PastaMania's Doughworkz Class lets Kids Make & Design their Own Pizzas!

Advertorial

Mention pasta and pizza, and kids inevitably get all excited. Or at least mine do. See what I mean?

So I suppose PastaMania needs no further introduction, especially since the hala-certified casual dining eatery offers great value for families with a wide range of pastas and pizzas at an affordable price range.

But more than just offering a fuss-free and great value meals, PastaMania has upped the FUN factor by conducting monthly Doughworkz classes for kids!

Doughworkz by PastaMania is a hands-on program customised for children from 4 to 12 years old, where they get the opportunity to become mini masterchefs making their own pizza. Sounds fun already, no? But the icing on the cake (or pizza) has got to be that they get to enjoy their handmade pizza at the end of the session too.

Currently held at three outlets in Singapore (PastaMania Sengkang Sports & Recreation Centre, PastaMania Singapore Management University (SMU) and PastaMania NEX), there are two classes to choose from - Family Bonding class (for parent-child pair) and Individual class (for children only).

And since I was excited to make my own pizza too, I obviously had to join the monkies in the class too.

The class kicked off with a short introductory lesson on the history of pizza and pasta, in a fun and interactive manner which got the kids in a participative mood. I have to admit that even I picked up some cool facts about pizza and pasta that I never knew!

The great thing about the Doughworkz class is it is not just about adding toppings onto one's pizza. Kids were shown the kitchen equipment and apparatus that are needed to make a piping hot pizza. And soon after that, the real work began.

Instead of just dropping chunks of dough in front of the kids straightaway, they were first shown the ingredients that went into making the dough and the usage of a mixer to start the dough making process.

And then, it was time to get those little hands busy!

Learning how to knead the dough into the required shape and size is not as easy as it looks. Luckily, there were ample PastaMania staff in the class to show the kids how to do it right. It helped that there was a projector screen at the front of the class so that the monkies were able to see what the chef was doing.

And yes, dough kneading is serious business.

Ample pressure and force had to be applied so that the dough is spread evenly, with the air bubbles in the dough removed.

Once the pizza base was done, it was time to start piling on the toppings.

Since we attended a Doughworkz class in the Halloween October month, the kids were tasked to create a pizza with a theme along the lines of Halloween.

Needless to say, the monkies needed no further prompting from the adults!

How's this for some Halloween-themed pizzas?

After the pizzas were sent to the oven, it was photo-taking time where the little chefs were also presented with a goodie bag which consisted of a mini apron, chef hat, certificate and a memento photo.

Unsurprisingly, the thing that all of the kids in the class were looking forward to the most was to devour their pizzas! And how was the taste test? I suppose it's a rhetorical question since they made it themselves.

The thing about kids making their own food is they ALWAYS finish it without any nagging!

And since they were not showing any signs of sharing their pizzas with me, I did the next best thing - I ordered my own pasta from PastaMania.

Not to be outdone, the monkies declared they were still hungry AFTER the Doughworkz class. Luckily, PastaMania has a Kids' Meal menu that is pretty easy on the wallet.

At $8.90 per Kids' Meal, kids can choose a combination of a pasta dish, snack or dessert and a soft drink. Pasta choices include Beef bolognese, Chicken bolognese, Cheesy meatball, Cheesy chicken sausage broccoli, Dory fish and carrot, Mac & cheese. As for the snacks, kids can opt for one of the following: Cheddar cheese sticks, Waffle potato, Cheesy garlic bread or Gelato (chocolate popcorn, marshmellow mango, vanilla berry).

Seems like Ale was mighty pleased with her Kids' Meal choices!

The boys skipped the Kids' Meal menu though, for the simple reason that they find the servings too little for their liking. Yup, they are growing day by day and have a huge appetite - in fact, I think they can eat more the wifey! Fortunately, PastaMania has a wide range of wallet-friendly menu items as well.

And as you can see, PastaMania even has plenty of 'Healthier Choice' options in its menu too. And who says eating healthy has to be exorbitant? Because healthier dining does not mean that the taste and quality of the food needs to be sacrificed.

As a bonus, PastaMania is currently having a lucky draw where 10 winners can each win two Family Bonding Doughworkz class passes in December 2016. Simply spend minimum of $40 in a single receipt to take part in the lucky draw.

I love it how PastaMania is not just a family-friendly dining option but also a place where parents and their kids can bond together by learning how to prepare their own pizzas through its Doughworkz class. With the year-end school holidays around the corner, it may just be that perfect activity for you and your child to enjoy great cooking fun together - and getting to eat your own creations too!

JUST FOR OUR CHEEKIEMONKIE READERS!

Quote 'CHEEKIEMONKIES' (in the 'Additional Information' box) when signing up for PastaMania's Doughworkz classes in November or December and enjoy a special rate of $25 per child for the Individual Class (U.P. $28) and $45 per parent & child pair for the Family Bonding class (U.P. $55). Only applicable for sign-ups before 18 November 2016.

Useful Information

PastaMania Doughworkz

Venues:  PastaMania Sengkang Sports & Recreation Centre, PastaMania Singapore Management University (SMU) and PastaMania NEX

Pricing: Individual $28 per child | Family Bonding $55 per parent & child pair

To make a booking, visit HERE.