Noci Pasta Bar serves fresh pasta and airy pizza in a chic Seongsu-inspired setting

SINGAPORE – Noci means “walnuts” in Italian, but Noci Pasta Bar is more modern Seoul than Sorrento.

Its interior channels the minimalist cool of Seongsu, the hip neighbourhood often described as the Brooklyn of Seoul.

Clean lines, pale woods and ceiling-high glass panels – which usher in generous natural light – frame the sprawling 2,300 sq ft space that seats 59 diners.

Busan-born owner-chef Lee Jae-seok, 30, had a hand in the design of the South Korean-owned Italian restaurant, which is part of Gold Moon Restaurant Group.

Opened at Suntec City Mall on Nov 1, Noci Pasta Bar focuses on freshly made pasta and pizza, guided by chef Lee’s preference for clean-tasting flavours that leave no cloying heaviness despite the carb-forward menu.

The pasta is the main draw. Chef Lee favours egg dough with a yolk-to-flour ratio of 1:2, fermented for 24 hours to achieve springy, velvety, richly golden strands.

Two types of high-grade Italian flour are used – one for pasta, the other for pizza dough – each chosen for structure and clarity of flavour.

Among the pastas, the standout is the Tomato Stracciatella ($26+). It looks simple: cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce made with naturally sweet, low-acidity San Marzano tomatoes, guanciale and a heaping of stracciatella cheese. But the flavours unfold in layers – bright tomato sweetness, the richness of yolk-driven pasta and a creamy finish from the cheese.

The Bottarga ($27+) is another beauty: a plate of golden tagliatelle enriched with anchovies, butter and mussel stock, finished with shaved dried mullet roe that lends savoury depth without overpowering the delicate noodle texture.

Instead of using biga pizza dough popularly used for thin, crisp crusts in the local dining scene, Noci uses a wetter, higher-hydration poolish dough. It undergoes a 36-hour fermentation – 12 hours for the pre-ferment of flour, water and yeast, and 24 hours for the main dough. The result is a crust that is airy, soft and lightly chewy, with enough resilience to support generous toppings.

The Margherita ($21+) shows this off best. San Marzano DOP tomatoes – over 30 per cent pricier than Malaysian tomatoes – are cooked into a sweet, bright sauce finished with vodka for a clean flourish.

Buffalo mozzarella melts into a creamy layer, basil adds a herbal lift and finely shaved Parmesan coats the puffed-up rim – a subtle nudge to encourage diners to eat the crust.

Begin with the Ricotta Crostini ($14+), where ricotta whipped with milk, honey, sugar and extra-virgin olive oil becomes a cloudlike spread, balanced with fig butter and Maldon salt on sourdough.

The Burrata Tomato Salad ($19+) features cherry tomatoes marinated for 12 hours in white and red wine vinegars, balsamic and sea salt, with vodka again lending a clean finish that cuts through the creamy burrata.

For something bright alongside the meal, the Sparkling Yuzu ($7+) and housemade Sparkling Lemonade ($7+) keep the palate refreshed without distraction.

Where: 01-386 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Boulevard
MRT: Esplanade
Open: 11am to 11pm daily
Info: @noci.pastabar on Instagram