Noshwellmenu

[rating:4]

Basil Pasta Bar, a relative newcomer to Davie street, just upped the ante for lunchtime value for the Yaletown crowd. The basic premise: one pasta, anyway you like — one price.

(Top to bottom: 1.The staff is busy finishing off a dish in the pan. 2. Basil Pasta Bar’s sparse, modern interior.)

Inside, the dining room is open, sparse and modern with splashes of green, giving a slight nod to the restaurant’s namesake. Seating is limited — no more than a dozen. An open kitchen is set to one side where diners can watch as cooks are busy dunking various pastas into vats of boiling water and finishing them up in the pan.

The concept is simple. One pasta dish, anyway you like, one price. You choose the pasta (spaghetti, linguini, penne, fettucini, etc.), the sauce (curry, pesto cream, bolognese, etc.), and the toppings (everything from chicken and shrimp to artichoke and peas). You can even garnish your masterpiece with cheeses or fresh herbs.

All this, for under $8.

Hungry? Add a soup, or a salad, or garlic bread. How about a soda? Either way, any of these additions will only run you an extra $2 or $3.

(Above: Linguine with shrimp pesto cream sauce, topped with chiffonade basil and fresh slices of parmesan cheese, plus a side of garlic bread.)

Case and I wandered in off the streets, looking for a light meal. We shared one of Basil Pasta Bar’s many preset combinations: linguine with a shrimp pesto cream sauce topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. The pasta was nicely cooked, and the sauce had a beautiful, velvet flavour. The sauce was a bit runny, but it didn’t dilute the flavour in the least. On the side, their garlic bread was crispy and gently seasoned.

What was amazing was the realization that we were having freshly cooked pasta for $10 including garlic bread and a pop — in downtown Vancouver. Let’s hope this catches on.

Perfect for: a nice, freshly cooked pasta meal on the cheap.

The Details

636 Davie Street, Vancouver
604.568.3106

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