Dehesa

C says:

Ever since Wolf closed, we've been looking for a place that does proper nose-to-tail cooking. Dehesa could well be it.

 

We started with the Dehesa platter, which came with a serving of sourdough and the most amazing aioli ever. The platter composed saucisson, chorizo, lomo Iberico, jamon, home-made lardo, fifi pate, pig's head terrine, rillette and crispy crackling. 

The duck hearts on toast came with a heavenly sauce that had hints of black pepper, balsamic and honey. 

Instead of crispy pig's ears, they have crispy tripe here, with fried garlic oil and a romesco sauce studded with chilli padi. With its flowery exterior, honeycomb tripe really does take deep frying really well - light and crispy, yet still retaining the slight chewiness of tripe. 

The Octopus is served on a bed of mashed potatoes, and blanketed with more lardo slivers. Just before serving, the chef comes with a hugeass blowtorch and torches the lardo so that it melts into the octopus. Aburi lardo. Divine. 

I expected the crispy pig's head to be more, well, head-y. Instead, it came as a croquette of sort, with egg yolk and lardons. Perhaps a little too generic for my liking.

We ordered the Frit Mallorquin because we've never seen it anywhere else. Basically it's a stew made from lamb offal (here, it was heart, liver, kidney and sweetbreads) and Mediterranean vegetables. It was interesting and pretty tasty, but at the same time it was quite heavy so I don't think we'll order it again.

We ordered one dish too many, so we didn't have space for dessert, which looked really interesting. We've already got a list of other dishes that we're going to try next time.

A says:

Great value and a surprisingly non-poncey place. Would go back, especially for the lardo.

Sunday brunch at Catalunya

C says:

I find Catalunya somewhat overpriced - $85 for lobster rice, $135 for half a suckling pig or $20 for a plate of 4 tiny Bikini (jamon, cheese and truffle) sandwiches is, to me, a bit prohibitive. That’s why their Sunday brunch buffet is such a good deal, relatively speaking. For $98 (add $48 for free flow cava, wines, cocktails, coffee and tea), you get an amazing buffet spread featuring various cured meats, steak tartare, rillette, grilled quail, asparagus spears, anchovies, sardines and all manner of other tasty tapas-like items.

The best part is that you can also order unlimited portions of their sandwiches (yes, including the Bikinis) and their scrambled eggs and tortillas (Spanish omelettes). Our table of 10 told them to just keep replenishing our plates of the Bikinis. Just polishing off a few plates of these alone is probably almost worth the $98 price tag.

Brunch starts at 12.30 pm, and at about 1.30 pm, the main courses are presented to much fanfare (and plate smashing). These will include a few paellas, a fish dish, a roast of the day (usually lamb), and the signature suckling pig. Portions of these will be delivered to your table, and again you can ask for more portions once you're done.

Finally, desserts are served and if you haven’t paced yourself then you’re in trouble, because the desserts are definitely worth a try. By the time brunch comes to a close around 3 pm, be prepared for a food coma for the rest of the day/evening.

Definitely not something you can or should be having very often, but definitely worth trying at least once.

A says:

The brunch buffet is probably the only time you'd get your money's worth here. Even then, it's still very expensive. And the starters and sandwiches are really the star (over the overrated pig). So if you've got lots of cash to spare, give this place a try.

Catalunya
The Fullerton Pavillion
82 Collyer Quay
Tel: 6534-0886
Sunday brunch: 12.30 pm - 4pm

Element on Tras

C says:

Element on Tras, at Amara Hotel, is an annexe of sorts to Element, which is the hotel's buffet restaurant. At Element on Tras, you can order a la carte from the Chinese, Thai and Spanish sections of the restaurant.

The Spanish kitchen is helmed by Basque chef Mikel Badiola, who used to cook at Martin Berasategui in San Sebastien. We only tried the tapas rather than the main courses, but those were more than enough to impress.

Definite must-haves are the mushroom brochette, and the bacalao bechemal stuffed in piquillo peppers. The flavours were strong but not overly assertive, and overall just very refined.

