Pasta Sisters CULVER CITY
3280 Helms Ave Culver City, CA
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Outside of Pasta Sisters
After hearing about this place for some time, I finally visited during Black Friday following my trip to Westfield. I had hoped to explore the other establishments in Helms Bakery District (where Pasta Sisters is located), but most had already closed for the day.
Kithcen View
The restaurant offers counter-service ordering with customizable menu options. After ordering, guests can choose to sit in either section of the patio.
Fresh Pappardelle with Black Truffle sauce
The black truffle butter sauce lacks the promised depth. While there is a faint truffle aroma, it's barely detectable throughout the dish. A small addition of black truffle oil could have easily elevated the fragrance. The reduced price reflects a simpler preparation, yet the dish fails to capture even the most basic truffle essence.
The pasta itself is well-executed, but its pairing with the sauce is not optimal—the excessive use of melted butter overwhelms the dish unnecessarily. The portion size is still generous however, offering more than the standard pasta serving.
Spaghetti with Clams
The clams' preparation revealed a concerning oversight in purging technique. Each clam, though generously sized, contained sand - an issue that made the dish consistently unpleasant to eat. This suggests either a lack of proper preparation knowledge or insufficient attention to this crucial step.
Three other pasta dishes sampled - Bolognese, Salmon and Cream, and Porcini Mushroom - were fine, delivering standard flavors without distinction.
Even at its modest price point, Pasta Sisters falls short of expectations. Under better circumstances, this review would have detailed each dish sampled. However, the overall experience proved disappointing enough to warrant focusing on its notable shortcomings.