Vapiano, CBD

A friend of mine had been raving about this place and finally I had a chance to try out. It was a Friday evening and we arrived around 630. The place was quiet spacey with tables for 4 or 8 people spread on 2 levels.

There were 3 sides of the restaurant: bar, pasta, and sides (e.g. pizza, salad, etc).

Order your pasta here

Pizza, salad, and antipasti counter

The concept was quite unique as it was very similar to a school canteen system. We were given a card each to order our food at the counter and they would calculate the balance at the end.

Vapiano card worth $75

After the food was ready, we then looked for a table (or shared table) with our trays.

Sharing a table with other peeps, why not?

Speaking about the food, we ordered these:

Insalata Nicoise ($14.90)

This was basically mixed leafy salad with black olives, onion, green beans, tuna, and nicoise dressing. The portion was huge (honestly, we thought it was gonna be small for a side dish). I didn't particularly like the tuna as it was too dry and somehow felt like it was not fresh (probably canned tuna?) The greens were fresh though, and the black olives gave the salad a surprise punch.

Ravioli Con Carne ($17.90)

Homemade ravioli with bolognese filling in light tomato sauce

I personally decided to order this classic Italian food. However, this menu was a disappointing one because the pasta was a bit rubbery. The sauce also only tasted like tomato and cream (literally). I just couldn't find the acidity balance in it.

Pollo Amatriciana ($19.50)

Chicken breast with onion, mushroom, bacon in homemade tomato sauce

On the other hand, my friend ordered this. I think the pasta was a little bit better than what I ordered, but again, the sauce was a letdown.

Overall, this restaurant is a hit and miss for me; love the school canteen concept and the ambiance, but not the food. I've heard a few friends claiming that they'd had some good pasta here. Should have asked what they'd ordered, I reckon. 

Rating: ★★★☆☆