Esquina @ Jiak Chuan Road

Esquina located in the corner of Jiak Chuan Street has been known for its unique Spanish tapas since its launch in December 2011. From September 2015, new Executive Chef Carlos Montobbio helms the kitchen. At the same time, he also launches a new menu inspired by his fond memories of Spain and experiences in Singapore.

Oyster 4.5/5

Dinner at Esquina started with some Oyster ($7). The freshness paired with Jalapeno ponzu, salmon roe and pickled ginger flower works wonderfully on the palate, accentuating the whole enjoyment.

Esquina's Spanish Omelette 4/5

The Esquina's Spanish Omelette ($14) is Chef Carlos's modern interpretation of the classic dish. Comprising of confit onion, potato, olive oil caviar on a crispy bread, this is delectable especially the crispy bread giving an additional layer of texture.

Spanish Nigiri 4.2/5

How about some sushi at a Spanish tapas place? Well to be exact, this is Spanish Nigiri ($6), made from bacalao brandade and roasted bell pepper into a sushi form. The salted cod with garlic oil and the roasted bell pepper definitely is another unique experience to be enjoyed at a Spanish tapas place.

Chorizo Croquetas 4/5

The Chorizo Croquetas ($12) with piquillo mayo compared to the other dishes I have tried so far is rather straight forward in terms of textures and flavours. It just hit you like a bulldozer with its rich flavour and crispiness.

Grilled Spanish Octopus 4.2/5

A signature at Esquina is the Grilled Spanish Octopus ($28) which is first sou vide then charred for a tender and smoky enjoyment. It is accompanied with Jerusalem artichoke, burnt onion and oyster leaf.

Saffron Paella 4.5/5

The Saffron Paella ($24) is one of my favourite among the dishes I tried. The paella is not only flavourful but comes with a nice crispiness. I noticed the chef scraping the rice grains from the pan, which explains the crispy paella. The dish is further accompanied with pan fried red snapper, chorizo and snow peas for a complete meal.

Pigeon 4/5

I have tried pigeon before but they were deep fried. The Pigeon ($22) at Esquina is cooked to a beautiful pink and paired with forest berries escabeche, burnt rosemary polenta and crisp shallots. This is my first time having pigeon in this doneness and it tasted like having pig liver.

Beef Cheeks 4/5

Love the different play of textures in the Beef Cheeks ($18) with baked bone marrow, sesame pickled cabbage, wrapped in a corn tortilla. I thought a little Jalapeno will spice things up more.

US "Family Reserve" Beef Ribeye 4.8/5

The other memorable dish at Esquina is the US "Family Reserve" Beef Ribeye ($38) with charred leeks and romesco. It is cooked to a beautiful sear on the exterior while retaining the beautiful flavour and juiciness. This is pure heavenly enjoyment.

Sea Urchin 3/5

A classic from the old menu is the Sea Urchin ($22) with crab and lobster bisque, smoked herring ore and sea grapes. Unfortunately I felt disappointed with the dish. I noticed that the chef actually cooked the sea urchin before being served in the sea urchin shell. The result is a rather bland sea urchin with a cooked egg white like texture. In short, the unami flavour of the sea urchin is lost in the execution.

We were served some palate cleanser before moving to our dessert.

"BBC" Dessert 4.8/5

A real unique and surprise dessert is the "BBC" dessert ($15). It stands for Banana, Beer and Caramel. After many trial and errors, Chef Carlos finally found the right beer to his beer ice cream. I was really taken back by the distinct beer flavour in the ice cream. More so how the banana and warm caramel sauce work hand in hand for this amazing dessert.

Esquina definitely has live up to its name for creating unique Spanish tapas. I was really impressed with my dining experience. Chef Carlos has also brought in new refreshed idea to the menu that will delight both old and new diners.


