My Little Tapas Bar (Moved) New Location

My Little Tapas Bar is actually a sister outlet of My Little Spanish Place, a spanish restaurant at bukit timah area.  Their philosophy is based on the Spanish saying, "Mi Casa es Su Casa", which means "My House is Your House". The first Spanish restaurant to be helmed by two chefs with strong Spanish heritage – Maria Sevillano from Salamanca, Spain and Edward Esmero from Philippines.Unlike My Little Spanish Place which serves heavier spanish signature dishes, such as a variety of spanish paellas and spanish suckling pig, the menu for MLTB is a selection of both deli favourites from "La Despensa" and Jamon Bar, unique home-style tapas creations, and a wide selection of some of the World's best Spanish wines.AmbienceThe moment I stepped into MLTP, it feels like I'm entering a little hideout. Once inside the restaurant, it doesn't feel like I'm in Singapore. The interior is cosy and warmly lit. The brick walls and wooden furniture adds a very rustic feel. Beautifully decorated window at the back, overlooking the alley behind the shophouses. Hidden from the Club Street crowd, it really feels like I'm in an italian backyard. So quaint!This was my first time in an authentic spanish restaurant, was instantly intrigued by the 5 legs I saw on the counter. Then I was told it was for the Jamon, dry-cured ham from Spain, which were freshly sliced on the spot and carefully weighed for every serving. This brings us to the appetizer...Jamon Ham PlatterFermin / La Alberca / Serrano $710 Vetas / Jabugo / Iberico Bellota $16(Prices per serving of 25g)A typical platter of spanish appetiser. It's got two types of ham on it: Serrano from Fermin (lighter pink) and Jabugo from 10Vetas (dark brown). The cheese we had with our jamon was the munchego cheese. The almonds provided a nice crunch, roasted and unflavored, but the fragrance somes out while you chew. I usually don't eat olives but these ones were very fresh.Sardinas en Escabeche$14Homemade sardines in cooked in vinegar, olive oil and garlic, on toasted bread, and pepper puree. The sardines goes well with the pepper puree, which balances the strong sardine taste. Not my favorite dish as I'm not fond of sardines, but if you do, I must say the sardine has been cooked well and you should try this. Gambas Picantes$14Fresh shrimp cooked in a dish of boiling olive oil with garlic, chili and smoked paprika. I loved this one! And to be honest I very seldom relish prawn dishes. The meat is soft and fragrant, because it has absorbed all the flavor of the garlic and paprika-infused oil. The oil can be intimidating but bear in mind that it's all olive oil, which is very healthy, so I had no issue dipping the bread in the sauce as well. This is one of my favourite dish.Croquetas de Jamon$10Lightly fried jamon-stuffed creamy croquettes with alioli. When this dish was presented, I was expecting a crispy outer layer and a chewy center (because of the Jamon). To my surprise, the crust was so light and fluffy, and my teeth sank in because the crust is so soft. The filling is also fluffy, because the potatoes were mashed to a fine paste. Tastes very light and it was not at all salty. This was the most favourable tapas at our table that night.Coca de Cebolla con Pimientos$16Thin crispy flatbread topped with caramelized onions, roasted peppers, anchovies and manchego cheese. I loved how the rocket leaves add a slighty bitter tanginess to the anchovies taste. The flatbread wasn't dry at all the layer of bread just under the cheese was full of flavor.Pulpo a la Gallega$18Sliced tender octopus with paprika and olive oil and served with potato puree. This dish does not taste like octopus at all, because the octopus meat was sooo tender! Unlike typical octopus dishes where the meat is usually quite chewy, this meat is really soft.Chuletillas de Cordero$32Pan seared baby lamb cutlets, sauteed chickpeas and spinach. Baby lamb's meat tend to be softer and less gamey than more mature lambs, and this one did not disappoint. The tender meat, seared to a beautiful medium rare comes right off, and in no time I had finished the dish and still wanting more. The sides complement the dishes really well with the texture of the crispy potato wedges, cut to small bite-sized pieces. The spinach and chickpeas are a beautiful side dish as well, ate it with the vinegar drizzled over the dish.Tarta de Chocolate$14A triple layer of crumbly crust, a truffle-like interior, and a shiny glaze make this tartlet irresistible to chocolate lovers. Served with homemade strawberry ice cream and salted caramel almond bits. This dish isn't too sweet which is what I like. The tart crust is a hard, a contrast to the centre, chewy and truffly. This is an award-winning dish that the chef submitted for a competition and won back in Philipines. I can tell why it was the winner, this dessert may look simple but don't be fooled, have a taste and you might be pleasantly surprised at it's depth of texture and flavour.For my first experience with Spanish food, I really loved the food, and it opened my eyes to the Spanish culture a little more. All the ingredients and wine in MLTB, except for the water, are imported straight from Spanish, so you can really experience Spain's finest flavors. If you are looking for some straight-edge authentic tapas to go with your alcohol, you have got to try this bar at least once. continue reading

