Forma review: The best of both worlds with Ben Fatto's pasta expertise & Cicheti's culinary chops in Joo Chiat

One of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the second quarter of 2022, Forma is an upscale trattoria with a pasta-focused programme by homegrown hospitality company, The Cicheti Group, in collaboration with Singapore's leading pasta artisan, Ben Fatto.

Located on a quiet lane in the colourful Joo Chiat neighbourhood, the space - created by integrated design firm Takenouchi Webb that also designed the likes of Esora and Potato Head Folk - see pleasing contrast of textures and colours while highlighting the crafted and handmade elements of Forma.

In addition to the loungey al fresco seating, one highlight of the venue is the street-facing pasta production kitchen, helmed by Ben Fatto's Yum Hwa Lee.

It's where our favourite form of carbs are made fresh daily (and a reminder that hand-crafted food takes plenty of passion and effort).

The pasta programme at Forma is centred around a seasonal selection of pasta shapes and the best culinary pairings anchors the food menu and will be refreshed together every quarter. We were definitely schooled after our meal - but more on that later.

Perfect for kicking off the meal is the bite-sized snack Gnocco Fritto ($14, four pieces). These Emilian-style fried parcels of leavened, lard-enriched dough served piping hot with cold slivers of lardo and pink peppercorn whet the appetite for more savouries.

Look to Polpette di Baccalà ($21, three pieces) for something warmer and more filling; the fried salted cod and mashed potato dumpling gets a zing with aleppo chilli and bright lemon aioli.

The Carciofi con Stracciatella di Formaggio ($21) is another highlight on the starter section. A Sicilian-inspired cold salad of braised baby artichokes and creamy stracciatella, it's balanced out in flavour profile and texture with balsamic braised black currants, pine nuts, mint salsa verde, and breadcrumbs. Delicious, even for non-veggie eaters.

For a combination, you know (and probably enjoy), order the Prosciutto di San Daniele e Melone ($24). The famed prosciutto from a small village in Italy's northern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is paired with grilled philibon melon. While the dusting of fennel pollen feels superfluous, the slightly spicy jalapeño jam and aged saporoso balsamic ties the dish together.

In Singapore, Tortellini are mostly chunky parcels and usually served no more than five pieces for plate. At Forma, Ben Fatto studied its history - legend has it that an innkeeper in Emilia-Romagna invented the first Tortellino, having been inspired by the navel of Venus - and is serving Tortellini in Brodo ($34).

Think thumb sized pasta encasing a porky filling of Mortadella di Bologna, Prosciutto Crudo, and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP in a light broth. As a meat and soup lover, this checks off all the right boxes. 

Vegetarians are able to fill up here too, with options like the Linguine al Limone ($29) and Busiate con Pesto alla Trapanese ($28). The former lives up to one of Rome's most famous pasta dishes, with bronze-drawn linguine clinging onto a delicate, emulsified sauce made using prized Amalfi lemons and smooth, semi-aged Provolone del Monaco DOP.

The latter, featuring long, helical-shaped pasta, was a new form to me. Handmade one at a time with a thin 'ferro' rod, its delightful texture is accentuated with a tomato pesto that dates back to ancient Sicily, in the port town of Trapani.

In terms of mains and protein, standouts include the Merluzzo alla Scafata ($38), where a fillet pan-roasted blue cod from New Zealand is served with a flavourful Cucielo vermouth-butter sauce inspired by scafata, a springtime staple of Umbria, made with fava beans, English peas, cipollini onions, and prosciutto.

The delicate, fleshy flakes are held together by a crispy, almost crackling-like skin, made possible by leaving the scales on.

'Ask the Butcher' section of the menu yields premium beefy cuts perfect for sharing. Dry-aged for 55 days, our grass-fed Bistecca di Tomahawk ($248, 1kg), hails from Little Joe Farm in southern Australia.

Their beef products are guaranteed a minimum marbling score of four, so even the more cooked through edges of the steak remain tender and juicy. We like our beef with just salt and black pepper, but if you have a yen for sauces, Forma caters with the likes of mustard salsa verde and porcini gremolata at $5 each.

We can't leave without a note on their wine programme, after a gastronomic journey through Italy's different regions. Curated by Group Sommelier and manager partner Ronald Kamiyama, the beverage programme is a love letter to the nation.

Vermouths - at $12 each - rounds off a gut-busting meal as digestivos while the 150-odd wine list spanning 20 wine regions sees uncommon grapes. Try the Bergianti San Vincent Frizzante lambrusco ($80) for a sparkling start or the floral and mineral Pievalta Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC with the pastas.

Forma is located at 128 Tembeling Road, Singapore 423638, p. +65 6513 2286‬. Open Tue-Sat 6pm-10.30pm. Closed Mon & Sun.

ALSO READ: Restaurant review: Marguerite blossoms with whimsical spring menus at Gardens by the Bay

This article was first published in City Nomads.