Hey, Faithfuls! You know how every few months, a new restaurant pops up, and suddenly everyone on your Instagram feed is posting about it? That was Noci for me. I kept seeing it everywhere, and honestly, the concept alone had me intrigued because it's a Korean pasta bar! So I headed down to Noci Pasta Bar at Suntec City with a group of us (because clearly, you can't tackle a pasta bar alone), and I've been raving about it ever since.
Noci is run by Chef Lee Jae-seok, a 30-year-old Busan-born chef who is doing a Korean chef's take on Italian classics. The pasta is made fresh daily using a specific egg dough recipe that goes through 24-hour fermentation, which gives it this gorgeous golden hue and a springy, velvety texture. You can literally watch them make it from the open prep area near the entrance, which was so cool to see.
One thing to note: they don't take reservations, and queues during dinner can get quite long. We visited on a Monday evening and still had to wait a bit, so if you're going on a weekend, maybe go earlier!
Oh, and they give you complimentary water and a small piece of bread with really luxurious butter before your meal starts. In this economy, that already gets brownie points from me.
We also had the Burrata Tomato Salad (S$19.00) to share, and it came with fresh, creamy burrata that burst when you cut into it, paired with ripe tomatoes and a really well-balanced dressing. The creaminess of the burrata against the bright, fresh tomatoes was really lovely.
Moving on to mains, the Cacio e Pepe (S$19) was the standout pasta of the night for me. It comes with Pecorino Fondue, black pepper, pistachio, and fresh Tajarin noodles. The noodles are made from a higher proportion of egg yolks, so the flavour is noticeably richer than regular pasta.
My friend had the Bolognese (S$24), which comes with rigatoni instead of the usual fresh pasta (it's the only pasta on the menu that uses rigatoni, FYI), and it's coated in a rich, classic meat-based sauce with ground meat, tomatoes, and aromatics. The rigatoni was cooked to a perfect al dente with just enough bite, and each tube was beautifully coated in the sauce so you got flavour in every single forkful.
The Truffle White Ragu (S$27) was the indulgent pick of the evening. It was rich and creamy, and you could smell the truffle the moment it was placed in front of you. The fresh pasta really shines in this dish and while it's on the pricier side, this is the dish to get if you wanna be impressed.
We also shared the Margherita (S$21), and this pizza was SO GOOD, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. It's got a sweet-tangy tomato sauce base, buffalo mozzarella, and basil. It's classic, but the execution here is really top-notch. The crust had these gorgeous, super crispy charred edges, while the centre stayed toasty and chewy.
We also ordered drinks, like the iced Crema di Noci (S$8.00) and iced Americano Nero (S$5). The Crema di Noci is basically espresso with cream, walnut crunch, and walnut oil, and the latter was clean, smooth, and exactly what you need after a big meal.
For a group of us, that works out to a pretty reasonable per-head price considering the quality of ingredients and the freshness of every single dish. It's worth every cent.
Noci's concept is unique, the space is beautiful, and the food genuinely delivers! My must-orders are the Cacio e Pepe, the Margherita, and the Crema di Noci, and those three alone are reason enough to make the trip. Thanks for reading, and see you next post!
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-386/618, Suntec City, Singapore 038983
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm
Note: Noci is not a halal-certified eatery.l fresh