I have my first Spanish Tapas experience in My Little Tapas on 42 Club St. The food was authentic and full of flavours. My entree was Spanish cured pork, cheese and bread. The cured pork was dry but delicious. Very unique for meats. The rest of the tapas was mostly seafood like sardines on bread, sauteed prawns in olive oil and grilled octopus. My favourite meats are seafood which was perfect. I also had savoury Spanish flatbread and Spanish potatoes croquette. The flatbread was all sour, sweet, and salty in one. Very tasty. Towards the end, I had lamb on the rack with boiled potatoes and chickpea. The lamp did not have a gamey taste. I thought it was beef at first! Lastly I had chocolate mud cake and strawberry ice-cream for dessert. The combination of bitter cake and sour ice-cream was great. I would definitely recommend to my friends My Little Tapas because it is very authentic. It is something I would have to travel afar to taste it.  continue reading

I am delighted to be able to participate the Open Rice Food Tasing at My Little Tapas BarThis is the complete Dinner Menu which was shared with us on 23 Feb 2015:1. Jamon Platter (Spanish Ham) :a. Serrano (Fermin; Lighter pink - top left hand)b. Jabugo (10 Vetas; darker red - bottom right)c. With Munchego cheese, olives with apricots and almondsWhen it's the 2 different types of ham is ate along with the Munchego, you can taste it very well with mild salty taste. It is thinly sliced to make it easy to eat. Jamon are actually the back leg of pigs. It's really like eating this as highest grade of ham as equivalent to appreciating wine as it is gone through a process of salt curing over a period of time. Now that explains the price of Jamon sold here. 2. Sadinas en Escabeche (Sardines)As a fish lover, I do love this although it has strong fishy taste, but it is easy to go with olive oil. This is actually homemade sardines cooked in vinegar, olive oil and smoked paprika, served on toasted bread with pepper purée.3. Gambas Picantes (Shrimps)Guess this is one of the common Spanish tapas. Very fresh shrimp soaking the essence of olive oil with garlic, chili and smoked paprika, will definitely love to dry up the olive oil with the bread. Loved the strong aroma of the olive oil along with the garlic before savouring. The shrimp's flavour has immensed very well with the olive oil.4. Croquetas de Jamon (Croquettes with Jamon stuffings)Lightly fried jamon-stuffed creamy croquettes with alioli, loved the creamy sauce oozing out as you bite it. Very crisp and nice. The golden colour makes it very appetizing.5. Coca de Cebolla con Pimientos (Flatbread)Pls do not get mistaken this with pizza. It's a thin cripsy flatbread topped withcaramelized onions, roasted peppers, anchovies and manchego cheese. Flatbread are usually unleavened, meaning the dough is made without yeast. Very easy on the appetite to make it as a good starter to warm up your tummy.6. Pulpo a la Gallega (Octopus)You cannot believe how many hours was this prepared with paprika and olive oil, served with potato puree. If you have weak teeth, this is DIE-DIE-MUST-TRY dish you must order because it's really very tender to taste. If you are blind-folded to taste, you may not even realise this is actually a octopus.7. Chuletillas de Cordero (Baby Lamb)Wow this was saved for the best for last? Never expect this Baby Lamb cutlets to taste so well in a medium-rare cooked preference. Loved the 'slight' bloody juices as I sliced every piece of the lamb. It's tender enough to be consumed and very well cooked to precise timing.8. Tartaleta de Chocolate (Dessert)If you are a chocolate lover, you cannot miss this crumbly crust chocolate tarlet with homemade strawberry icecream. Loved the rich chocolate taste. Easy to end the meal with when it's not too sweet. continue reading

