Pastamania (Habourfront Centre)

If you would really enjoy a mouthful of italian food without owning an italian chef boyfriend, then PastaMania is the most convenient choice. You don't have to speak the romantic language of italiano to enjoy the hot kisses of spicy Sicilian seafood AglioOlio or the stinky cheesy breath of the mix of cheeses on that freshly baked Mediterranean pizza that left a sleazy clue on the crease on your lips.

The closest italian staples at the most affordable prices I can find, the varieties on the menu just made me hope I really do have an inflatable tummy. Appetizers was a good choice of more than 10 items yet I still ended up with a minestrone soup and a chicken caesar salad with bits of bacon. Soup was thin and watery while the salad was really crunchy and tasty with bouncy boiled eggs, just the way Caesar himself might like it.

Well, there were many pasta and pizza choices to choose from, yet with a big group, we could always do what the skinny girls does, to order and to share less we weren't too skinny and would usually over-order, which we eventually did. OVER-ORDERED. so here goes the list:

Chicken Ham & Sausage Baked Rice - was a pipping hot cheesy dish with loads of yummy soft rice underneath all that mess. Cream based, extremely tasty and cheesy, while the ham and sausages just pairs on well with the bits of mushrooms. Portion was a little small as the dish was rather shallow.

Vongole in a white wine sauce - pasta was well made to the right hardness and sauce was light but tasty. The clams chewy and rather brought with it the tasty sense of the ocean. Great portion and lots of clam, just without the wow factor.

Sicilian Spaghetti from the set menu of the day is a seafood angel hair pasta which is spiced nicely with a balanced amount of light chili and spices tossed lightly with olive oil and some chuncks of tomatoes and capsicum for that exotic look. Its yummy, light and healthy. Wonderful choice out of all we have chosen.

Meat Lover meaty pizza is one that was pretty disappointing. The crust was great, crispy and tasty, cheeses regular but the meat topping were hams and sausages and seriously lacking some real MEAT. So we suggest... to bring on some REAL MEAT!

Beverages were not much of a choice from canned drinks but they do have some interesting cocktails to choose from, love the strawberry soda thingee.. It was refreshing.

Meanwhile, the ambiance was nice and the sitting adequate even for big groups of 10 or 16s. Seats were casual and place is rather clean, its not too noisy, perhaps because we were the noise makers and the service is rather quick. Water and cutlery are self serve and order and make payment at the counter. Food portion was okay and I think its a great place for a get together rowdy kinda gatherings. Love the choices love the food and the italian look of the entire restaurant.