/ Reviews / Italian
An Italian Shelter
by Jaki Faulkner
on Friday, December 11, 2009 12:00 AM
There is a lovely new pasta restaurant on Maoming Road. Offering a warm, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff and very reasonably priced food, Pasta Inn is a perfect pit stop after a manic afternoon's shop. Prices rarely go over the RMB50 mark and their beers and wines are all great value and of a good quality.
The restaurant is situated right across the street from the Disney English School. Using their location astutely, Pasta Inn offers lunch sets for the little ones priced at RMB29, hoping to tempt families as they pass by. Sets include a kid's portion of bolognaise or french fries, with ice cream or chocolate dessert as an after-meal treat.
Returning to the adult menu, salads and soups set you back a trifling RMB19, while pizzas range from RMB39-59. You'll find all your regular doughy favorites on the menu, from Hawaiian to Four Cheeses. When it comes to pasta, the most notable is the chef's specialty - Spaghetti Neri Ragu di Sepia, a delicately presented dish of black spaghetti with fresh seafood.
Small and efficiently laid out, the interior also functions as a Wi-Fi hangout for coffee lovers, especially since afternoon specials are a steal, with coffee, tea and hot chocolate sets available daily from 2-5pm for RMB19.
Behind all these bargain meals and deals is Shanghai native Adam Mao, a chef who previously worked in hotels across Shanghai, including the four-star Ocean Hotel. He and long-time colleague Luo Di wanted to create a friendly, intimate place to satisfy their love of fresh pasta and pizza dishes, adding personal flavor to the Italian mix.
The décor is clean, simple and welcoming, using a manageable menu that doesn't require days of reading to review. Opened in October, Pasta Inn is already onto its second menu, with plans to change it every two months based on both customer suggestions and the whim of the owners. It's no fine-dining extravaganza but considering the prices, the food will satisfy and warm many a weary winter shopper.
The Bottom Line: Great value food in a welcoming atmosphere.
