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Singapore’s pasta scene is about to gain yet another serious addition – and this time, a delightfully affordable one. On March 26, 2026, sio pasta – the casual offshoot of Tokyo’s Michelin-recognised restaurant sio Aoyama, which has been featured in the Michelin Guide Tokyo for six consecutive years – will open its very first overseas outpost at Raffles City Shopping Centre.
sio pasta’s idea is very straightforward: Italian food made with Tokyo-level precision, but priced and paced for everyday meals, not just once-in-a-while splurges. Look forward to over 10 varieties of fresh, handcrafted pasta, priced from $13.80. As of now, menu items have not yet been released, so stay tuned for updates.
sio’s founder, Shusaku Toba, is a chef whose path into the kitchen was anything but typical. After time spent in a J-League football trainee programme and a stint as an elementary school teacher, he began cooking professionally at 31. He went on to train in some of Tokyo’s most respected kitchens, including Florilège and Aria di Tacubo, before opening sio in 2018.
Toba’s cooking philosophy – which he describes as “Italian of points” – centres on precision and restraint. Rather than excess, the focus is on clarity: seasoning that enhances rather than overwhelms, sauces that support the pasta’s texture, and a careful calibration of temperature and aroma. The goal is balance and precision in every plate.
sio’s arrival in Singapore is not a straightforward export either. Chef Toba and his Japan team have been closely involved in adapting recipes to local conditions, conducting extensive on-site research and development to account for Singapore’s humidity, water composition and kitchen environment. Ingredients and suppliers were personally reviewed to ensure they meet the benchmarks set in Tokyo.
The Singapore kitchen will be led by a locally based head chef who underwent a month of intensive training in Japan under Toba’s direct supervision. Toba will continue to oversee creative direction and quality control, with visits scheduled every two months in the first year, and twice annually thereafter.
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