15 December 2006

Perfect Substitute #1: Pasta


Bacon and mushroom aglio olio @ Basil Alcove

As a follow up to my previous post about the Law of Perfect Substitutes, here is my first recommendation.

The perfect substitute to sub-standard pasta at places such as Pasta Mania
Initially, I was happy about Pasta Mania because finally you can get a plate of pasta below $10. That was during my days of darkness, before my tastebuds attained enlightenment, which came in two parts.

Part 1 of enlightenment came shortly after I discovered how easy it was to cook delicious pasta! Just use good sauce, good ingredients and boil the noodles according to the specifications on the packet. Part 2 of enlightenment came after I discovered some cafes that serve far, far better pasta at equally reasonable prices. After that, the pasta at Pasta Mania just didn't make the cut anymore. Intuition and I thumb our noses at this yuckyfood overpriced establishment each time we walk past it now.

For the better alternatives, please visit:

1. Basil Alcove (@ Fortune Centre, along Middle Road)
This admittedly is rather out of the way for people who take MRT. You have to drop off at Bugis or Dhoby Ghaut and walk all the way to Fortune Centre. The pasta there is very fancy and yummy =) and affordable, too! The orange-basil sauce shrimp pasta is full of fresh shrimps. The fancy-sounding orange sauce tastes just right with it! At $8.80, it's really a bargain =) At $8.80, I also never want to eat at Pasta Mania again, ever.

2. Creation Cafe (@ Shaw Tower level 1, in between Bugis Junction and Suntec City)
Creation Cafe offers set meals at $14.80, offering a soup, a drink, a main and a dessert. The pasta there is tasty and served piping hot. The desserts are quite good too. The last time I went, it was an apple crumble with ice-cream and it had a very home-cooked feel to it, which is not a bad thing.

The service is good at both places. Between the two, I prefer Basil Alcove's food. However, it's quite a small joint and the ambience isn't so fantastic. If I visit Creation Cafe, it will be because it's more convenient and accessible from where I usually hang out.

Check out these places and let me know if you like it!

5 comments:

Singing Tigger said...

so we are back to food, eh? :d

reading this is making me hungry. maybe i should go to sleep liao.

but...

have to say that i love basil alcove. definitely worth visiting over and over again. a plus for us working at EAST since we can take bus 56 or 980 directly from the school. hee... or good for ms yong. just walk over. but they only open by 6:45 i think...

Quirkz said...

yeah i love basil alcove too =) there was once i was there at 630pm, and the chef only came at about 7pm.. he was really nice about it: he cooked the mushrooms starter for my friends and i on the house =) So cool hor?
did i tell u that they sell tibetian religious relics behind the shoplot during the day??

Singing Tigger said...

you mean the people who sell the pasta also sell the Tibetans relics? er...

Quirkz said...

hey bingren! the vegetarian pasta @ shaw towers is nice too =) it's not creation though.. cos creation isn't vegetarian =) it's next to this ramen stall, opposite the public toilets...

mer said...

i feel like such a nobody in the presence of foodaholics!

*must try the recommendations*