Gaig Restaurant - Beautiful Flavours of Catalonia

Since last year, I always want to ensure that I celebrate every International Women’s Day in style. And this year, the collaboration between Gaig Restaurant and ewineasia is the one that really caught my fancy among the choices. I had a very good time at Gaig before, so to be back here again for a special occasion sounds like great idea to me.

And yes, the awesome food, wine, ambience and service here totally makes my day! The palates have been taken through an incredible journey through Catalonia.

Salpicón de marisco: seafood salad tartlet with ikura is a Catalan summer snack that speaks of the the flavours of the sea. It is so briny sweet and refreshing at the same time. The crispy tart shell adds a nice crunch to this dainty, unique creation.

Jamón Ibérico Croqueta is a very good change in taste profile from refreshing Salpicón de marisco. This croqueta is meaty, creamy and crispy. This is so good.

Sobrassada and Mahón cheese waffle has the lovely complex sweetness, made exciting by the pungency of cheese.

Carpaccio de Pulpo is octopus carpaccio dotted with avocado, corn and green apple. This is the first time I am trying octopus carpaccio and I absolutely love it! The octopus is sliced paper thin for its flavour to take the center stage, with avocado, corn and green apple to add more complexity to the taste and texture. The refreshing briny sweetness actually develops into more distinctive sweetness as I savour it. Amazing!

Canelón de Gaig Fresh pasta stuffed with beef, pork and truffle sauce is such a hearty treat, being creamy, earthy and full of meaty sweetness.

Arroz de Carrillera de Ternera, which is beef cheek creamy rice with truffle, is just wow. Perfectly cooked rice with a starchy good bite is soaked with the meaty sweetness, making every spoonful of it a joy to savour.

Namelaka with white Chocolate mousse, toffee, hazelnut and choco tuile is creamy, full of the goodness of cocoa butter, and surprisingly refreshing. This is one lovely, light dessert that I can finish a second helping with ease.

Beautiful wines from ewineasia to go perfectly with the dishes. I even got a bottle of Mesquida Mora Sincronia Blanc 2023 because I love its creaminess. 

Thoughts: Absolutely loving the taste of Catalonia

16 Stanley Street

Cendra Tapas Bar and Grill - Simplicity with Complexity, Awesome Pairing

I’m always in the mood for some Catalan cuisine, so when I came to know of a shiny new Español restaurant bar, Cendra Tapas Bar and Grill, and I really liked what I saw on the menu, I immediately made my reservation. And I’m so happy with my choice after a night out at here.

The food here subtly excites the palates with subtle twists for the uniqueness and subtle complex flavours. I love every dish here that features the flamboyant rustic elements of Spanish cuisine and makes me go, “Wow!”

The restaurant has this open, casual welcoming vibe as the entrance is opened all the way, where the distinction between outdoor terrace and dining area is in the decor only. So yes, this is a great, cool place to see and to be seen 😉

The outdoor terrace is flanked by lots of lush potted plants to create this idyllic atmosphere. While the dining area features posh bar vibe peppered with rustic elements of the old world feel of Spain. Stylish high chairs, modern globe-like lamps with soft yellow lights, modern open kitchen counter with sleek black backdrop juxtapose so well with the rustic theme of brown and orange finishing, bamboo blinds and smooth clay-red wall.

The service is exceptional and awesome. I’m so pampered by the excellent service crew here. They make very good recommendations and go the extra mile to reduce the portion for solo diner like me. The Chef Owner Xavier Palau is very friendly too. With all the elements well-aligned in place, I say this place is a must-visit for foodies, especially solo diners!

At my first bite of “Ensaladilla Rusa” Smoked Mackarel on Crispy Toast, the immediate impression is “Wow, The Garden meets the Sea”. The soft mild sweet, starchy, earthy flavour of the potatoes serves as perfect base for the robust briny taste of raw mackarel fish. The crispy toast, the creamy, fine gritty texture of potato and succulent bouncy flesh of the fish complement each other exceptionally. No wonder this is one of the popular dishes here.

Crystal Bread with Tomatoes features light, airy, crispy bread that juxtaposes perfectly with the juiciness of tomatoes highlighted by the lots of Spanish olive oil added. I cannot believe a seemingly simple dish can taste so amazingly good. It tastes refreshing, tangy with hints of sweetness. This is Simplicity at its best.

Iberico Ham Croquettes is so flavourful and creamy. The stretchy texture of the cheese in the ganache goes so well with the crispiness of the deep fried batter. I love it.

Mushroom Croquettes is another surprise of the day due to its rich deep earthy taste that is so distinctive and unique for croquettes. In fact, I slightly prefer the mushroom one due to its uniqueness.

Carabineros with Garlic and Parsley Oil is so perfectly cooked to the right doneness to feature succulent, bouncy and briny sweet meat, made even better and more complex with a lace of char.

