inside the Bukit Merah industrial area, operating out of Maddox Canteen Bar, a rustic open-air kopitiam that houses other interesting stalls, including a paella brand.

During lunch, Eightify Western focuses more on hearty local-style Western food, dishing out items such as classic chicken chops and a few simple pasta dishes that use dried pasta.

But when night comes around, Eightisfy Western’s chef-owner Cheng Kai (more commonly referred to as CK) gets into a serious mode and starts sauteing and stirring up plate after plate of handmade pasta.

And it’s not just a marketing gimmick since CK has the credentials to back it up.

Prior to opening Eightisfy Western, he worked with the Cicheti Group, the restaurant group behind some of the best Italian restaurants in Singapore, such as Bar Cicheti.

You can see how serious CK is about his pasta, with professional pasta making machinery sitting out in the open for all to see.

His pasta is priced at supremely affordable prices, too, for the amount of work that goes into each dish — nothing we ordered was above S$20.

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Handmade pasta in a kopitiam

If you’re working in the area and want to look for a new lunch alternative, it’s not a bad idea to pop by. On quieter days, CK might be open to serving some of his handmade pasta in the afternoons. 

But even without the handmade noods, Eightisfy Western still does some more-than-solid classic Western food.

Our order of black pepper chicken chop (S$7.80) ticked all of the boxes: It’s tender and juicy, the skin is nicely fatty while sporting a gentle crisp and the black pepper sauce is nostalgically punchy.

But, if we had to be honest, the homemade pasta is still the undeniable star at Eightisfy Western.

You have to check with the staff about what’s on the menu for the day — CK has a few fixed staples but he constantly switches things up on the menu depending on his mood and inspiration.

One of the newer ones is the duck ragu mafaldine (S$19.80), which features long strands of ridged pasta that CK has only been able to make recently, with the help of the newest pasta machine at Eightisfy Western.

The pasta texture is al dente and the ragu is a tremendous flavour bomb, loaded with umami, sporting a bit of piquant sweetness and filled with luscious strands of well-cooked duck.

The most interesting handmade pasta dish on Eightisfy Western’s rotation, though, was undoubtedly the pistachio pesto fettuccine (S$18.80).

Eschewing the pine nuts that traditional pesto recipes call for, Eightisfy Western uses pistachio in its pesto pasta to give the sauce its extra earthy and nutty depth.

It has the same thick, creamy mouthfeel of your regular pesto but with a bit more grittiness, and tastes more fragrant and fuller in flavour, with the right amount of earthiness.

Rounding it all off was the truffle gnocchi (S$17.80), which we had to order as huge gnocchi fans.

It’s not easy to find great gnocchi in Singapore — trust us, we’ve had horrendous ones — but Eightisfy Western’s handmade potato gnocchi is perfectly pan seared, fluffy and chewy, with a bit of starchy heft to it. 

The gnocchi is rested atop a bed of truffle cream puree which elevates the texture with a kiss of silkiness, while also adding an elegant whiff of truffle aroma.

We can essentially sum up our experience at Eightisfy Western with three words: Good, hearty pasta.

In an era where a good plate of pasta can cost S$30 and above, before tax, there’s no denying the allure of Eightisfy Western’s affordable and robust offerings.

If you’re a pasta lover who doesn’t mind the lack of aircon and making a bit of a trek to this slightly off-the-beaten path location in Bukit Merah, we recommend planning a visit!

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the viral new krapow stall in Singapore and the art of decor behind stunning African restaurant Tamba.

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Eightisfy Western for the handmade pasta!