An exciting new restaurant at Dempsey, and it's a Spanish restaurant. I missed Español cuisine, and the menu items look so good and sumptuous, I was all ready to press the "Reservation" button. The deal was sealed when I found out chef here is Daniel Chevaz, who used to be the chef at Santi and Ola Cocina, where I love the food there.
The food here is so hearty, delicious and full of exciting, distinctive Español flavours. It is totally different from the taste of other kinds of European cuisine, I love it.
Located at Dempsey Hill filled with lush greenery, this place is a nice getaway from the busy urban life. The interior has this upmarket cool vibe, juxtaposing well with the warm yellow lights and vibrant Spanish music. The service is awesome, being very friendly, always ready to respond to requests and give good recommendations on food. A great place to enjoy good food with friends or family, or even by oneself 😉
Cangrejo, Spanish words are pretty foreign to me lol, is Crab and Avocado salad peppered with lime, green apples, fine herbs and topped with salmon caviar. Plus a dollop of sour cream. When I take the first bite, I'm so amazed by how uniquely good the rich, creamy cangrejo is. The light umami of fresh crab meat plus oily avocado with its planty goodness is usually a winning combination. But chef Daniel takes it up a notch to make it taste slightly different from all other crab+avocado dishes by introducing the distinctive Spanish taste to it. Good on its own or with sour cream. I love this so much. The crackers and apple slices give a nice variation in texture.
Nice warm fluffy bread nicely tore up into pieces for easy munching on.
Gambas Al Ajillo is fresh, plump, creamy, firm prawns cooked in roasted garlic oil, dried chilli, garlic chips and light potato puree. This is another winner featuring that distinctive Español taste. The oil is so rich in flavours that I soaked the potato puree in oil before savouring it.
I figure that I need to try the signature Tinto Paella when here, so I order the luxurious Lobster, Crab and Prawn paella. I love it that they are so generous in the amount of prawns and crab added. Every grain of the Spanish Saffron rice is soaked with the umami of crustacean broth and zest of the tomatoes. This is so hearty and so delicious. The lobster is perfectly prepared, having that lovely char and a nice bite to it while being tender in texture. The lemon alioli adds an extra kick to the taste.
Though I do suggest either ordering the two dishes mentioned above plus another paella, or get this paella with other tapas instead. For variation and trying different kinds of protein.