Aubergine Chips with Honey and Pine Nuts is another surprise of the day. I’m not an eggplant person actually, but I find myself gushing over how good and unique these eggplant chips are. They are crispy on the outside with an amazing soufflé core. The earthy taste is made more addictive with a dose of sweet honey and the nutty flavour of pine nuts.

Chef & Owner Xavier Palau preparing my dessert 

Basque Cheesecake with Strawberry Sorbet is creamy and nutty, with hints of refreshing elements and light tart taste from the strawberry sorbet, which elevates this dessert from good to excellent.

Lovely, buttery white wine with a clean taste.

Sweet cocktail with burnt rosemary

Thoughts: Seemingly simple, but full of complexity in preparation and taste. Awesome juxtapose of textures and flavours. Lots of subtle surprises.

5 Genmill Lane #01-01

Gaig Restaurant - Traditional yet Sophisticated Catalonian Cuisine

Somehow a search on Basque food led me to Gaig Restaurant, a quaint family restaurant that marries old traditions with modern interpretations. And I’m impressed!

The food here evokes that feeling of warmth and nostalgia, while having that touch of sophistication. Being an individual who is into unique food adventures that evoke a wealth of subtle emotions, a meal here definitely satisfies me.

The ambience here feels very cosy and intimate with soft lights and the shelves and tables lovingly decorated with quaint bouquets of dried flowers. At the same time, it is classy, with hints of upmarket decor, making it more perfect for dates.

Service is very friendly and professional. And they make good recommendations on wines. I really enjoy my time here!

I always love to try as many signature dishes as possible without overstuffing myself, so tasting menu is obviously my choice.

Update: Back here again and loving it even more! 

The best tomato soup comes in the form of Salmorejo Soup, which is tomato based cold soup and jamón ice-cream. The soup is slightly creamier in consistency and packs with the nuanced zest and sweetness of tomatoes. The rich taste is further elevated with the meaty savoury sweetness of jamón ice-cream.

Complimentary snack of mushroom broth is so amazing in taste. It is full of umami and really warms the soul while savouring it.

Pa Amb Tomàquet Jamón Ibérico features toasted crispy bread, freshly crushed tomato and Iberian pork cold cut. I love the myriad of flavours in this.

Matrimoni is salt-cured anchovy, white anchovy and date beautifully stacked on top of toast. It is full of the essence of ocean. The date is like the cherry on top, whose sweetness cut through the brininess to make it better. Though this is not exactly my type of dish due to strong flavour of anchovy. I love essence of ocean, but in nuanced form.

Jamón Ibérico Croquette deep-fried croquette filled with béchamel and Jamón Ibérico is a very hearty treat filled with umami.

Bomba de la Barceloneta deep-fried potato ball with spicy minced beef, brava sauce aioli is a nice surprise. The mild spiciness refreshes the palates after going through the fields, ocean and woods from the prior appetisers.

Gaig’s Traditional Canelloni fresh pasta stuffed with beef pork truffle sauce is very satisfying treat that is full of earthy flavours. I like the uniqueness of pasta presented in sheet form, wrapped around the mashed filling.

As a seafood lover, I’m so looking forward to Seafood Fideuà short noodles paella-style with Carabinero prawn. Nicely grilled, the prawn has firmness, briny sweetness accentuated by the lace of smokiness. The short noodles is very interesting and unique. It is of al dente texture and I enjoy savouring it because it creates that feeling  of warmth and satisfaction.

Crispy Suckling pig from Spain has nice tender meat and the fresh strawberries really do their magic here to punctuate the gamey flavours to a well-rounded meaty flavour.

Catalan Crème Brûlée is the best Crème Brûlée I ever have. No doubts about it. The chef managed to transform this old school dessert to an elevated and sophisticated version while retaining that bliss of simplicity evoked by this dessert. The custard is presented in foam form, rendering light and airy, which contrasts so well in texture with the toffee ice-cream. The lemon syrup is like a touch of gold added to the dessert, lifting up the taste and introducing complexity to it. A must-try here.

Cute Petit Fours of Lemon Tart and Dark Chocolate.

Very refreshing white wine that is perfect for summer, in other words, Singapore weather.

Good red wine that goes well with the mains.

Thoughts: Impressive Traditional Catalan Fare that also surprises

16 Stanley St

 Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer

Esquina - Awesome Spanish Cuisine

Esquina had always been on my mind when I was planning to visit my favourite restaurants that I had dined at before my solo dining era. When I saw that they have a tasting menu featuring more than 10 dishes, I quickly jumped onto it and made my reservation.

I love Esquina’s concept of many small dishes of tapas presented in the tasting menu, giving me a full picture of what the food here is all about and of course, enjoying an awesome, exciting, varied gastronomic adventure through the landscape of Spain.

