Chef Denise Tsi
Chef Denise’s culinary journey began when she enrolled into the Shatec Culinary Institute of Singapore and gained a keen interest in Italian cuisine after an internship at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. Chef Denise continued on the path of specialisation and has honed her culinary skills over the past 17 years, spending a majority of her career at Italian establishments such as Osvaldo Ristorante & Bar, Zafferano Italian Restaurant & Bar, Bar Cicheti and Forma.
During the year of 2012, Chef Denise furthered her studies in Switzerland and interned at a luxury boutique hotel in Los Angeles for a year where it deepened her knowledge in kitchen management. During her stint there, she was exposed to the diverse culture of Californian cuisine hence influencing her decision to join Spago by Wolfgang Puck in Singapore, during the year of 2016.
At Spago, Chef Greg Bess gave her the opportunity to take on a pasta making role and she immediately fell deeper in love with the craft. This led Chef Denise to find a restaurant that is more pasta focused, hence joining Bar Cicheti as Sous Chef in 2019 where she was the main pastaia. During her tenure with the Cicheti Group, she achieved the honour of being awarded Junior Chef of the Year in 2021 by the World Gourmet Awards association.
Soon after, a golden opportunity rose to focus on her passion for the craft of pasta making. She was able to train under the tutelage of Sfoglino Lee Yum Hwa of Ben Fatto Private Dining, before they both opened Forma as the opening team in 2022. They strove to honour the Italian heritage by diving deep into artisanal pasta formats for diners with a hope to expose them to unique and rare shapes of pasta, as well as their origins.
Spizzulus originates from a small town in Orroli in Sardinia. The name derives from the dialect and it means ‘to pinch’ which refers to the pinching method that is used to seal the ropes of dough together. Traditionally, the locals use a red wine called Cannonau in the dough instead of water. This versatile pasta shape will be served ‘alla zingara’ or ‘Gypsy sauce’ – a bright tomato sauce that contains pancetta, olives, mushrooms.
2.Garganelli con funghi
Garganelli is a tube-shaped pasta that has ridges to hold sauce better than a smooth surface. Traditionally made with a ‘pettine’, you can also use a gnocchi board or a sushi mat to achieve the ridges. In this class, we will do a modern pairing of truffle and mushrooms with the garganelli.
3.Fusi Istriani alla ragu Genovese
Fusi Istriani means “Istrian spindles” when literally translated and is found in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in particular Istria. Small triangles are cut from a sheeted egg dough, then shaped using a dowel. Fusi is typically served with a hearty ragu, sometimes chicken, hare or game. We will pair this with a classic ragu of beef and onions.
During the class, you will get to hands-on constructing an egg dough, shaping the pasta and enjoy a tasting of the completed dish.
Bring back the pasta that you have made along with the wooden board, cost included!
Suitable for All Levels (Novice/Intermediate/Advanced)
Maximum of 12 participants
CHEF DENISE TSI
