Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant @ Vivocity

"Let's go eat suckling pig!" Ivan suggested. We readily agreed. Moving about in a group has its advantages. To be able to enjoy this delicacy, one need to reserve ahead and to make a partial advance payment. Thanks to Ivan, these nitty gritty details were taken care off.

menu

here for this!

The restaurant was fairly empty on the day of visit. Practically had the entire section for ourselves! Was pretty interested in the wines displayed on the wine shelf. A bottle of Rioja, perhaps? Too bad the group eventually chose beer and cocktails over wine. Do note that this place charges for tap water at $2++ per glass and refillable.

plenty of room

wine

For a group of nine, we were able to order a whole piglet. A quarter of a piglet probably feeds 2 pax. I think a good suckling pig ought have good crackling with crisp skin, followed by thin layer of fat and tender meat. On top of that, the meat should be tasty as the marinade would have seeped in to add or bring out its flavour.

some paella to share

Ordered some tapas to start. Decided on octopus, brussel sprouts and deep fried baby squid. My choice of drink? Of course must try its house Sangria. I'd prefer mine red. How about you? Do you prefer red or white Sangria?

Sangria (red) @$16++

Pulpo Gallega @$19.80++

Pulpo Gallega or Galician style octopus, looks like a fairly simple dish with olive oil, salt and paprika. Was pleasantly surprised by the taste of this dish. The thin octopus slices were tender and tasty. Good to have it with a drink.

Chipirones Fritos @$18.80++

More bar food, in the form of Chipirones Fritos which was the fried baby squid with aioli. Well battered and fried to a crisp. Crunchy indeed. A pint of ice cold Erdinger, and a bite of crunchy squid sounds like a good pairing, yes?

Erdinger @$16++

White Sangria @$16++

We didn't forget about our greens, hence a customary plate of vegetable. In my entire lifetime, the probability of having brussel sprouts would be kind of low, so am happy that we got to eat some here. Turned out to be a good choice, as I enjoyed this dish quite a bit. The Coles Salteado or brussel sprouts with serrano ham was like a stir-fried style vegetable with savoury sauce.

Coles Salteado @$18.80++

For carbs, we had two types of Spanish rice; Paella Valenciana and Seafood Paella. Bomba rice is used and the stock for both seemed similar, and the difference was in its toppings. Valenciana has chicken, chorizo, prawns, squid, mussels and tomatoes while Seafood version has prawns, mussels, dory fish, and capsicum.

Seafood Paella @$58++

Paella Valenciana @$53++

Then, it was time for the star of the night. The arrival of the suckling pig, served on a wooden platter. Came with roasted skinless potatoes, served with a side of brown sauce, tomato jam and a small pot of its jus.

Whole Suckling Pig (serves 6 to 8 pax) @$308++ (promo price, usual @$388++)

cutting it up using a plate as a testament of its tenderness

all ready

Loved the suckling pig. Crispy skin, tender meat and non-gamey. All checkboxes ticked! Liked it best with the jam.  At first, would have thought that the jus that came from the piglet would be pretty salty, but it wasn't. Pleasantly mild, just like a broth.

yums

Thank you to the group of foodies that made the dinner possible. Made memories with you guys, of having had a whole suckling pig just for us.

Expect to spend about $80+ per pax.

J's Restaurant @ Purvis Street

If you're looking for some halal Mexican food with select few Spanish influenced ones, then J's the right place to be. Limited seating downstairs but I heard that they can fit 20 pax upstairs.

menu

Menu selection is somewhat limited, but it's good that they chose to focus on what they do best. At J's, one could expect nicely presented food, and of good portion size.

Started off the meal with Chef's Salad, which was served in a very elongated plate. Yes, very.

Chef's Salad @$18++

daily servings of greens

Though the long plate enabled easier sharing amongst two tables, it was a pity that the ingredients aren't evenly distributed. One end had all the smoked salmon, mozarella while the other end had some good eggs with soft yolk. Unless you need your greens and your main course doesn't have any, then go for this. Otherwise, skip this and go for other appetiser.

Soup of the day - mushroom @$8++

Mushroom soup was served very hot, and thus be warned. Tasted smooth and liked the enoki mushrooms in it.

For main course, our table had quesadillas, paella and sirloin beef.

Chicken Quesadillas - $22++

The quesadillas looked good, and bet it tasted good too.

yummy

Paella seemed like a perennial favourite amongst the patrons of the restaurant. Almost every table has it. But fajitas might well be the top favourite as I saw plates after hot plates being served.

Paella (single serve) - $28++

Paella (servings for 2) - $39++

The saffron paella looked appetising with its yellow hues but the proteins in it which consist of chicken, salmon and tilapia all tasted somewhat the same. Liked that the paella was done with extra moistness. How about a seafood version soon?

sirloin beef @$32++

grass-fed New Zealand beef - done medium rare

The beef was done up pretty good. Pink center and its sides charred appropriately. Good meaty chew, juicy at center parts and smokey char good at its outer sides. Loved the garlic mash. So yummy. Enoki appeared again and it was so good to be eaten with the garlic mash. Didn't fancy the carrot though.

Didn't have a chance to get desserts though as the churros were sold out by the time we finished our mains.

Expect to spend about $40 to $50 per pax. With the Entertainer App, you could enjoy savings when dining at participating restaurants. J's included as one of the Entertainer Singapore 2015 merchants.

Milagro Spanish Restaurant @ Orchard Central

Located at Level 8 of Orchard Central. It's at the opposite end of Kiseki. Milagro was one of those places that caught my attention soon after it opened for business. Had waited for quite a while, and thought it was now a ripe time to visit.

weekend lunch specials menu

dining area

nice decor

For weekend brunch, they have shakshuka. However, that's Tunisian-styled. Plenty of pasta on its weekend menu too. Too bad there isn't any small portion of paella to try.

