Esquina

This newish tapas bar has Jason Atherton's name on it.

It's impossible to get into it for dinner as it is a small area sitting only about 19. Lunch and dinner prices are the same. But at least for lunch it isn't so crowded.

I think food here is good but a bit too pricey for the complexity. Wines are quite disappointing in my view but honestly wines in most restaurants in Singapore are very over priced and not very good.

Iberico ham and foie gras burger

This was really quite good. The saltiness of the iberico and the sweetness of the burger complimented one another. Plus, there was pulled pork in the burger giving it an extra texture.

I chose a botrytis chenin blanc (Loire valley) to go with this as I thought that the sweetness of it may lift the sweetness of the foie gras. When the staff first served me the wine, it was too warm. When I informed them of that, they kindly chilled it for me and then poured me another glass.

This went quite well with the dish except it masked some of the wonderful saltiness of the iberico. I think if there was a wine that was sweet but less sweet, it may have gone better with it.

The service staff there suggested a spanish cabernet sauvignon to go with the dish. I disagreed with them. The problem with the cabernet sauvignon is the tannins which are rough in texture and would clash with the dish. Also, there isn't sweetness to bring out the foie gras.

Upon consultation with my brother, he suggested a sweet rose. To understand more about wines, go to his blog http://www.wineandonly.info/

Gambas with sweet corn

The stock was rich with salty flavor from bacon that complimented the prawns. According to the staff, prawn shells are ordered in to create the rich broth. I wish I could purchase prawn shells… The corn was crunchy and not overcooked giving the dish texture.

Pistachio cake with vanilla ice cream and sangria jam

I really liked the sangria jam with the cake. It was sour sweet which lifted the cake. I would have liked it to be a wee bit sweeter as the pistachio cake was not sweet but had a good texture. The ice cream for me did not have an intense enough vanilla flavor.

I really liked the service staff… But I don't quite agree with their selection of wines.
I'm not sure about one of the chefs though. I asked about the food and he didn't seem very friendly. In fact, he seemed a bit put off by my question.

I liked the place but will I go back? I'm not too sure as I find it a bit costly.

Pricing: About $80 for 2 tapas mains, one dessert and wine.
Website: http://esquina.com.sg/
Location: 16 Jiak Chuan Rd