Esquina
16 Jiak Chuan Road
Singapore 089267
Tel: +65 62221616
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Outram (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun & Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk straight down New Bridge Road. Turn right onto Kreta Ayer Road. Turn right again onto Keong Saik Road. Walk down Keong Saik Road. Turn left onto Jiak Chuan Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes.[Map]

Corner House @ Botanic Gardens

This is a very belated post of my 1st Anniversary celebration at Corner House, Botanic Gardens. The restaurant in the UNESCO world heritage site, is a fitting and romantic place to celebrate this special day. It has always been the restaurant I wanted to visit and finally I have the reason to do so with my beloved wife.

Upon placing our 4 course set dinner (from $98), we were served with some warm bread.

Amuse Bouche 4.2/5

Dinner at Corner House began with some Amuse Bouche giving a glimpse of what is lining up in the 4 course meal, showing Chef Jason Tan's culinary. Clockwise from the top left corner, we have the Oyster Leaf, Bikini, Cucumber Sphere and Cracker.

French Royal Oyster 4.2/5

For the Appetizer, we opt for the French Royale Oyster and Hakkaido Scallop. The French Royale Oyster is plump and huge served in a oyster shaped plate with plum granite, basil seed and caviaroli. This is a new and refreshing way of enjoying the oyster.

Hokkaido Scallop 4.5/5

The Hokkaido Scallop is served with miso, Ikura roes, burnt orange, yuzu and rice cracker. The flavours were complex but yet worked harmoniously together.

Maine Lobster 4.2/5

Moving on to the starter, we tried the Maine Lobster, New Zealand Cod "Crispy Scales" and Oignon doux des Cevennes. I enjoyed the doneness of the Maine Lobster, allowing the full appreciation of the fresh seafood with the smoked burrata, yellow capsicum and Kristal de Chine caviar.

New Zealand Cod "Crispy Scales" 4.5/5

Oignon doux des Cevennes 4.5/5

The other two starters were impressive too. The New Zealand Cod "Crispy Scales" and Oignon doux des Cevennes will take diners to a whole new dimension of culinary experience. The most interesting part in the New Zealand Cod  is using the crispy scales to be part of the dish which is usually removed. It gave the fish an extra layer of enjoyment with the Shanxi emlsion. For the Oignon doux des Cevennes,which is 62 degree egg, buckwheat and noisette crouton will delight everyone's palate with the dehydrated sweet onion.

Fish

For the Main, we went for the Fish and Japanese A4 Toriyama Beef. The Fish was baked with the bone intact, filleted and slightly grilled for flavour. Served together with squid and broccoli puree.

Japanese A4 Toriyama Beef 4.8/5

The Japanese A4 Toriyama Beef is probably one of the best steak I have ever eaten for a long while. The beautiful piece of beef is served with corn puree and mustard seeds.

Calamasi Chilli Sorbet 4.5/5

Before moving on to our desserts, we were served palate cleanser in the Calamasi Chilli Sorbet with Pandan and Lemongrass Jelly.

Kaya Parfait Gula Melaka 4/5

Durian Mousse with Kopi Ice Cream 4.5/5

For Desserts, we gone for the local inspired sweetness in the Kaya Parfait Gula Melaka and Durian Mousse with Kopi Ice Cream. On top of the exquisite execution, the flavours will bring back a lot of familiar memories.

Petite Four 4.2/5, Salted Egg Macaron 4.5/5

Last but not least we have the Petite Four to wrap up the dinner. We specially requested for the Salted Egg Macaron too as all my foodie friends highly recommended me to try it. It was one of the most heavenly macaron I ever had.

Overall it is really an experience dining at Corner House. The whole ambience, food and down to the service are top notch. I understand Corner House has come up with a new menu and I am looking forward to my next visit. Last but not least, a warm thank you to Corner House for the delicious anniversary cake/dessert.


Corner House
1 Cluny Road
EJH Corner Houe, Nassim Gate
Singapore 259569
Tel: +65 64691000
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Website
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours;
Tue-Sat: 12pm - 3pm, 630pm - 11pm
Sun: 1130am - 3pm (brunch), 630pm - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Botanic Gardens MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Botanic Gardens. Walk towards EJH Corner House which is near to the vistor centre. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]