The Jamon Ham Platter was a generous serving of Serrano and Jabugo ham.I preferred the darker Jabugo ham for its less porky smell and a more intense taste.The Manchengo cheese was a creamy and flavourful cheese that went perfectly well with apricots. I wished there were more of the sweetened apricots. I like sardines but not the bones that I find in all the canned sardines. These ones were a good sized sardine fillet that were full of flavour. What a treat!This dish of octopus was an understated seafood surprise. These individual slices of grilled octopus was moist with good bite and had the faint sweetness of the sea within. Like my daughter, we don't take lamb. But this dish of baby lamb was promised to be without the usual gamey taste that throws us off so we decided to be 'game' enough for a try. Moist and while the gamey taste was still detectable, it was mild enough for me to stomach. Loved the crisp potato chunks and the simply done chickpeas. continue reading

It was a little intimidating at first.The usual sight merrymakers gathered in the al fresco dining areas, drink in hand and a delicate tapas in the other.It looked like a perfect night out with the mates.Except. I had my mum with me.But of course, that wasn't an issue at all. The warm lights within My Little Tapas Bar and the rustic and simplistic interior decor of their indoor dining area was very welcoming. And it was the 5th day of the lunar new year. It felt like I was doing a chinese new year visitation to someone's house.And you know what? That. Was exactly the kind of experience they wanted to recreate for the diners. 'Mi casa es su casa - my house is also your house', Maria Sevillano says, as she shares about their concept for this homely diner. And the warm welcome continues with their house sangria.I've an allergy to alcohol but the royal red brandy with the chopped fruits was intriguing enough for me to take a sip.Strong. But resplendent with fruity notes.Being the only Spanish restaurant with 5 legs of Jamon on offer, their next sampler plate gave us a taste of two of the five Jamons available.The darker red Jabugo jamon from the well known 10 Vetas, was a crowd favourite.It went perfectly well together with a cut of the Manchengo cheese and Jenga style baguette sticks.Pop an olive in to complete the experience.And rosemary baked almonds to cleanse your palate before the next round.The Croquetas de Jamon were deep fried morsels of addiction.Don't bother with half pieces.It really was just for the camera effect.I took a full one for myself after. These croquettes are made the traditional Spanish way, with no potatoes.No potatoes you say?Yes, that's what they said.Bechamel and Jamon stuffings, encrusted in a delicate shell. On a bed of garlic aioli.Once you pop, you can't stop!The next dish was a yet another Spanish tradition- the flatbread.With the most amazing colors and flavours on every single piece.I feared a strong fishy taste associated with the anchovies but the sweet peppers, slightly bitter taste of the rocket and the sweet sour reduction of balsamic vinegar drizzled atop put my fears to rest, and sent my tastebuds into overdrive.We were also treated to their lamb rack.Yet another fear of its gamey taste that I cannot stomach.But Chef Director Edward Esmero gives his word that the gamey smell would be non-existent.And one would be hard pressed to doubt a man who speaks with great passion about his food and his kitchen.And indeed,the tender racks of lamb had just a tinge of that gamey smell and the juices of the meat created an explosion of sense in the mouth. The proportions of fat made it all the more tender and still retaining a certain bite.And while the potato chunks at the side looked like an overload on the calorie counter, these were amazingly worth the tipping of the scales.A crisp exterior with a moist fluffy interior.Do not put me on a no-carb diet.Move over truffle fries.I'd like a whole bucket of these.The chickpeas were also a nice complement this main course.And what's a dinner without dessert?Tarteleta de Chocolate.Chef Edward's entry for an International Culinary Competition while he was still an amateur in his home country of the Phillipines.With this dessert, he beat his better known competitors from hotels and culinary schools.Simply made.It was a dish close to his heart, and made with the purest form of sincerity and passion.This was a buttery tart, slightly bitter from the cocoa powder with a truffle chocolate interior which was described as chocolate ice cream but I'd think it'd be closer to a thick mousse made with 68% chocolate, topped with salted caramel almond bits.The scoop of strawberry ice cream was made with the Magimix, using milk and egg with fresh strawberries. Forget your creamy strawberry ice creams, this was a much less creamy ice cream with an icy texture that bore truth to its rudimentary homemade processes. This was a tasting portion and the most perfect way to end the night. The regular sized portions I'd expect to be entirely indulgent and better shared due to its richness. So while I haven't yet been to Spain, this cosy experience has already created a wanderlust in me to explore the traditions and soak in their hospitable culture. But of course, till then, when the craving hits for some authentic Spanish fare, I know where to be at! Thanks to Reka and Opensnap for this tasting invite jointly organised by Charles from FoodCult and also to the gracious hosts, Maria and Edward of The Little Tapas Bar.All opinions are of the author's own. continue reading