Fans of pasta and Italian cuisine now have an ideal place to indulge themselves. Pasta Danza offers a wide range of colourful homemade pasta. Some are served in soup like phở, believe it or not. Minh Thu sticks her chopsticks in.

By Minh Thu

Located on Phan Chu Trinh Street, central Ha Noi, Pasta Danza caught my attention as I am a big fan of Italian food and I often pass by that street.

At first glance, the restaurant made a good impression with the architecture of a Western villa and its elegant, simple decoration. I chose a comfortable seat on the patio amid the brilliant sunlight. The spacious villa has many trees to bring greenery and keep separate areas private.

The menu impressed me with its wide range of colourful pasta. I was so curious that I asked manager Nguyễn Lê Hoa how the different colours were made.

COME BACK SOON: The beautiful setting inside Pasta Danza. VNS Photo Lê Hoa

“With love and experience in making Italian pasta, we focus on discovering and creating to make a rich menu of pasta with fresh, perfect taste and suited for Vietnamese people’s tastes,” she said.

“There is no secret, yellow pasta is the traditional one, we have green colour from spinach, red from beetroot, black from squid ink and orange from gấc (red baby jackfruit),” said Hoa.

All the homemade pasta is made and used daily to preserve the freshness, taste and nutrition, according to Hoa.

“We work with a pioneering mission to make great pasta flavours for Asian palates, thereby arousing pasta fondness for all people. We experiment with different types to create the tastiest and most fantastic flavours.”

“We understand the core elements that make the success of cuisine belong to exceptional noodles, so the noodles at Pasta Danza are made with the main ingredient of durum wheat - the world's richest wheat in protein and gluten.”

UNIQUE: Fresh pasta with charming colour made from red baby jackfruit. VNS Photo Minh Thu

While we were talking, the Ceasar salad, French fries and fried chicken breast were presented. I asked my children not to eat too many crispy things to save space for the main courses. They didn’t say anything but gave me a thumbs-up.

Hoa explained the name of the restaurant. The word "Danza" in Italian means "dancing," the name "Pasta Danza" was inspired by the dance of the noodles released from the pasta making machine.

I ordered tuna pesto spaghetti (VNĐ170,000) and creamy prosciutto spaghetti (VNĐ140,000). The sauce was extraordinary, bringing a wonderful taste for the dishes.

Hoa recommended we try one soup spaghetti, a signature dish of the restaurant, which requires gourmands to use chopsticks to eat and drink the soup exactly like the way you eat phở (Vietnamese noodle soup).   

I ordered seafood tomato creamy soup spaghetti. The sweet and lightly spicy soup was creamy and as not thick as normal pasta. The clams, shrimps and octopus were very fresh and firm. At the price VNĐ195,000, it’s worth trying.

Though we were all full, my children insisted on trying the black pizza, which they haven’t seen elsewhere. I agreed because the 22cm pizza is not too big. The dough was black thanks to the squid ink, very special and tasty. It was soft and spongy though it looks thick. There were two types of cheese, mozzarella which has a distinct flavour, mild, salty and a bit of a tang; and gorgonzola, the Italian blue cheese which is buttery, crumbly and a little bit bitter.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the restaurant provides delivery home service. The chefs pay attention to adjusting the humidity to change the "hardness" and "springiness" of noodles to make the dish hot and delicious though it’s delivered. There are 40 unique pasta flavours to try. Taste, uniqueness and convenience, I think it’s enough to satisfy anyone’s hunger, especially when people are recommended to stay at home.

Next time, I will return to Pasta Danza to try the rest of the menu. I promise to save space for gorgeous desserts, sweet pizza with ice cream. VNS

FRESH BITES: Caesar salad with colourful presentation. VNS Photo Lê Hoa

Pasta Danza Restaurant
Add: 31 Phan Chu Trinh St, Hoàn Kiếm Dist, Hà Nội
Tel: 0886050886
Web: pastadanza.vn
Comments: rich menu with wide range of fresh colourful pasta, enjoy “buy 1 get 1 free” from now to April 29 for delivery, enjoy discount VNĐ200,000 per bill for dining at the restaurant, price: VNĐ110,000 to 180,000 per dish.