D’ Pasta Hero, Marsiling: “Needs to do more to earn the title of Pasta Hero”

‘Affordable’ and ‘pasta’ never used to be associated with one another, but lately, it’s safe to say that we’ve become rather spoilt for choice—we loved La Mensa and Tangled Pasta, both of which have debunked the stereotype that one must pay through the nose just for boiled dough tossed in sauce.

Joining the ranks of pasta places that can feed a university student on a tight budget is D’ Pasta Hero, nestled deep in the heart of a neighbourhood coffeeshop in Marsiling. Pasta certainly does not count as perennial hawker food, and I for one was curious to give this outlier a shot. 

What I tried

When I say that the pasta-bilities are endless, you’d better believe me. D’ Pasta Hero offers customers the chance to pick between eight types of pasta, eight types of sauces, and eight different add-ons. Variety is undoubtedly their forte—there’s spaghetti, linguini, fusilli, angel hair, penne, farfalle, fettuccine, and whole wheat spaghetti (+S$1), perfect for pasta lovers who know exactly which type of noodle pairs the best with their sauce of choice.

I’ll be honest; I spent an embarrassingly long amount of time trying to figure out which ones I wanted to try—as much as I want to, I cannot eat eight plates of pasta in one sitting, and narrowed it down to four.

Creamy Carbonara (S$6.90) was up for scrutiny first. I’m a purist when it comes to pasta, and it’s unfortunate for me that most places absolutely butcher their carbonara by using cream sauce. D’ Pasta Hero’s Creamy Carbonara is topped with chicken ham, mushroom, sous vide egg, and parmesan, and caught my eye the minute it was served.

I’ll admit my expectations were high, but what’s there to praise about overcooked penne drenched in bland cream sauce? The egg yolk was easily the most flavourful item on the plate, but there was no saving this one. Sorry.

I used to eat tom yum pasta a lot in school, so obviously I couldn’t resist ordering D’ Pasta Hero’s Tom Yum Seafood (S$6.90). Topped with prawns, squids, and mussels, this heaping plate of linguini was a bright golden sight to behold. The pasta portion is undoubtedly generous here, and there’s no shortage of toppings, even for the most ravenous eater.

Like the penne in the Creamy Carbonara, D’ Pasta Hero had unfortunately committed the sacrilegious act of overcooking their linguini—if I want to eat soft noodles that disintegrate in mere seconds, I’d be chowing down kway teow instead of pasta. The sauce lacked the spicy kick that people often associate with and appreciate about tom yum soup, though its flavour profile was distinct and held its own pretty well.

I could easily say the exact same thing for their Pork Bolognese (S$6.90). It’s almost laughable how the spaghetti broke when I was twirling it with my fork for the picture above. D Pasta Hero’s rendition of a simple spaghetti bolognese was unexpected, especially for purists who are used to seeing beef instead of pork.

There’s a hint of sweetness that fans of Jollibee would definitely light up at. It’s more subtle than the burst of savoury flavour I always associate with beef bolognese, though I’ll say that it pairs well with the slightly piquant tomato sauce. Nonetheless, it showed great promise on earning a chef’s kiss award, if only the spaghetti was served al dente, as it always should be.

Last but not the least, I gave the Pesto (S$7.90) a shot. This is the first time I’ve ever seen an affordable option and have been the victim of many an overpriced plate of pesto pasta. D’ Pasta Hero’s rendition of my top-tier favourite dish came served with prawns, cherry tomatoes, and cheese. The theme of generous portions stayed consistent throughout; coupled with a fragrant pesto sauce and melted parmesan, this was by far the best of the lot.

In all honesty, I’ve had better, though I know my expectations for S$7.90 pasta in a coffeeshop cannot be the same as a plate that’ll set me back five times that amount in a restaurant I need to make a reservation for, three weeks in advance.

They also have an appetiser of Mussels in White Wine Sauce which will set you back S$6 for 10 pieces. I’m adding flavour to their list of strengths because one bite of the fresh mussels paired with a splash of lemon was enough to turn me into the embodiment of the heart-eyes emoji.

Final thoughts

For what it’s worth, D’ Pasta Hero makes a commendable effort of making pasta affordable, but more needs to be done to truly earn the title of ‘Pasta Hero’. The customisation options are always fun, and it’s a 100% guarantee that you walk away with your stomach filled. 

Expected damage: S$6.90 – S$12.90 per pax

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