PhD Holder & NUS Physics Lecturer Quits After 19 Years To Sell One Pasta Dish Daily At Small Restaurant

The menu is deliberately simple: one handmade pasta dish a day, usually decided by Zhi Han that very morning. It could be stuffed ravioli, ribbony tagliatelle or a ridged tube pasta in both traditional and fusion sauces like creamy mushroom, pork ragu and miso butter – customers never know until they arrive at the restaurant. Starters like bruschetta, marinated olives, roasted pork and Waldorf salad, plus a house-made Basque cheesecake, round out the offering.

From physics to pasta

Before opening 42 Pasta is the Answer, Zhi Han spent 19 years in academia, including teaching cross-department courses like astronomy and mathematics to NUS students from various majors. “I was quite sure that academia is something that I will probably do for the rest of my life,” he says. “But while I’m still a bit younger, perhaps I should try something different.”

His colleagues were shocked when he announced his career change. Some have since become customers – his farewell party was held here – and a few students have even worked part-time in his restaurant. He admits he misses “intellectual discussions” with students and peers.

Cooking, however, had always been a quiet passion. “I was into all sorts of cooking,” he says. “I started watching this wonderful YouTube channel called Pasta Grannies during my commutes [to work], and about two years ago I began making pasta at home.” He was hooked. “Freshly made pasta is very varied. Once you start to get into it, it’s a whole new world.”

His wife, Hwee Yee, was supportive from the start – though she admits the idea initially took her by surprise. “It’s an unconventional path, but it is what it is,” she shares in a separate interview. “We talked about it and in the end, we both agreed that if it’s something he wants to try, he should go ahead and pursue it. Success is not defined by your job, after all.”

Zhi Han jokes that his wife had a caveat: “She said, after [their daughter’s] PSLE exams, then you can start!” 

“There wasn’t a good or right time, but PSLE was an important milestone and we thought it’s good to spend more time to guide her,” she explains of the couple’s pre-teen. In November 2024, after the exams were over (her grades were “okay”, according to Zhi Han), he invested about $60K to launch 42 Pasta is the Answer. 

Named after a sci-fi classic novel

Since opening, he’s made well over 42 types of pasta, though he jokes that if two diners share two pastas and a roast pork salad, the bill conveniently comes to $42.

Are there parallels between physics and pasta-making? “Both are experimental. You need willpower, and a willingness to try and to fail,” he says.

Asked if his scientific brain has made cooking easier, he deadpans: “I don’t know… the data point is only one (myself).” While making ravioli during our visit, Zhi Han pulled out his phone to calculate quantities, adding with a grin: “Mathematicians are bad at mental sums. The ones who are good? Drink stall uncles.”

Small space, big heart

Located on the ground floor of Thomson Plaza, the 20-seat space is simple and bright, with blonde wood tables, rattan-backed chairs and paper lanterns creating a cosy, homey vibe. “We stay in Yishun and we like to come to Thomson Plaza. Yishun is too crowded! In fact, the previous tenant was a Japanese restaurant that we frequented. I like how chill the mall is,” he says.

An open kitchen sits just behind the dining area, where Zhi Han works alone, rolling out wide sheets of fresh pasta dough on a wooden counter – the setup invites diners to catch glimpses of the action. Reservations are strongly recommended for dinner and weekend service. Outside those peak times, Zhi Han usually sets aside a few spots for walk-ins.

All pasta made by hand daily, flavours change daily too 

Every day, Zhi Han makes his pasta from scratch using one of two base doughs: a classic egg dough of wheat flour and eggs, or a firmer semolina dough. Prep time depends on the style – long noodles and tubes are quicker, but smaller hand-shaped pastas can take up to an hour.

“The most challenging ones are the smaller pastas, because you need to make so many more pieces for a single portion,” says Zhi Han. The trickiest shape so far? Spizzulus – a small, twisted pasta from Sardinia. “I’ve stopped making it,” he says with a laugh.

