Spanish tapas bar Carlitos by Carlos Montobbio of Esquina in partnership with Casa Vostra’s Antonio Miscellaneo offers fresh culinary insight into regional Spanish flavours.
Why is it that Joo Chiat always gets the good eats?
Not only is that part of Singapore’s east always been a culinary bastion for Peranakan cuisine – not to mention a hawker paradise with delicious local fare ranging from chicken rice to Katong laksa that draws not only tourists but also locals from all over the island – it is also home to many great examples of international cuisine such as Italian and Japanese.
Not that I’m complaining, of course, since I pretty much live in the vicinity.
One of the latest yummy additions to Joo Chiat is Carlitos, which is possibly the first-ever Spanish tapas concept to open in the area. Carlitos, located along the increasingly gentrified, hipster stretch of Joo Chiat Road, is interestingly founded by two culinary powerhouses: Carlos Montobbio, the chef-owner of progressive Spanish restaurant Esquina, and Antonio Miscellaneo, he of the ridiculously popular Casa Vostra and La Bottega Enoteca fame.
Carlitos was conceptualised by Montobbio as a faithful tribute to his favourite memories of tapas bars in Spain, right down to the casual, convivial ambience and its cosy and homely interiors for the quintessential Barcelona experience.
Like most authentic tapas bars, the menu offers variety. Almost all the classics are represented; the Pan con Tomate for those who love juicy sweet tomatoes on shatteringly-crisp crystal bread, scrumptious spicy and garlicky prawns with the Gambas al Ajillo, the Pimientos de Padrón peppers if you’re feeling virtuous, or the Pulpo La Coruña, which are Galician-style slices of grilled octopus perked up by paprika.
And then there’s the triple-cooked Patatas Bravas Bonanova, a must for lovers of fried potato.
Another must-order? The tortilla. The Tortilla Donostia, inspired by Chef Carlo’s favourite tortilla de patata from a tapas bar in San Sabastian (could it be the famous Bar Nestor?), comes perfectly with a firm omelette exterior but positively oozing with eggy insides chockfull of potato and banana shallots (in place of the usual onion). The Andulusian toasted mollete sandwiches as well; the Sobrassada of spicy nduja and burrata is absolutely drool-worthy, while the Bikini is nothing like the original jamón and cheese version but sexed up instead with Ibérico, truffle brie, as well as a mushroom duxelle like it had beef wellington aspirations.
Yes, Chef Carlos simply cannot resist adding his own unique fanciful twists to at least a few of his dishes. He did, after all, had a number of stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain.
The Basque-style Txipirones Bilbao of grilled squid (its tentacles comes battered and fried) is served atop creamily indolent orzo, for example, while the Arroz Caldoso de Gambas, which can be likened to the Spanish version of our lobster pao fan, has its Atlantic prawns flayed and presented like it was a star dish at some award-winning Barcelona fine-dining restaurant.
You’ll soon realise that some of the fare at Carlitos you can’t find at other Spanish restaurants around town, like the various slow-cooked Catalonian xup-xup dishes. This is a delicious immersion into the regional cuisines of Spain and flavours across the Iberian peninsula, and to find them in the suburban Joo Chiat residential neighbourhood – however upscale – is simply caramel on the flan.
Carlitos
Address 350 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427598 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 5.30pm to 11pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11.30am to 3.30pm and 5.30pm to 11pm Fridays and Saturdays; 11.30am to 3.30pm and 5.30pm to 1.30pm on Sundays; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Web www.carlitos.sg
Facebook carlitos.joochiat
Instagram @carlitos.joochiat
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