Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
I can eat many things without growing too tired of them, and pasta is one such dish. It’s a wonder how I haven’t sniffed out more pasta gems yet, so I was delighted to finally find Swirled while looking through Market Street Food Centre‘s directory.
What’s better than fancy restaurant pasta? Fancy restaurant-style pasta by a hawker at low prices! This stall on Level 3 of the hawker centre in Raffles Place serves, as they say, “Basically Pasta” under S$14. Its cheapest dish, the Aglio Olio costs just S$5.90, which is considered a steal in the high-end CBD area.
Instead of plates, Swirled provides single-use cutlery and disposable paper bowls that conveniently double as takeaway containers, possibly to save the trouble of paying for the washing service. It was a minor detail, but I wondered if it would affect their plating process or presentation in any way.
Customers can choose either linguine or fusilli for the dishes, and I picked the former. Personally, it’s more fun to eat pasta by swirling it into bite-sized scoops! If you’re a spud lover craving sides, it also sells Basically Potato, which is fries in variations like Truffle Parmesan (S$7.90) and Beef Loaded Fries (S$8.90).
What I tried at Swirled
Though I wished I could try 3 or more flavours, it was a solo trip day and I didn’t feel like ordering too much. After all, I am just a girl (insert sparkles) with only so much stomach space. Besides, I had another shoot to attend next and didn’t want my hands too full after I dabao-ed the leftovers.
I ordered the first two flavours that caught my eye but kept a mental note of the interesting ones like Tonkotsu Pasta w/Pork Belly (S$9.90) and Sakura Ebi Pasta (S$8.90). The staff also told me that the Carbonara w/Crispy Chicken (S$10.90) was their bestseller, but I gave it a pass because I had had creamy pasta 2 days before.
The first candidate was Laksa Pasta w/Tiger Prawn (S$10.90). I was pleased to see that the choice of container didn’t hinder the dish’s simple yet appealing presentation, instead creating a signature look for the stall!
I wouldn’t say the pasta was al dente since it was a little soft, but it wasn’t soggy. The linguine kept snapping as I tried to twirl (or in this case, swirl) it using my fork, but it retained enough of a chew to keep me content.
My first mouthful reminded me of… pesto? It obviously didn’t contain the green herb blend, but the chunky texture of the sauce was uncannily similar to it. I could pick up on the coconut cream, chilli and laksa leaf used in the mixture, but their flavours were very subtle.
The first flavour I picked up was tomato, which would have been surprising if not for the fact that the pasta was full of it. Pan-fried cherry tomato wedges were scattered among the strands, offering an acidic sweetness.
It also tasted heavily like garlic which, while an ingredient of laksa, doesn’t usually dominate the flavour components in the original Southeast Asian dish. Not that I minded— I love garlic anyway!
Although the grilled prawns were unfortunately not deshelled, their appearance elevated the overall presentation of the pasta. Nicely bouncy albeit a bit powdery, they were a suitable topping given the choice of flavour.
The Smoked Duck Aglio Olio (S$8.90) was plated beautifully, with the slices of smoked duck laid in a neat row atop the linguine.
Interestingly enough, the Aglio Olio was way spicier than the Laksa. If one were to look closely at the noodles gleaming with olive oil, you’d notice the red flakes among the dark green dried parsley specks and cherry tomatoes. While almost inconspicuous from afar, they provided a lot of heat! It was also quite salty, which — while not ideal — is something I can make do with, especially since I enjoyed the savouriness.
One thing I greatly appreciated about Swirled was their generosity with the garlic. For once, it was as though the chef had measured the seasoning with their entire heart and dumped a heap into the pan. Its bold aroma sent me straight to cloud nine as I shovelled mouthfuls of the pasta to savour it more.
Smoked duck never gets old to me. Here, it was tender and juicy, with fatty and chewy charred skin. It was smooth, not grainy or powdery, and nicely savoury alongside the pasta.
Final Thoughts
Swirled was quite decent, and the prices for their restaurant-style pasta were reasonable albeit high for hawker fare. I didn’t mind, given that it had provided filling portions of rather tasty and fancy pasta that was superior to other cheap Western eateries’.
Of the 2 I tried, the Smoked Duck Aglio Olio was my favourite since it hit its assigned flavour on the mark. While the Laksa Pasta was good, it didn’t taste very “laksa” to me though it was reminiscent of it. I can’t stop thinking about the garlic – it’s exactly what I mean when I say I want loads of it in my food.
Today’s meal was great, but what about next time? Should I come back to try their Sakura Ebi or Tonkotsu Pasta?
Expected Damage: S$5.90 – S$10.90 per pax
Order Delivery: foodpanda Deliveroo
6 Letter Brunch: Bicycle-friendly cafe with house-made rosti, salmon belly tacos, pasta & açai
