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

La Cicala

This spanish place has a swanky feel to it. Fortunately, the food is pretty good as well.

We ordered 6 double portion tapas for $105.

Prawns with paprika

Portion was ok and prawns were fresh. However, nothing special to this. I prefer the traditional prawns in garlic oil.

Stuffed eggplant and zuchinni.

The vegetables rolled around some sort of cheese. It tasted like a very mild mozzerella cheese. On top of it was some sort of pesto.

Grilled smoked chicken in romesco sauce

I like romesco sauce. Its a tomato and capsicum sauce. The sauce always tastes good with grilled. I would have liked the chickento have more of a charred flavor to match up to the robust sauce. 

Grilled striploin and mushrooms with spiced salt

This dish was a let down. Its really just grilled beef. The beef also seemed a bit too tough and not meaty enough for my liking.

Fried whitebait

This is simply done but very tasty.

Deep fried squid with saffron tartare sauce

The squid was crispy and tasty. Tartare povides some creamy acidity to the crispy texture. I could not taste much saffron...

The place serves pretty good tapas but it isn't outstanding. Spanish I find is always expensive in Singapore. Plus the fact that Club St is not a cheap location for a meal.

It's not a bad place to hang out with girlfriends for a few drinks and some food. The wine in this joint is expensive though.

Location: 48 Club St, Tanjong Pagar

Opening Hours: Mon- Fri 12pm- 3pm, Mon- Sat 5pm- 12pm

Pricing: About $60 per pax including dessert.

Contact number: 65348812