Tapas Club – Spanish Dining Experience

Arroz Negro - Squid Ink Paella

It has been a while since LD & I had a taste of Spanish food. Therefore, prior to the group dining restriction enforce in September 2021, we decided to have a lunch gathering with our foodie friends at Tapas Club at Jewel. The restaurant presents a very focused food menu with less than 50 items from cold cuts to desserts.

Tapas Club - Dining Area Right

Tapas Club - Dining Area Left

We started with Jamon Iberico ($32). One of the most popular cold cuts from Spain, Iberico Ham served with Bread and Tomato. The bread is light and crispy, providing a good vessel for the sweet and tangy tomato sauce. The Jamon Iberico is sliced nicely allowing us to savour the delicious saltish and meaty texture of the ham. Yumz!

Jamon Iberico

Bread and Tomato

Bread and Tomato

Ensalada De Burrata ($18). This burrata salad can easily be mistaken for the Italian version. I notice the version here is creamy, yet lighter compare to the Italian burrata. The cheese is simply drizzled with olive oil and served on the bed of salads and tomatoes. Simplicity at its best.

Ensalada De Burrata 

Arroz Negro ($30 - Squid Ink Paella). Cooked and served on a shallow pan. I find the paella version at Tapas Bar is a blend of risotto with our claypot rice. It uses short-grain rice similar to risotto, which absorbs a substantial amount of stock and squid ink. For the top part, the rice is al-dente, plump and packed with flavour. The little drops of sour cream cuts through the richness of the squid ink and kind of reset your palate to enjoy more of the paella. Meanwhile, for those who like crispy rice, you should scoop the bottom part and enjoy the scorched rice. The mussels are tasty, though I find it a bit overcooked.

Arroz Negro - Squid Ink Paella

Calamares A La Romana ($16 – Battered Squid Rings). It has a crispy exterior followed by light and bouncy squid. The lemon and mayonnaise accompanied the squid rings nicely. It will be a better dish if the batter is evenly spread and it has a more consistent crispy texture.

Calamares A La Romana – Battered Squid Rings

Cojonudos ($16 – Chorizo & Quail Egg). These mini bites represent the essence of tapas. It served up different texture and flavours in one bite. The chorizo is chewy, smokey and spicy, followed with creamy and delicious quail egg on top of crispy toast. It like a party in your mouth.

Cojonudos - Chorizo & Quail Egg

Cojonudos - Chorizo & Quail Egg

We end our meal with Churros Con Chocolate ($9 -Churros with Chocolate sauce). It looks promising; however, I find the churros a bit doughy. The chocolate sauce is thick and solid.

Churros Con Chocolate - Churros with Chocolate sauce

Of course, Spanish dining is not complete without Sangria, Spanish sweet wine served cold.

Sangria

The décor of the restaurant is a blend of modern and traditional with a Spanish flair. You can’t miss the signature clay flowerpot, the flamenco logo and the robust passionate red colour representing Spain. The service is friendly and efficient.

Tapas Club - The Bar

Overall, it was a good Spanish dining experience at the Tapas Bar. The food, drink and dining companion making it a great dining experience. We’ll definitely return to try the rest of the menu. Salud!! Cheers!!

Tapas Club Menu
Image Credit: Tapas Club

If you are here for lunch, check out their lunch set offering. (See menu)

Tapas Club - Lunch Set Menu
Image Credit: Tapas Club

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7.75 /10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Tapas Club

78 Airport Blvd.

#03-220/221/222

Jewel Changi Airport

Singapore 819666

T: +65 6602 8081

W: https://www.tapasclub.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/tapasclubsingapore

IG: @Tapasclubsg

OH:

Mon – Fri: 12.00 – 15.00; 17.00 – 23.00

Sat & Sun: 12.00 – 23.00

[CLOSED] FrapasBar – French Tapas Concept by Saveur [MEDIA INVITE]

Crispy Pork Belly

FrapasBar by Saveur is the latest concept by the passionate and talented people in Saveur. FrapasBar is a combination of French Cuisine with Tapas style of presentation.

FrapasBar

Located in now-defunct Concetto, the Italian concept by Saveur; the group next concept is following the current market trend of pairing small bites with drinks. As the group strength in French cuisine, it is just natural that French style Tapas is the direction they are heading plus showcasing their forte.

