April 12, 2009
Paella and pasta delights
Not everything at Spanish restaurant Don Quijote will have you cheering, but there are tasty treats too
By Wong Ah Yoke
I first encountered Spanish food almost 20 years ago at Goya Restaurant in the now-defunct Melia at Scotts hotel, which was part of a Spanish chain.
There, Spanish chef Pepe introduced me to the wonderful world of gambas, tortilla, gazpacho, paella and an interesting dish where a whole fish is covered in salt and baked. But he left and the restaurant was not the same after that.
Then, about 10 years later, another Spanish restaurant, Sol, opened at the Goodwood Park Hotel which also served excellent food. But sadly, it did not last, either.
There are tapas eateries that have opened since but I crave the whole dining experience instead of just small bites. Which was why I was pretty excited to hear about Don Quijote, a Spanish restaurant in an obscure location in Upper Bukit Timah.
It is opposite Beauty World near where Vis-a-Vis French restaurant is, but tucked in a narrow lane that is not visible from the main road.
Rather fitting with its suburban location, it has the feel of a neighbourhood restaurant where the staff is friendly and the patrons are relaxed. Even the menu is bright and cheerful, with colourful photos of the food decorating the pages.
Owner Ken Lim had visited the original Don Quijote restaurant in Macau, fallen in love with it, bought it over and opened the Singapore outlet late last year.
Not having been to Spain, I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the cooking but there are a number of dishes that I really like. But there are others that I will not order again, either.
One of these is the jamon Iberico de bellota ($26). It may be the highest grade of Spanish ham available here, but the supplies we are getting are definitely not the best from Spain. I have eaten much better jamon brought in by friends for personal consumption.
Here, the few paper-thin slices of not-too-aromatic ham on the plate in no way justify the price.
The characterless chorizo asado ($11) is not worth ordering, either. It is nothing like the spicy Spanish sausages I like.
But to be fair to the chef, these are not made inhouse. Dishes that are prepared from scratch in the restaurant's kitchen turn out much better.
The gambas ajillo (garlic-fried shrimp, $12) comes in a delicious sauce of chopped herbs and olive oil that demands to be mopped up with bread. And the shrimps themselves are fresh and crunchy.
The tortilla Espanola (eggs stuffed with potato, $8) is decent. It is best described as a Spanish omelette packed with potato slices and chopped onion: very simple but good, nonetheless.
My favourites are the main dishes which include the Spanish icon, paella Valenciana ($26 for small).
The rice is delicious, having soaked up the flavour of the stock it is cooked in. The pieces of chicken in the rice are a bit overdone but that is compensated by the seafood, which is perfectly cooked. The clams are wonderfully plump and juicy.
Another dish to try is the fideua negra (Spanish-style pasta with squid ink, $24). Like the paella, the pasta comes in a hot pan and the jet-black noodles remind me of Kuala Lumpur fried Hokkien mee.
Believe it or not, it tastes a little like those black sauce noodles too, but with a sea flavour from the squid ink. It is so flavourful that it is worth getting your teeth blackened from eating it.
The only dessert I tried, orange cheese cake ($7), is run-of-the-mill, lacking the weight of a really solid cheese cake.
Still, the paella and pasta are attractions enough for a return visit.
DON QUIJOTE SPANISH RESTAURANT
17 Lorong Kilat 01-09, tel: 6465-1811
Open: 5 to 11pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)
Food: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ***
Price: Budget about $50 a person
MUST TRY
Fideua negra ($24)
Pasta cooked in very tasty squid ink. But if you are planning to meet anyone after the meal, brush your teeth after eating.
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