PUBLISHED May 24th, 2012 10:14 am | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am
It seems that every other restaurant opening up these days has a tapas theme. Yes, the tapas war machine is rampaging across the shores of Singapore. And of course, as we do, get excited about all the shiny new establishments. So that being the spirit of things, I decided to go buck the trend and check out one of the old players on the tapas playing field: Bodega Y Tapas.
I have developed something of a theory about restaurants. If a place can last more than 3-5 years, it is likely to ‘genuinely’ be a good place. It’ll have a regular following and faithful customers who keep coming back for more. And this is indeed the case of Bodega Y Tapas.
There is one other major factor that made me want to come and check out Bodega, and that is they have an awesome selection of wines by the glass (over 20) which are on happy-hour (1-for-1) until 9pm daily….Basically what this means is that you can get a pretty decent glass of wine for $7-8, something of a rarity in Singapore.
The design of Bodega Y Tapas is very relaxing. It’s by no means a fancy looking place, but functional, comfortable and somewhere you immediately feel like you could relax, either on one of their al fresco tables which take over their quiet corner of Orchard road or stay inside in the more bar-style area.
Now from this kind of feel, I was expecting simple but tasty dishes but nothing gourmet per say. How wrong was I?!
There is nothing better than a restaurant that achieves the holy-food-trinity. Tasty, well priced and beautifully presented…and this was absolutely the theme of the lunch at Bodega Y Tapas.
It was love at first bite. The Bocados de Queso y miel ($12) shown below are effectively juicy marinated figs topped with a disk of peppered goat cheese with a light honey sauce. Seriously, I could probably eat at least 10-15 of these morsels if you simply placed them in front of me. They are just so damn good! Whilst the flavour is superb, what really rocks this dish is the texture. The creaminess of the goat cheese melding with sweet yet slightly crunchy figs.
My wine pairing recommendation: A rich white wine, either a Riesling or Chardonnay. Cava also wouldn’t be too shabby.
Next up was something perfect for the hot day that it was, the avocado tartar ($12). A guacacole type serving with chunky white asparagus and baby greens. Yum! It’s a very fresh dish and just feels very healthy. Whilst not being my top pick of the day, it was something I would still order again over lunch and would recommend.
Wine pairing recommendation: Sauvignon Blanc or similar.
Ha! Just looking at this makes my mouth water. Whilst everyone seems to be obsessed with tender pan-fried foie gras, I loudly retaliate “Just give me a good terrine!”
So when the terrina de foie gras ($13) arrived at the table my jaw dropped. This thick, rounded, creamy jewel arrived on a bed of minced figs, apricots, and crowded with caramelized orange zest and vanilla.
It’s like creme brulee in foie gras form and when spread on the baguette slices is utterly heavenly.
For wine pairing, try either a sweet white like Riesling, or go for a light, fruity red – Pinot Noir.
With the cuisine thoroughly impressing me thus far, I decided to go back to tradition and ordered the Gazpacho Andaluz ($10). Aside from looking awesome – being served in a cocktail-type glass resting in a bowl of ice, it was truly delicious. A light, fresh and savoury soup covered in croutons, brunoised capsicums and cucumbers and fish made this dish.
I’m not going to lie, halfway through I rejected the spoon and just lifted it straight out of the bowl and drained it dry like a cocktail. Slurp!
As for something a little heavier, one of Bodega Y Tapas new dishes was presented next. In this case a mini stewed lamb casserole. A very wholesome taste, the lamb was perfectly tender and was a good balance to the crunch of the vegetables served with it.
Wine pairing suggestion: This dish is surprisingly light so don’t order too heavy a wine for pairing. Try a young Tempranillo.
After a very full belly, it was time to sample something sweet. Below is the Spanish dolchetta. As you can see, it’s quite a process. After zesting an orange and a lemon into a bowl, heated cointreau and coffee is added and mixed together. Serving designed for 2 people.
Although not exactly ‘Spanish’, I couldn’t resist ordering a tiramizu, and to my pleasant surprise, was not disappointed! It’s a very home-style one. Thick and strong flavoured. Worth getting if you have a sweet tooth.
And finally was something of pure indulgence. Although only one order, the chocolate lava cake actually comes with 2 pieces. Again, perfect for sharing.
A sweet end to a wonderful meal. In all, I have been very impressed with Bodega Y Tapas. With all these new tapas joints opening up all over Singapore it’s sometimes easy to forget the older players. The fact is, the food is stellar, the service good, AND it’s all very reasonably prices. You could easily come here with a group of friends, order tons of wine and tapas and not spend more than $50 each.
Personally I am already planning my return visit here…just looking at the pictures above is making me hungry for more.
Written by The City Nomad
This review was made over two visits. One was sponsored by Bodega Y Tapas, the other time was paid for by City Nomads.