Don Quijote

C says:

A’s cousin L recommended this place to us, and we managed to catch the tail-end of a very good Citibank promotion when we went on Tuesday.


We ordered a selection of Spanish hams, sausages and cheeses. This was quite a disappointment, maybe because we’d just been spoiled by the quality of produce in Vancouver’s Granville Island Public Market (more on that in our upcoming holiday post). The cured meats here didn’t have much flavour and were quite chewy, and the cheeses were quite basic as well.


It got much better after that, though. The smoked salmon roll with cream cheese and lettuce was wrapped in an omelette instead of a typical tortilla or spring roll-esque wrapper and was very interesting. The grilled scallops with bacon bits and chicken wings with tomato, chilli and garlic sauce were both pretty good. The wings came with an optional spicy dip that packed a good punch. The sautéed green beans with Serrano ham were an unexpected hit. The beans were crisp and tender, and the ham added a subtle smoky flavour to the dish.


We thought we’d have to order more cos the dishes were all pretty small, but then the Spanish pasta with squid ink arrived, and the small portion we ordered was already quite substantial. The pasta was possibly even thinner than angel hair pasta, and absorbed every bit of squid ink flavour. I liked that it wasn’t too heavy or oily, just very intensely flavourful.

Without the 50% off promotion, this place isn’t all that cheap. They do have an a la carte buffet Sunday brunch, but that doesn’t cover the entire menu, just a selection of 20 tapas. Still, at $33, or $48 with free flow sangria, it sounds like a pretty good deal and we’re definitely planning to check it out one Sunday.

A says:

The service is superb. The food is above average. It’s not cheap but really not crazy expensive either. We’ll be back.

Don Quijote
17 Lorong Kilat #01-09
Tel: 6465-1811
Open Tuesday to Sunday: 5 pm – 11 pm
www.don-quijote-restaurants.com