The taste of the food ranges from simulating, exciting to satisfying and blissful to indulgent and complex. The flavours and textures are carefully curated to be in perfect balance, yielding lots of lovely surprises on the palates. I love all the dishes here so much. One of the best Spanish restaurants? A definite Yes!

The ambience at the first floor bar counter in front of the busy open kitchen is vivacious, hip and cool. I love watching the chefs in action. The decor has that warm, rustic feel of Spain in summer, further enhanced by the Spanish music playing in the background. I do feel occasional rushes of hot air from the nearby oven when seated at the centre of the counter tending towards the right, so take note. There is a 2nd floor dining room for group dining or some romantic times.

Service is warm, friendly and great, and that includes the chefs. I’m so happy that I come back again for such an awesome dining experience.

Uni Paella is such a luxurious dish packed with umami of different forms: intense sweetness of uni, briny sweetness of Mediterranean red prawns and buttery saline taste of lobster. I also love it that lots of premium seafood is stuffed into this cute little bowl. The red rice is al dente in texture, being a bit like that of the bottom claypot rice. Talking about bottom, the bottom of the paella is the best part of the rice, being soaked the most with the sweetness of the lobster.

The first snack is Olive stuffed with roe is intense and simulating in flavours, waking up the senses and whetting the appetite.

Oyster soaked in ponzu sauce, jalapeño and garnished with ginger flower, spring onion features so many harmonised flavours that spellbind the palates.

Smoked Mackerel on thin crispy wafer biscuit provides the perfect base to showcase the vibrancy of espanol sauces.

Ibérico Ham is the undisputed King of Hams featuring slightly chewy texture with an iota of firmness and beautiful nuanced flavour of smoked meat laced with a lovely richness of oil filled with nutty aroma. The Ibérico Ham here is elevated even more by the crispy, fluffy bread underneath, adding texture and light sweetness of the wheat to the ham.

Salmorejo (tomato garlic soup) with uni and berberechos (a kind of cockle) is a rich and indulgent dish full of seafood goodness peppered with zest from the tomato.

The Foie Gras Terrine here is most probably the best foie gras I ever have. The crispy thin puff pastry adds an unbelievably excellent texture to the rich buttery foie gras with jelly-like consistency. The sherry vinegar adds a hint of sweetness and zest while the leeks introduces a pungency to lift up the whole taste. Simply magical.

Tuna Escabeche is lightly seared Tuna that has the lovely combination of taste of ocean and gamey flavours of meat. The refreshing taste of green apple and spiciness of jalapeño actually accentuates the sweetness of the tuna.

Smoked Quail Egg is oh-so-good because of the super earthy sweet Sweet Potato puree punctuated by hints of saltiness of the ibérico. Teh sweet potato is unbelievably sweet that a feeling of bliss welled up in me when savouring this.

Uncovering the Quail Egg hidden beneath the Sweet Potato Puree

Grilled Sucrine Lettuce amazes me with how good lettuce can be. This is a must-try for that eye-opening experience of enjoying amazingly good vegetable that can rival its meat counterparts. The crispy, juicy leaves of lettuce is brushed with a layer of char for an extra dimension in taste. The sweetness and light zest of herb yoghurt and cider vinegar highlight the refreshing freshness of the lettuce. The macadamia nuts add earthiness and rich nuttiness to the taste and variation in texture.

Black Cod, with its pliable succulent flesh, surprises me in a wonderful way by its sweetness, further enhanced by the fino sherry. I also love the Atlanic clams that are plump and pumped with the essence of ocean. Spanish winter truffle adds luxe and a nice earthiness to the taste to these treasures of the sea.

The gamey flavours of Spanish Suckling Pig with Mulled Wine is nicely cut through by the zest of Apple and Rhubarb Chutney for balanced flavours.

(From left) Delicious Spanish Cheeses of Tor dels Tillers, Garotxa, Manchego and Retorta. I especially love the wet cheeses. And they go perfectly with the sweetened eggplant. I actually love pairing the cheeses with this eggplant, which is wet in texture, over dried preserved fruits.

I'm going bananas over the Beer Stout Ice-Cream with bananas in different forms: cut, mousse, bread. I'm not usually into banana dessert, but this one is an exception. Because the bananas used here are so lovingly sweet that they totally entrapped my tastebuds. The sweetness juxatposes perfectly with the mild bitterness of the beer stout ice-cream. Caramel sauce adds a salty kick to the taste, highlighting the floral sweetness of the banana.

A special after dessert of rich chocolate ice-cream served with roe. Very interesting combination that works beautifully.

I'm really blown away by how good the food here is. If one is willing to splurge and want to try a good variety of food, I do recommend the tasting menu. One can also care and share to order the menu items since the portions are pretty big, thus being perfect for sharing.

Thoughts: Truly Outstanding Spanish Cuisine that hits all the Sweet Spots in Taste and Texture!

16 Jiak Chuan Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park