Part of Bar & Dining Area

Not an alcohol drinker, I decided to order Frizzy Lemonade ($8). Citrusy, ice-cold and refreshing. Good as thirst cruncher for Singapore hot weather. 

Frizzy Lemonade

We started with Mussels & Cream ($12). Mussels cooked with white wine, cream, shallots and parsley. Creamy and fragrant broth to go with the juicy mussels’ flesh. It is best to squeeze the lemon into the dish as it helps to cuts through the richness of the sauce. As this dish does not come with bread, I suggest you order garlic bread ($3) to polish the sauce.

Mussels & Cream

Crispy Pork Belly ($15). One of the signature dishes in Saveur and I am glad that they bring it over to FrapasBar and revolutionise it.  Served with orange mustard puree, pickled daikon and balsamic baby onion.

The pork is juicy, succulent and almost melts in your mouth. While the skin is crispy and crumbly, almost like the Cantonese version of crispy roast pork. The mustard puree instead of the regular Dijon mustard elevates the presentation and flavour in this dish. While the tangy pickled daikon and balsamic baby onion gave this dish the OMPH factor and cuts through the "jelakness" of the pork. Yum yum.

Crispy Pork Belly

Seafood Bouillabaisse ($16). Mussel, prawn, seabass, squid, fennel, potato. A very robust soup base, filled with bold seafood essence. The medley of seafood provides different texture and flavours, while, the charred garlic bread has a nice smoky aroma and good to absorb the soup.

Seafood Bouillabaisse

Stuffed Squid ($18) with French Onion Rice. Though the presentation looks awesome, the texture of the squid let us down. It is a bit rubbery, even the fragrant French Orion rice unable to help in saving this dish. Will skip this dish next time around.

Stuffed Squid

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks ($18). The super WOW dish at FrapasBar. The beef cheek is so tender, you can pick it apart with your fork. The braising jus and seasoning well infused into the beef, as you can taste them while it melts in your mouth. Serving this dish with smooth velvety mash potatoes is just so comforting, while the picked red Bombay onion helps balance the richness of this dish. Yum Yum.

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks
Hand Model Tiara_Star 

We manage to leave some space for Sticky Date & Pecan Pudding ($10). Crispy externally, followed with a sweet sticky texture internally. The ice cream is generous and the creaminess goes well with the pudding. A must-order for those who enjoy sweet desserts.

Sticky Date & Pecan Pudding
Hand Model Tiara_Star 

The restaurant setting is modern and casual. Surrounded with floor to ceiling glasses, it maximises the use of natural daylight during the day. Good place to take photos.

Part of the Dining Area

Overall, the food in FrapasBar is on par with those served in Saveur. My personal picks are Crispy Pork Belly, Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks and Seafood Bouillabaisse. I look forward to returning to this place to try other dishes. Cheers!!

Thank you Msginginly for jioing and Tiara_Star for sharing the calories.

Food & Drink: 7.25/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50,

FrapasBar by Saveur

2 Handy Road

#01-11/12, The Cathay

Singapore 229233

T: +65 6735 1141

W: https://www.frapasbar.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/FrapasBar/

IG: @Frapasbar

OH:

Sun – Thu: 12.00 – 01.00

Fri & Sat: 12.00 – 02.00

Food Last Order 21.30

Menu available Online

Kai Yakitori – Ultimate Grill Chicken Experience

Toriwasa Shoyu

It started with an Instagram post from Sandrasim about yakitori & Justinfoodprints on chicken sashimi in Singapore. It seems that they rate this place highly, therefore I bookmarked the location for future reference. Out of sudden LD has a craving for yakitori / izakaya, so we decided to visit Kai Yakitori.

Kai Yakitori (‘Kai’) is a small establishment located in Orchard Plaza. The restaurant itself is very small, probably can seat less than 20 pax. We are seated at the bench, directly facing the kitchen where the chefs are working. The place is dimly lit to create a cosy dining atmosphere but not very conducive to take photos. Like a typical yakitori joint in Japan.

The Menu

The menu is one page and it is obvious chicken is the star attraction here. We start the meal Otoshi ($3) – Small dish. It is light, nicely seasoned, good to tickle your tastebuds.

Otoshi

Toriwasa Shoyu ($14) – Sashimi Chicken with Shoyu Wasabi. This dish is one reason we come. Surprisingly, the chicken tasted like Tuna, with beef tataki sauce. You can see the external part of the meat is white like it is cooked to the equivalent of "rare steak". The mushroom and spring onions gave it earthy and spark to this dish.

