Experience Amazingly Fresh Authentic Handmade Pasta at SÌPASTA

Katie Coy | Nov 16, 2022 3:13 pm | Add a comment | 319 reads

There are no shortage of pizza joints in the capital -- just look at how many places participate in the Beijinger Pizza Cup each year -- but there are very few Italian spots dedicated to pasta. However, SÌPASTA , as you might have guessed from the name, is all about this delicious Italian staple.

Created by Echo Wu, who lived in Italy for four years and returned to China last year, in collaboration with Fabio Falanga, a senior restaurant management expert and chef from Naples, SÌPASTA's aim is to bring the flavor of authentic Italian pasta to Beijing. Even though it opened in April this year, the restaurant has recently updated its menu and is definitely worth a visit.

We have to of course start with the pasta, which is all freshly handmade in house. All the pasta is made from high quality durum wheat and imported ingredients from Italy in order to bring true, Italian flavor to the table.

The menu even has a helpful pasta explainer at the start which details each type of pasta available. There are six: tagliatelle, pappardelle, maccheroni, fusilli, spaghetti and lasagna. The menu also lists what dish the pasta is best enjoyed in, as well as an al dente recommendation for just how done each pasta should be cooked.

Wu tells me they decided to include this because some customers preferred more al dente pasta while others didn’t, so they wanted to give an indication on the menu.

As you’d expect, they an amazing range of pasta dishes available, which are categorized on the menu by sauce: tomato, cheese and cream, pesto and olive oil. However, the absolute star of the show has to be their signature dish: Spaghetti alle Parmigiano Reggiano, which is available with either Truffle (RMB 158) or Chopped Baked Proscuitto (RMB 138).

This dish is prepared in front of you by the chef, adding a fun performance element, who mixes spaghetti around in a giant wheel of parmesan until the cheese melts and perfectly covers each spaghetti strand.

Other notable dishes have to be their Fusilli alle Basil Pesto (RMB 79), which is honestly the best pesto pasta I’ve tasted in Beijing, their Pappardelle alle Bolognese Ragu (RMB 79) which as per Italian tradition uses a flat pasta pappardelle over spaghetti, the latter of which you'll see in many restaurants, and their Spaghetti alle Seafood Sicillian Style (RMB 89).

Along with pasta they also have a great range of appetizers, starters, snacks, mains and desserts on offer too. My personal favorite is their Nepolitan Meatballs (RMB 38) which were absolutely packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. For those with a sweet tooth their Tiramisu (RMB 48) is also melt-in-your-mouth good. To wash down your food SÌPASTA has a great range of Italian wines available (RMB 48-68 a glass) as well as classic Italian cocktails such as Aperol or Campari Spritz (RMB 68).

Now, it’s not only the food that owner Wu has paid close attention to, she has also brought meticulous detail to SÌPASTA’s decor. There is a red and white theme, with decorative porcelain plates on display that were handmade in Sicily and then transported to Beijing.

The design on these plates is used as a theme throughout the restaurant with serving plates, paintings, tiles and more being inspired by the design to create a chic, Italian feel.

Along the left wall of the restaurant are paintings of herbs and plants commonly used in Italian cuisine that are hand painted by designers Stefano & Marcella and real herbs are dotted around the restaurant and adorn the back terrace area.

On top of all this SÌPASTA also has an alimentari-type section where you can purchase their fresh pasta to take home and cook for yourself. Along with the pasta they have a range of their delicious homemade sauces packaged up ready to be taken home too.