Tapas Club @ Vivocity - Beyond The Repertoire Of Paella And Croquette In Spanish Cuisine

Almost twice the size of its first restaurant at Orchard Central, Tapas Club at Vivocity aims to share with you a slice of Spanish culture, that is beyond the limited repertoire framed by paella and croquette. A Spanish terraza's inspired terrace welcomes you as you first step in, before coming to the full panoramic view of Sentosa Island. Find warmth and rustiness as you sit yourself down in the restaurant, with an ambience emulating a Spanish tavern. The restaurant even houses a mercado where you can purchase authentic Spanish food products, ranging from beers and wines, Spanish preserves, olive oils, preserved vegetables and seafood, to signature cold cuts like Iberian ham. Helming the kitchen is Executive Chef Manuel Berganza who was the opening chef of the Michelin-starred, Andanada 141 restaurant in New York City before moving to Singapore.

Croquetas De Jamon 3.8/5

Our evening started with a crowd pleasing Croquetas De Jamon ($11.90) – ham croquettes, a staple at any Spanish restaurant. Within the crispy puffed crumb is creamy mixture of bechamel sauce and Spanish Iberian ham. They were finger-licking good when hot and surprisingly remained so even after sitting on the table for a little while.

Berenjena Con Miel 3.5/5

Another common tapas delicacy in Spain is the savoury-sweet Eggplant fritters, Berenjena Con Miel ($9.90). Fried in a light batter and finished off with a drizzle of honey, these vege chips proved to be just as moreish as its counterparts. With the perception that they are guilt-free, you may have to fight for the last piece!

Piquillos Rellenos 2.8/5

I would have loved this Piquillos Rellenos ($12.90) should it not be deep-fried. The ground beef filling is already rich with bechamel and deep frying them made them a tad too greasy. The piquillo pepper also seemed to have shriveled in the heat, when I would really love to taste its alluring smokey sweetness. The previous Serenity Spanish Bar served up a non-fried version with tuna filling which was really enjoyable but this pales in comparison even though the filling is more indulgent.

Cojonudos 4/5

Introducing Cojonudos ($13.90), a tapas dish originated from the villages located near the border between the regions of Castile and La Rioja in Spain. At Tapas Club, they look like mini Egg Bens with a fried quail egg atop of the crisp Chapata bread with Fermin Chorizo. Made from the famous Iberian pork of Spain, the dry-cured sausage had quite an intense and complex flavour, and what I appreciate is the traces of fat within that moist up the texture.

Bocata de calamares 3/5

Bocata de calamares ($10.90) reminisces a soft shell crab burger with deep-fried squid rings sandwiched between a brioche bread roll. Despite the alioli sauce and spicy red sauce in between, I find the overall combination rather dry.

Filete De Ternera 3.5/5

The Tapas+ section of the menu offers more substantial dishes and each dish comes with one complimentary side. What's good for your wine would be the Filete De Ternera ($24), a medium-rare serving of grilled pork accompanied with homemade garlic aioli. Underneath the charred surface was a good portion of fats and its worth taking your time to savour each piece slowly in your mouth, and down it with a sip of wine.

Pulpo A La Brasa 3/5

Pulpo A La Brasa ($24) features a charred grilled octopus imported from Spain, drizzled with paprika oil, pimenton powder (ground dried Capsicum annuum chillies) and garlic aioli (garlic aioli is made with eggs, vinegar and garlic OR garlic and mayonnaise). Stunning on the plate, the char on the surface lends a pleasant smokey flavour but it wasn't as tender as I wish it would be.

Arroz Negro 3/5

One of its signatures is paella. We had Arroz Negro ($26) - squid ink paella with cuttlefish and clams, served with garlic aioli for a creamier texture. The rice was well cooked through with seafood stock and I really like how each bite of the juicy clams releases the briny, sweet flavour into the rice. However, I would prefer the rice to be more briny, as the squid ink seemed to be just kissing the surface of the grains.

Chocolate Mousse with Caramelized Banana 2.5/5

Churros Con Chocolate 3/5

For desserts, we had Churros Con Chocolate ($9) and Chocolate Mousse with Caramelized Banana ($10). While the churros was delicious with rich chocolate dip, the latter fell flat without any textural or flavour contrast. Be it the sliced bananas, cake or mousse, they were just sweet and soft.