Toriwasa Shoyu – Sashimi Chicken with Shoyu Wasabi.

Special Fish Cake ($12). Unlike Singapore version of fish cake, the homemade fish cake here is a crisp exterior with mushy tofu like inside. It is light in flavour and the edamame inside adds a crunchy texture to the dish.

Special Fish Cake

Sunagimo ($5.50) – Gizzard. One of our favourites. Crisp and crunchy, with a generous sprinkle of salt. Almost have a similar texture with Hatsu ($5.50) – Heart. Except Hatsu is juicier internally.

Sunagimo – Gizzard

Hatsu - Heart

Bonjiri ($5.50) – Tail / bishop. My favourite part of the chicken. Crisp, juicy with a burst of fattiness. Best of all it does not have a pungent smell that usually comes with the tail. Kawa ($6.50) – Chicken Skin. It is crispy, absent of fat. Taste like chicken crackling.

Bonjiri – Tail / bishop

Kawa - Chicken Skin

LD’s favourite is Nan Kotsu ($5.50) – Soft Bone. It is crunchy and nice to chew. Meanwhile, the Momo ($5.50) – Thigh is served with the skin on. It is grilled to the point of crispy skin, while the flesh remains juicy and succulent. Amazing.

Nan Kotsu – Soft Bone.

Momo - Thigh

Moving on from the chicken we ordered off the menu special, Abalone ($18), Wagyu Beef A4 Kushi ($18) and Kurobuta Kushi ($9). Kai uses small abalone, like the one used in Korean stew. It is chewy, juicy with a nice smoky aroma from the grill.

Abalone

Abalone

The wagyu beef is good, the charcoal grill manages to seal the juice inside the cubes. It just melts in your mouth. The Kurobuta pork is just superb. Served on a plate, it is crispy, fatty and the meat just melts in your mouth. The chopped spring onion and dipping sauce help to balance the richness from the Oink Oink.

Wagyu Beef A4 Kushi 

Kurobuta Kushi

For the finale, we ordered Tori Ramen ($10) and Oyako Don ($10). The ramen broth is made from chicken bones and filled collagen. The ramen is thin and al-dente. The flavour is good to complete your meal here.

Tori Ramen

The Oyako Don serve here is more of a modern version instead of the traditional version. The pearl rice at the bottom is covered with chicken and scramble egg cooked in chicken stock. It is then partially covered with perfectly poached egg and seaweed. A nice rice dish to end the meal.

Oyako Don

Oyako Don

The drinks menu here is limited. They only have Asahi Beer ($10), Whiskey Highball ($10), Sake and Ice Tea ($2). For service, the chefs behind the counter are super friendly. However, we find the service staff is a bit stern, especially towards non-regular like us.

Overall, it was indeed an amazing Yakitori experience. The control of fire by the head Yakitori Chef is flawless and the skill to chicken preparation is at Master level. The Toriwasa Shoyu (Chicken Sashimi with Shoyu sauce) is a must try. YOLO. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 9/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 8.5/10

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person:  $51 - $80, $81 and above.

Kai Yakitori

150 Orchard Road

#03-16 Orchard Plaza

Singapore 238841

T: +65 6245 7292 / 8836 4546

F: https://www.facebook.com/kaiyakitori/

IG: @Kaiyakitorisg

OH:

Mon – Sat: 18.00 – 23.59

Closed on Sunday

Q-Wa Izakaya – Yakitori, Beer and Sake [MEDIA INVITE]

Hokkaido Kawa Ebi with House Pour Sake

Q-Wa Izakaya is the second outlet from the folks behind Q-Wa Bar and Yakitori at East Coast Road, which opened in September 2015. Inspired by the success of the 1^st outlet, Q-Wa Izakaya at Beach Road opened in June 2018.

Q-Wa Izakaya

Beer Promo

Like most Izakaya, the focus at Q-Wa is their small bites, sake and beer. Their main promotion for Asahi beer is $35 for 3L tower for happy hour between 5 – 7 PM on Monday to Thursday and all day on Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, their house pour sake also comes highly recommend, as it tasted smooth and slightly sweet, according to LD.

House Pour Sake

House Pour Sake

We started with Pork Katsu Cheese ($14.90) and Hokkaido Kawa Ebi ($8.90). The pork katsu is crispy externally and juicy, succulent with gooey cheese internally. The cheese is not pungent, instead, it is very mild. I just wish the katsu is thicker.

