Tipo Pasta Bar Review: Halal-Friendly Pasta Bar With DIY Options From $9.90++

Tipo Pasta Bar has customisable halal pasta in Bugis

If you’re a pasta lover like me, you have probably heard of the highly raved-about Tipo Pasta Bar, a Muslim-owned restaurant that specialises in handmade pasta. They were formerly located along North Bridge Road, but have relocated to a larger space along Aliwal Street. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a display of the day’s pasta choices. I thought that this was a smart way to entice patrons and let them decide what to order beforehand. We had three pasta options during our visit: Onion Curry Fettuccine, Nori Pipe Rigate, and Sriracha Campanelle.

Food at Tipo Pasta Bar

We started our meal with the Truffle Tramezzini ($13.90++). It looked quite ordinary, but as it turned out, these mini sandwiches were rather superb. 

The brioche was crisp, buttery, and toasted to perfection. It sandwiched beef bacon, mozzarella, and truffle aioli, with all the flavours blending nicely together. After a few bites, however, I felt that the dish became a little jelak, as the buttery bread clashed with the rich flavours of the cheese, truffle, and beef. It’s still a pleasant side worth getting, but we’d recommend sharing it.

Next up was the Classy Carbonara ($19.90++), which we got for just $17.90++ as part of their set lunch deal that comes with a free cold brew tea. The Onion Curry Fettuccine was our pasta of choice, and it proved to be the right pick.

The dish stars a creamy and flavourful sauce made with egg yolks, grated Grana Padano, tender smoked duck, and a sous vide egg. The egg pasta noodles were cooked al dente, soaking up the rich sauce beautifully.

The smoked duck was the star of this dish, with its tender texture and good meat-to-fat ratio. I enjoyed how the meaty flavours complemented the richness of the sauce and pasta. The smokiness and fattiness of the duck greatly enhanced the flavours of this dish. 

Overall, the dish was delicious, but personally, I found it a little one-dimensional. That said, those who enjoy rich, cream-based pastas would likely enjoy this.

I’m usually a tomato pasta girlie, so I had to go for the Royal Ragu ($21.90++), starring shredded beef and cherry tomatoes in beef jus, topped with Grana Padano cheese. For this main, we also got it at a steal for $19.90++ with the set lunch deal, which comes with a free cold brew tea.

Our pasta of choice was the Nori Pipe Rigate—think chunkier macaroni-style shells with a subtle nori seasoning.

I had no complaints about this dish, except that I wished the pasta were a tad more al dente. It’s also worth noting that the seaweed flavour wasn’t very pronounced, so I would have preferred a stronger umami kick.

FYI: Tipo also offers Build Your Own Pasta. For a base price of $9.90++, you get 150g of any pasta on the day’s menu, with a variety of sauces and ingredients to choose from. 

We rounded out our lunch with Tipo’s Signature Tiramisu ($14.90++), an alcohol-free dessert comprising ladyfinger biscuits soaked in espresso, layered with mascarpone cream cheese mousse, and finished with a generous dusting of cocoa powder.

NGL, I wasn’t expecting much here, considering alcohol is usually a key component of tiramisu. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this dessert; the whipped, cloud-like mascarpone and bittersweet cocoa, paired with the coffee-soaked biscuits, kept us going back for more.

Ambience at Tipo Pasta Bar

Boasting pastel pink and turquoise walls, large windows, and beautiful pendant lights, Tipo Pasta Bar’s interior was very Instagrammable. The restaurant had a decent number of seats with ample space, and it was very warm and inviting. However, it got crowded really quickly by the time our food arrived. We didn’t mind it, but it might not be ideal for those looking for a quiet place to dine in. 

The restaurant is an eight-minute walk from Lavender MRT Station, or seven minutes from Nicoll Highway MRT Station. 

Tipo Pasta Bar – Eatbook review

Overall, I felt that Tipo Pasta Bar did live up to its hype, especially for the price point. I thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience and would come back for special occasions with family and friends. 

For more food nearby, check out our guide to the best Bugis food places! You can also read our Samy’s Curry review for delicious Indian food in Dempsey. 

Address: 28 Aliwal Street, #01-07, Singapore 199918
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 9pm
Tel: 8768 0785
Website
Tipo Pasta Bar is Muslim-owned.

Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.