PUBLISHED November 21st, 2017 06:00 am | UPDATED December 22nd, 2017 04:44 pm
Fans of offal would be familiar with Dehesa; other than being the word for grasslands in Spanish, the restaurant on North Canal Road is recognised for its execution and assortment of innards and offcuts, resulting in a staunch following of loyal customers. A menu refresh after a year and a half, however, sees Dehesa Singapore turning more towards bold Spanish flavours instead of rehashing the previous focus of nose to tail dining.
A cosy 46-seater, it’s all about communal dining in Dehesa’s dark wood and forest green tiled threshold. It’s thus no surprise that the portions dished out by chef Jean-Philippe “JP” Patruno are particularly large – a restaurant to visit for sharing grub among friends and family, with an extensive wine list to match.
For starters, we had the Jamon De Bellota 100% Iberico 5J ($36++), featuring one of the world’s best brands for Jamon ham – Cinco Jotas. Served without further seasoning and sides, the 36-month cured ham was irresistibly savoury and served to further whet our appetites. It also stars in the following Croquetas 4 Pieces ($14++), which was a wonderful mix of soft potatos and crisp outer crumbs topped with the Jamon ham.
On the mains, we went with the Dehesa Octopus ($28++), where lard is melted over the octopus with a blowtorch for a smoky aroma and flavour. A sauce of vinegar, olive oil, capers and onions complemented the dish in its entirety with its acidity.
Dehesa is also big on its potatoes, using the tuber a number of times as parts of a main. As such, when it featured as the centrepiece of a dish, we were not disappointed. The Dehesa Bravas Potatoes ($12++) was meticulously prepared layer by layer in a limited portion, before being sliced and fried. Slathered generously with garlic aioli, the sound of crisp potato slices around the table had us going back for more.
While the menu has seen quite a bit of changes, some offal dishes remain for the adventurous and ardent fans. We enjoyed the Crispy Beef Tripe ($14++), cooked with chilli and garlic till fried and crisp. A little tough to chew, it was nonetheless a spiced crunch welcome to the meal. An off-menu chef’s special is the Black Pudding ($29++), a comforting dish of baked pig’s blood, mash potatoes, apples and onions. Dehesa remains one of the few places to bring in the delicacy to Singapore, and the way chef Jean-Philippe prepared it showed exactly why this establishment is an innards’ fan favourite.
We ended the indulgent meal off on a sweet note, a chef’s special Bread and Butter Pudding ($15++) of brioche bread and whisky and raisin cream, and Chocolat ($15++), home made chocolate ice cream with olive oil, sea salt and chocolate crumble “soil”. Not overly sugary or heavy, the dishes were a pleasant finish that had us sure to be back for future bites.
Dehesa is located at 12 North Canal Road, Singapore 048825, p. +65 67221 7790. Opens Mon-Fri 11am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm till late; Sat 5.30pm till late. Closed Sun.
Cover image: Crispy Pig’s Head