The tortilla was quite a substantial portion, and while I appreciate that it was well executed, with a nice still-runny centre, I found it slightly underseasoned, and it needed the sauce from the bacalao. The grilled octopus with potatoes and pimenton was simple but very good.

The Basque fish soup was a winner for me. The flavours were again restrained but still very complex, and there were generous portions of perfectly cooked, moist codfish inside. I would be happen to return just for this dish.

The menu is still quite limited, and we've probably ordered most of the highlights of the tapas/pinxtos section, but there's still the main courses to be explored.

A says:

I went in with very high expectations so perhaps it's not fair when I wasn't impressed. Honestly speaking though, the food is still very good food. And I must mention the amazing service.

Having tried the buffet as well, I would say ala carte is the recommended option here.

Element on Tras
100 Tras Street
Tel: 6879 2607
Sunday – Thursday / Public Holiday: 11am - 1am
Friday, Saturday, Eve of Public Holiday: 11am - 2am

Bam Tapas and Sake Bar

C says:

For lovers of small plates like us, 3-month old Bam at Tras Street looks set to be another new favourite. Opened by Chef Pepe, who used to be chef de cuisine at Santi at MBS, Bam may bill itself as a tapas bar but don't expect ordinary tapas like croquettas or garlic prawns. Instead, they offer exactly what we love - small plates of inventive tapas-inspired dishes, often with other influences thrown in as well.

Portions of each dish are just nice for 2 to share, and if you're like us, you'll probably need about 5 or 6 to be pleasantly full. Remember to save space for dessert though - this is one of the few places (for us) where the desserts really are worth ordering.

The Roasted Eggplant with Lardo and Romesco Sauce started out ok enough - till I got a mouthful of the lardo. The thin sliver of lardo was lightly torched on top of the eggplant, and packed a ton of flavour.

The Grilled Octopus with Gem Lettuce and Lentil Vinaigrette was so good that we promptly ordered another one (we were there with W and M). The octopus was really tender yet meaty, and wonderfully charred and smokey. This dish really brought us all back to Spain.

The Pork Ear with Burrata and Anchovy Vinaigrette was a very interesting dish. I liked the different textures of the creamy burrata and the crunchy, slightly gelatinous pig's ears. I would've liked a bit more burrata though, so I'm not sure if this is on my order-again list.

One of their signature dishes is the Sakura Ebi Omelette with Melon and All-i-oli (Catalan for aioli). I liked the creaminess of the omelette (I hate overcooked omelettes) and the umaminess of the sakura ebi, but I'm not sure that the melon was all that necessary. Next time we'll try the other egg dish on the menu - the Kampong Egg with baby squid and chorizo.

Don't go low/no carb while you're here, because all 3 of their pastas were outstanding. The Foie Gras and Chestnut Ravioli came in a light, delicate broth that was packed with flavour, and the Mushroom Rice with Scallop and Idiazabal Cheese was a risotto lover's dream.

What really shone though, was the Pasta a la Plancha with Prawns and Sake Butter. The tubes of pasta were literally cooked on the plancha (flat-top), giving it a wonderful al dente yet crisp texture. It was served with the most amazing sauce and sake butter that we all but licked off the plate. Awesome.

As far as the meats go, we had the Calamari and Beef Tongue, and the Grilled Quail with Leeks. I enjoyed both dishes, but everyone else wasn't as enamoured as I was. Apparently the Wagyu Onglet is better, so perhaps we'll try that next.

Desserts are definitely worth a try here. The Bailey's sponge with chocolate cremeaux comes with a huge dollop of the lightest, airest Crema Catalan I've ever had, and lightly torched too.

As good as that was, the other two desserts were more standouts. The coconut sorbet with pineapple and tea granita was really light and refreshing, and the lemon zest ice cream with caramelised banana was perfectly balanced - just when the ice cream seemed a bit too tart, the cubes of banana helped to sweeten and mellow it down.

