The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Spanish, hearty and gloriously pig-centric, nose-to-tail, occasionally adventurous comfort fare. The must-orders (if any): Carabinero Arroz, Gin Panna Cotta Summary: The chef previously headed the kitchen at UNA at One Rochester. Dehesa is proud of its nose-to-tail concept (choice extract from their website: “robustly flavoured alternative…
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Spanish, classy Sangria tête-à-têtes, date night, home-style casual fine dining. The must-orders (if any): Seafood paella. Summary: The team was formerly from La Ventana. The home-casual space is perfect for sophisticated catchups with friends over Sangria and charcuterie or relaxed romantic dates with good food and…
Pincho Moruno from Catalunya – grilled marinated in a special house blended spice and served with apple aioli. Essentially the kebab equivalent of a surly, reserved Moroccan army regular who canes his children for bad behaviour and goes on desert missions. Mighty filling, though. 3.4/5 This was a hosted meal,…
Grand Marnier Crema Catalana from Milagro Spanish Restaurant at Orchard Central. Essentially your standard crème brûlée but with sassy unwashed blonde hair, being inappropriately high on sangria (and Grand Marnier, of course) and warbling lines such as “lucky that my breasts are small and humble so you don’t confuse them…
Chilli Crab Txangurro from Catalunya – 120 grams of shredded Alaskan snow crab cooked in spicy tomato sofrito and topped with toasted bread crumbs. Essentially an indulgent chilli crab bonanza in a pot – pure, unadulterated chilli crab goodness sans any distracting pincer, shell or mantou nonsense. The succulent crab…
Grilled octopus, crusty pork jowl, buttered mash potato, smoked Spanish paprika oil from Pool Grill’s “Flavours of Spain” dinner set menu. Whilst the octopus offered a good manly crunch, the pork jowl was a revelation – the fatty skin and even fattier soft, tender flesh have completely fused, existing in…
Grilled Spanish octopus with Jerusalem artichoke, burnt onion and oyster leaf from Esquina. The octopus had a sensual and deeply roasty quality which extended to its very core, and its suction cups will disengage recklessly inside your mouth, offering more artillery for your crunching pleasure. Elsewhere, the burnt onion will…
Saffron paella with pan-fried red snapper, chorizo and snow peas from Esquina. The sweet paella was slickly oiled with a delectably sticky crunch, being a perfect foil for the chaste innocence of the well-cooked snapper, whilst elsewhere the chewy, juicy chorizo had intense pig dictatorship intentions. 4/5 Esquina 16 Jiak…
Torrija from Catalunya Singapore – soft and sweet warm bread with smoked milk ice cream. Whilst the bread expertly toed the line between comfortably and dangerously sweet, the smoked milk ice cream was the gustatory equivalent of an urgent, uninhibited French kiss (tongues ahoy) with an irresistible femme fatale who…