Pork Katsu Cheese

Hokkaido Kawa Ebi is delicious. These mini prawns are the perfect companions with your drinks. It is crispy, crunchy, salty and filled with umami flavour from the prawns. It is so good, you will feel that 1 portion won’t be enough.

Hokkaido Kawa Ebi

Shime Saba ($18.80) and Surame Ika ($15.80). The saba fish here is marinated with rice vinegar before it is grilled. While most saba fish can be a bit fishy, the vinegar-marinated actually helps to balance the fats and remove the fishiness. A splash of lemon juice helps of spice up the dish. We just can’t stop admiring the knife skills on the saba fish, amazing. Each piece is sliced to almost equal size.

Shime Saba

Meanwhile, the squid is nicely grilled and seasoned. The springy, juicy yet succulent with a touch of sweetness from the yakitori sauce.

Surame Ika

The chicken parts definitely a must try here. I personally like the chicken skin / Torikawa ($2.80), heart / Hatsu ($2.60), liver / Reba ($2.60) and bishops / Bonjiri ($2.80). Chicken heart has a combination of crunchy and springy texture, slightly chewy but if you like it, it is irresistible.

Chicken Heart

Chicken liver is always considered as the stepsister of foie gras (goose liver) or even duck liver. Although it is creamy and smooth like foie gras, chicken liver is denser and not as fatty as goose and duck liver. If you like foie gras, you should try “Chi-gras” as well.

Chicken Liver (2 sticks at the top) - Chi Gras

Chicken bishops are one of my favourite part of the chicken, while LD like the chicken cartilage / Nankotsu ($3.60). Surprisingly, the quail egg / Uzura ($2.90) is very good, especially when it is basked with yakitori sauce.

Chicken Tail / Bishop and Chicken Cartilage

Anything with bacon here will not disappoint as well. We tried their Quail Egg Bacon / Uzura Maki ($3.30), Cherry Tomato Bacon / Tomato Maki ($3.20) and Golden Mushroom Bacon / Enoki Maki ($3.30). The bacon is not overly salty, it helps to season the other ingredients nicely.

Chicken Wings, Asparagus Bacon, Quail Egg Bacon and Golden Mushroom Bacon

Normally Pork Belly Shio / Butabarra ($2.90) and Pork Belly Miso / Butabarra Miso ($3.20) are two of the items that I will order. However, the version here is average and does not give me the Oink Oink feel.

Golden Mushroom Bacon, Cheery Tomato Bacon, Pork Belly Miso & Pork Belly Shio

For the main staple to end the meal, we tried two item, Garlic Fried Rice / Garlic Yaki Meishi ($11.90) and Pan Fried Udon / Yaki Udon ($10.90). While both dishes are well fried, the springy texture of the udon got my pick. The garlic fried rice can be bolder and more garlic can be added into it.

Part of our spread and Garlic Fried Rice

Pan Fried Udon

Q-Wa Izakaya has indoor and outdoor seating. For the indoor, the seating of each table is very close, so expect to bump into each other when you are seating. The Japanese décor wallpaper, sake bottles line-up and draft beer raise up the Izakaya feels to the restaurant. The outdoor seating is more spacious, but only limited to 4 tables.

Part of the Decor

Overall, Q-Wa Izakaya décor bring back a lot of memories during our venture in the back alley of Tokyo. The close proximity between customers, lots of sake and beer, accompanies with lots of yakitori and small bites are a good combination to wind down and catch up with friends. Luckily the food here is not as salty compare to those in Japan. So, you can enjoy it without drinking too much. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

Thank you very much for Ai Ling and Q-Wa Izakaya team for the tasting invitation.

Food & Drink: 7.25/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50, $51 - $80,

Q-WA Izakaya

103 Beach Road

#01-02 Marrison Hotel

Singapore 189704

T: +65 8336 7728

F: https://www.facebook.com/qwaizakaya1/

IG: @Qwaizakaya

OH: Daily 11.30 – 14.30; 17.00 – 23.00

Closed on PH.

Other Branch

Q-Wa Bar and Yakitori

39 East Coast Road

Singapore 428756

T: +65 6348 9938

F: https://www.facebook.com/qwabar/

OH: 

Mon - Fri: 17.00 - 23.45

Sat - Sun: 11.30 - 14.30; 17.00 - 23.45