They've only been open for 3 months but already they seem to be doing pretty well. We should probably head there again sooner rather than later, before it starts being on everyone's radar and it gets harder to snag reservations.

A says:

Rock. Especially the desserts.

Bam Tapas and Sake Bar
38 Tras Street
Tel: 6226-0500
Open Mon to Sat: 6 pm - 12 mn
Closed Sundays

Kaixo

C says:

Kaixo, along Tanjong Pagar Road, supposedly specialises in pintxos, which are Basque-style tapas served with a skewer or toothpick, usually attaching an ingredient to a slice of bread. The pintxos at Kaixo were noticeably lacking that crucial detail, but that didnt make them any less tasty.

We ordered a selection of 3 - a bowl of squid with fried carrots, one with sardines and charred peppers and another with anchovies and potato salad. All were prepared really well, with very harmonious flavours.

The sauteed squid with scrambled eggs, an off-menu special, was ok, if somewhat generic.

Their Iberico pork loin was quite tasty, but unfortunately it was a tad overcooked and therefore a bit dry. The bacalao had a surprisingly mild flavour, to the point of being underseasoned, and the texture was somewhat stringy.

Another off-menu special, the creamy bomba rice with grilled octopus, fared much better. The rice was a bit on the soupy side and not as creamy as the name suggested, the pieces of grilled octopus were excellent - charred, smoky and incredibly tender.

The french toast with berry coulis and vanilla ice cream was a nice way to round off the meal. Still, the "pintxos" were the best things there. The rest of the dishes were passable but nothing that would make me return for more.

A says:

The pintxos are great. So much so that everything else, while very good, still ended up disappointing. My recommendation, just get a set of 5 per person. Then you don't have to share.

Kaixo
96 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel: 6225-0545
Tues - Sat: 12 noon - 2.30pm; 6 pm - 11 pm

Catalunya

C says:

New restaurant Catalunya certainly has a lot going for it – a great location within the Fullerton Pavilion floating dome with a view of the Marina Bay area, and bragging rights that their founders used to be El Bulli alumni. The ex-El Bulli team at Catalunya includes a former chef and a restaurant manager, both of whom worked at El Bulli for at least a decade.

That sort of pedigree definitely brings with it some major expectations; indeed, it seems to be on everyone’s radar because weekend dinner reservations are pretty hard to come by. Good thing we went with reservation guru W, who snagged us a table at 6.45 pm on a Saturday. In retrospect, eating early was a good thing – we got to appreciate the view before it got dark.

Catalunya also boasts an award-winning mixologist, and I would recommend ordering something from their very comprehensive drinks list just to sample one of his creations. His combinations are far from ordinary, including one containing cheese and rosemary that I ordered, but somehow everything comes together quite well. Also, the drinks may seem innocuous but they’re not watered down at all. The seemingly flighty drink that A ordered packed quite a punch about halfway through.

Their food menu is a bit easier to navigate than their drinks menu. They have different sections - hot tapas, cold tapas, main courses, side dishes and desserts, with no more than 8 to 10 dishes in each section. Between the four of us we shared 2 cold tapas – a stack of grilled vegetables with smoked eel and foie gras, and a bacalao ceviche of sorts, and 4 hot tapas – boneless chicken wings, a cannelloni stuffed with roasted meat and topped with cheese and basil oil, eggs with Iberico ham, and a ham, cheese and truffle “Bikini” (a colloquial term for a ham and cheese sandwich in Spain).

I found the hot tapas more memorable than the cold ones. In particular, I liked the chicken wings (no surprises there) and the cannelloni, which was rich but really tasty.

A and I decided to order their specialty – the traditional suckling pig Segovian style, since we figured we had W and M to share it with. Alas, both W and M barely took any and we were struggling to finish most of the half suckling pig on our own. I highly recommend this if you have enough people to share it with. They cut the pig up tableside with a plate just to show how tender it is.