Celebrate the weekends the way Spaniards do, where large communal sharing dishes are enjoyed in a high energy atmosphere. On Saturday, Sunday and PH brunch, between 12-3pm, come down and indulge in unlimited servings of paella cooked in a 1.2 metre wide communal paella pan, for just $10!

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Tapas Club
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-98/99
Singapore 098585
Tel: +65 62844680
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Harbourfront MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

SG Pho House @ North Bridge Road - New Vietnamese Restaurant By True-blue Vietnamese Lady Boss

SG Pho House is a newly opened Vietnamese restaurant, nestled in one of the shophouses along North Bridge Road. The lady boss is a true-blue Vietnamese and with her leading the kitchen together with her own team, expect real Vietnamese flavours in your pho as well as other dishes.

Its interior is probably one of the closest to that of those eating places I had been to in Vietnam, perhaps what's missing are the little stools for a morning beer. Shiny mental foldable tables with much sturdier legs that are built to last, these dining tables are actually imported from Vietnam. The menu is fairly simple, offering Beef and Chicken Pho, Vermicelli, Rice varieties and sides.

Mango Salad 4.2/5

Seafood Spring Rolls 3.5/5

For sides, we had Mango Salad ($6.90), Fresh Spring Rolls ($3.90) and Seafood Spring Rolls ($4.90). I'm really pleased with their mango salad which comes with fried shallot, shrimps and sliced pork. The acidity is just right and I could taste the citrusy of the lime juice. What I really appreciate is how the shrimps and pork are being sliced to align with the shredded mango, hence there is a bit of everything in each bite. As for the spring rolls, I thought the fresh ones are kind of flat, while there is definitely a lot more going on with the fried seafood version.

Beef Vermicelli Soup, Hue's Style 3.5/5

I was told that different style of pho uses different bases. The traditional beef noodle soup, Hue style vermicelli soup, chicken noodle soup and even Thailand style (Tom Yum) vermicelli Soup have a different soup base. The sweetness and flavours are not from MSG but a concoction of imported Vietnamese herbs, spices and their solid good broths. For the mains, we had Beef Vermicelli Soup, Hue's Style ($7.90), Rice Spaghetti Soup with Crab Meat ($9.90) and Grilled Pork Vermicelli ($9.50). The broths here are indeed the soul of the dishes. What hit my senses first was the sweetness of the broths, born from hours of simmering bones and marrow. There is depth to it, accented with herbs and spices. Served alongside the beef vermicelli soup is not just your usual plate of basil and beansprouts but with a pile of shredded kang kong to provide an extra crunch and freshness to the overall taste.

Rice Spaghetti Soup with Crab Meat 3/5

Their Rice Spaghetti is similar to our local Mee Tai Mak. The soup is made with pork bones which explains the unexpected level of sweetness. I thought it was just going to be a mediocre soup base. I like the homemade meatballs which reminds me of how a yummy minced meatball make a difference to a bowl of handmade noodle soup. However, the crab meat which is supposed to be the star of the dish was rather dry and bland, hence a better option may be their vermicelli soup with seafood only.

Grilled Pork Vermicelli 3/5

As for the Grilled Pork Vermicelli, although it didn't pack much surprises, it is a crowd pleaser with very well marinated juicy pork chop. And it is not at all boring when a bowl of it comes with a pork spring roll and a grilled fermented pork, akin to a sausage.

Vietnamese Coffee 3/5

One thing I learnt from this lunch is the similar to how a Hong Kong evaporated milk made its mark in a Hong Kong milk tea, Vietnamese have their own version of condensed milk as well, which apparently is less sweet than our local ones. True enough, even though our Avocado milkshake and Strawberry milkshake were made with big spoonfuls of their condensed milk, they turned out creamy and milky without being cloying. My Vietnamese version of 'Piccolo' was fine too, though I wish it could be a lot stronger.

Out of malls and away from the crowd, I quite enjoy the rustic atmosphere of SG Pho House which elevates the experience of tucking into their hearty broths and dishes. The chicken noodle soup is highly recommended by the owner so when you need a alternative chicken soup for your soul one of these days, do drop by!

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


SG Pho House
774 North Bridge Road
Singapore 198742
Tel: +65 62998774
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk down North Bridge Road towards Ophir Road direction. Continue walking North Bridge Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]