On the counter, his tools are laid out like a craftsman’s kit: a sturdy wooden rolling pin from Hong Kong, and imported Italian pasta stamps and ferretti – thin metal rods used to roll and shape elongated pasta.

He estimates he’s made around 50 pasta types to date, drawing inspiration from everywhere: the Pasta Grannies cookbook, YouTube, and online recipes. 

Most mornings start at 7am at the wet market, where he shops for ingredients for that day’s pasta sauce or base, and other menu items like his house-made roasted pork and Basque cheesecake, which weren’t ready during our visit.

50% pay cut vs uni lecturer job

Pasta-making has been harder on his body than expected. “When we first opened, the restaurant was only closed one day a week. I increased it to two so I can recover, and exercise more on my off days to cope better,” he says.

The change has also meant a pay cut – his current salary is “about 50 per cent less” of what he earned as a lecturer. He’s adjusted by cutting back on personal expenses.

When asked how long it took for the restaurant to turn a profit, his answer is measured: “It depends on how ‘profitable’ is defined. If it’s just profit equals revenue minus all operating costs, then we were profitable from the first month.”

Is the current model – one pasta dish a day, small seating capacity – financially sustainable long-term? Again, Zhi Han says, it depends on the definition. “Most customers don’t eat more than one pasta, and most who dine here don’t mind the lack of choice. The concept means a return visit will likely feature a different pasta, so I think the lack of choice doesn’t really impact revenue. As for small seating capacity, it does put an upper ceiling on revenue, but I think that ceiling isn’t too low to make the business unsustainable.”

The work also means less family time. In academia, his flexible schedule allowed his daughter to hang out at his office or for them to go out together. Now, Sundays are kept free so he can spend the day with his wife and daughter.

Hopes to win over Italian diners

Zhi Han hopes more Italian customers will visit so he can gauge if his pasta meets their standards. “I’m pretty confident the nonnas will approve,” he says, adding that he believes his food holds its own against other Italian restaurants in Singapore.

His long-term goal is to hire more staff so he can spend more time experimenting with dishes, but that will only happen once the business grows further. For now, the restaurant is already profitable and often fully booked for dinners and weekends – sometimes turning customers away for lack of seats. He declines to share specific figures, but says the numbers so far are encouraging.

Ravioli with Pear & Ricotta, $15 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Made with supple egg dough, these tender ravioli have a slight chew and edges that catch a gentle golden crust from the quick pan-fry, adding a homely touch. Tossed in nutty French brown butter, the dish is surprisingly light, its richness balanced by the natural sweetness of pear and the creamy, mellow ricotta filling. Finished with grated pecorino, hand-pestled black pepper, and fresh mint leaves, it’s a simple, elegant combination that satisfies without weighing you down.

Foglie d’Ulivo with Tomao & Feta, $15 (8 DAYS Pick!)

We were lucky to catch Zhi Han making a second pasta during our visit: foglie d’ulivo, a traditional shape resembling olive leaves. Each piece is painstakingly formed by pressing a knife onto green spinach dough. For a playful touch, he even used leftover ravioli dough to create a few flower shapes – a romantic flourish for this summery plate. 

Instead of a heavy, herb-laden red sauce, the pasta is deliberately dressed in a lighter style to let the handmade dough shine – just a sauce made from sauteed and raw tomatoes, fresh basil, crumbles of feta, and black pepper. Made from semolina dough, the pasta has a satisfying chew and a faintly nutty flavour. The result is bright, fresh, and quietly charming, letting the gentle flavour and texture of the pasta take centre stage.

The details

42 Pasta is the Answer is at #01-43 Thomson Plaza, 301 Upp Thomson Rd, S574408. Open daily except Thur & Sun: 12pm - 2pm; 6pm - 8pm. Reservations accepted via DM on Instagram.

Photos: Aik Chen

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