Sparkling or Still: Salt Tapas & Bar @ Raffles City Shopping Centre

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Salt Tapas & Bar @ Raffles City Shopping Centre

A few months back, Australian chef Luke Mangan, who had a successful restaurant over at ION Orchard, opened a tapas bar right in Raffles City shopping centre. It occupies where the former Double Bay restaurant was.

The restaurant looks small, but there are actually quite a few seats and tables inside. Although diners have to wait during peak hours.

They have ordinary tables, as well as communal bar counter tables.

Here, iced tap water is served to all diners.

Ordered some tapas to share. First was the Marinated Olives (S$6). They were not too salty, and very juicy.

The Oysters served natural with smoked tomato salsa (S$5 each) were average. Not exactly the freshest, but still is quite acceptable. Drizzle lemon juice and the salsa over the oysters.

Also had the White anchovies (S$8) with garlic toasts. The anchovies here were a bit small.

This Roasted pumpkin with dukkah (S$12), Spanish blue cheese, caramelised pear and walnuts, is quite unique. Really enjoyed the creamy and sweet pumpkin chunks with fresh greens.

Prawn lovers should try this Taco of Tempura Prawns (S$13 for small), pineapple salsa, chipotle aioli. The prawns are fried in a light tempura batter, and the pineapple salsa added some tangy flavours to the taco.

Had the Emilio Lustau East India sherry (S$23 per glass), which was the same one we had at Santi.

Many places have deep fried soft shell crabs, but here they serve a special Crispy soft shell prawns (S$15) with chilli and garlic aioli. You are suppose to eat the shell and everything. But I would recommend go slow on this dish, so that the pricky shells will not prick your tongue.

Also good was the Iberico Pork Loin charcoal grilled (S$27), curried lentil stew, minted yoghurt. The pork was tender and we like the curried lentil stew.

One of our favourite dish here is the BBQ Spiced Beef Tongue (S$14), fried cauliflower, pistachio tabbouleh, harissah yoghurt. We feel this is a must order dish here in Salt Tapas. The tongue did not have any weird taste. Only an intense beefy taste. Good texture.

Ended our dinner with 3 desserts. First was the Roasted figs with candied ginger, baklava and yoghurt sorbet (S$13). Find this quite average, although a few reviews gave this the thumbs up.

Also quite ordinary was this Gooey hot chocolate tart (S$14), caramelised bananas, salted caramel ice-cream. Nothing unique about this.

What I like most was the Churros and chocolate (S$11). The Churros, which taste a bit like our fried dough fritters, was dusted with cinnammon sugar. Dip them in the chocolate sauce and you are in heaven.