This really was one of the best suckling pigs I’ve ever had. The skin was thin and crisp all over, and the meat extraordinarily tender. The meat around the leg and shoulder was actually better than the more predictable belly/rib section, probably because those areas have more muscle and are generally more flavourful. At $125 for half a pig, this is much better value for money, not to mention just plain tastier, than the one from Osvaldo’s OLA.

M ordered the fish stew which was good, and W had the lobster rice which was excellent. Next time if it’s just the two of us, we’ll share the lobster rice and order a bunch of tapas. It’s worth noting that if you don’t have enough people in your party to tackle the pig, you can still sample it in the form of a hot tapas, where it’s served with lemon puree.

We tried the fried milk bread with smoked milk ice cream, and a chocolate dessert with passionfruit (M had most of the latter). The smoked milk ice cream was quite strong on its own, but paired really well with the donut-like fried bread.

Granted, our meal here didn’t come cheap, but that was mainly due to the pig, and a bottle of wine that we shared. I reckon if you order some tapas and maybe share a main course, you can probably have a pretty good dinner for around $75 a head. We certainly plan on doing that some time soon.

A says:

Starters/tapas are excellent. Service is excellent. Cocktails are excellent. Everything is pretty much excellent. Plus if you don't order the mains or alcohol, it's not that expensive. Recommended.

Catalunya
82 Collyer Quay
The Fullerton Pavilion
Tel: 6534-0886
Opening hours: 12 noon to 2 am
www.catalunya.sg

Osvaldo OLA-Cocina Del Mar

C says:

This latest offering from No Menu’s Osvaldo may have his support and branding, but the food is distinctly Spanish. While Osvaldo is occasionally there greeting patrons and making sure everything is running smoothly, the kitchen is led by chefs who were previously from Santi at Marina Bay Sands.

The menu is pretty lean, with only about 15 different tapas, and another 8 to 10 main courses. The tapas menu isn’t particularly exciting either, with the usual suspects of jamon croquetas, garlic prawns, and octopus with paprika. We went with an order each of gazpacho, croquetas and a tomato and anchovy toast.

Prices may seem reasonable, with tapas prices hovering at around $10 to $15, but portions are tiny and if you’re looking to fill up on tapas, the bill can add up pretty quickly. The croquetas and the tomato and anchovy toast were a bit lacklustre and predictable.

The gazpacho was slightly better, but again a tiny portion. Tapas are meant to be shared, but I don’t see how the toast or the gazpacho portions could reasonably be shared in any meaningful way.

In addition to their menu offerings, they have daily specials that are well worth a try; unfortunately, these are more often than not made with fresh ingredients that are on hand, and therefore don’t come cheap. The pan-seared scallops with jamon were delicious and a decent-sized appetizer portion, but pretty steep at $38.

One of their perpetual specials is the Spanish suckling pig. For $58 you essentially get ¼ of the pig – the trotter with a decent amount of meat attached. The pork is cooked sous vide for 18 hours, then upon order it’s roasted in a searingly hot oven for 45 minutes so that the skin crisps up. This was amazing, and made up for the somewhat lacklustre tapas. The pork was fork tender but not too soft, and the skin was paper thin and amazingly crisp. It was well seasoned and just bordering on salty, which was fine with me since I prefer a slightly heavier hand when seasoning meat.

Since I pretty much ate most of the pig, A had the vanilla rice pudding for dessert. I expected this to be stodgy and heavy, and was pleasantly surprised that it was quite light and aromatic.

While prices are a bit steep for a casual after-work venue (it’s located within Tower 3 of Marina Bay Financial Centre), it may be worth considering if you want to usher in the weekend in style, or to reward yourself for getting through a particularly bad day/week.

A says:

Like most of Osvaldo’s restaurants, the food’s pretty hit or miss. There were a few great dishes so it’s still worth trying out. And service is excellent too.

Osvaldo OLA-Cocina Del Mar

12 Marina Boulevard

#01-06 Marina Bay Financial Centre (Tower 3)

Tel: 6604-7050

Sun – Fri: 11am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sat: 6pm – 10pm