Started with some cold drinks. Beer and sangria. Tried Estrella Damm, touted as the best selling lager from Barcelona. Golden coloured, tasted refreshing at first but had a slight bitter aftertaste.

Estrella Damm @$11

golden in colour

Sangria is more my kind of drink. When the glass was brought to the table, was thinking that it had too much fruit inside. Indeed. It had grapefruit, lemon and apple slices. Drink has a pleasant fruity fragrance but personally, I'd prefer it to be sweeter.

Milagro Sangria @$10 (Happy Hour price, usual $12)

Too much to drink, and none to eat? Let's rectify that. Spicy buffalo wings with Valdeón cheese dip. Yes, buffalo wings sounds pretty American, but the blue cheese is Spanish, from León. Liked the flavourful wings. Tasted of deep fried, well-coated with sweet, tangy sauce with just a hint of spiciness. A bite of chicken, a swig of beer equates to enjoyment.

Buffalo Wings with Valdeón Cheese (Spicy) @$13

four wings served piping hot, garnish with olives, pine nuts and chopped tomatoes

Valdeón cheese dip

Blue cheese dip always had this smokey, pungent taste and likewise for this Spanish blue cheese. But, the dip has a sweet aftertaste and was quite likeable when eaten with the tasty wings. Too bad there weren't any crudités to go along with it.

For main course, had the Australian wagyu steak done medium rare. The plate was pretty looking with all the colours! Meat was rump part, and those nearest to the fats were the best bits. Sundried cherry tomatoes gave bursts of sweetness with its intense concentration of flavour. However, the taste of the sauce was lost as the truffle oil from the mash was a tad too overpowering. Mash potato on its own was tasty and smooth. Liked the mushrooms too. A nicely presented, tasty dish that's value for money.

wagyu steak @$25

truffle mash, rump steak, sundried cherry tomatoes, sauteed peppers

medium rare

And, of course one ought to try Spanish desserts. Fried milk sounds interesting, so got one of that. Also had a cup of lungo. Served in a tiny cup, along with housemade biscotti. The biscotti can also be purchased @$1 a piece.

Lungo @$4

The Spanish fried milk fritters or Leche Frita, looked like churros actually. Though not as skinny. Dusted with tiny bit of icing sugar and cinnamon. The orange whipped cream was really light and refreshing. Paired well with the hot crispy fried milk fritters. Sweetness level was just right.

Leche Frita @$6

crispy outer, soft white milky center

Overall, we liked the food and the dining experience at Milagro Spanish Restaurant. Relaxed, casual and reasonable prices.

A 3-course meal shared by two pax with an alcoholic drink each costs about $35 per pax. There's no GST nor service charge, but please feel free to leave a tip. Currently, they have UOB credit card promo where diners get 10% off the bill (not to be used in conjunction with other promo).

J's @ Purvis Street, Bugis

Located at 7 Purvis Street, which is at the street full of shops opposite of Bugis Junction, near NLB. This restaurant serves halal latin american food, mostly mexican food. It has vegetarian menu too. Its dinner opening time is 630pm, so if you're there earlier than that timing, then you'll have to wait outside.

Was told that lamb shank is one of their best-seller, so ordered one to try.

braised lamb shank with heirloom vegetables @$32++

Lamb was tender and enjoyable. Quite filling, with the mash potatoes and mushrooms.

colleague's 'catch of the day' (cod fish @30++)

Didn't try the fish but colleague said it was yummy. Waited quite a while for the fish though. Paella was the fastest amongst the mains to arrive, followed by lamb shank and lastly the cod fish.

For desserts, we had churros and flourless chocolate cake with ice-cream. Churros was good but, just two sticks?? Where got enough! The flourless cake tasted better with the gelato.

churros with banana and mangoes @$10++

bochas negras (flourless chocolate cake with choco gelato) @12++

Iced water is available. The restaurant is not that big, so the tables are placed pretty near each other. Service was friendly and approachable.

There's a section of the menu catering to vegetarian. A few appetisers and main courses.

Price is slightly on the high side.

PasarBella @ The Grandstand (Turf City)

Located at The Grandstand (former Turf City) Bukit Timah. Took the free shuttle from Clementi MRT bus stop. To be more precise, it's the bus stop (B17179) opposite of Clementi Mall. Shuttle bus schedule here.

to the market

Visited on a Sunday, and took the 245pm bus. Not so much of a crowd at that time. Go in via the nearest entrance at the drop-off point, and the first trader one sees, is the Oceans of Seafood.

Oceans of Seafood Japanese section

fresh fish

looks like those turban shells that one can sizzle away on a grill top?

Was there to ogle at slim, lengthly legs. Crab legs, to be more precise. If you must know, one section of the leg will set you back about $44.

sweet legs, anyone?

Over at the International section, one can take their pick of oysters, prawns, brown crabs and lobsters.

oysters and prawns galore

G'day mate! Shuck me an oyster, Coffin Bay oyster!

what ya staring at?

cold platter for you?

The fresh seafood looked so enticing. Wonder how sweet will they taste?

Stumbled into the Cheese Ark, and sampled cheeses made from cow, sheep and buffalo. Am no cheese connoisseur, and with very thin slices, am not so sure what exactly am I tasting. Haha, ended up with a rather safe option (gouda) but thought it was pretty flavourful when eaten in sizeable cubes and paired with 2011 Barons de Rothschild (Lafitte).

bright lights, to the Cheese Ark

something to look at, while munching cheese

say cheese

cheese sampling

my loot

Wandered somemore, and if you're looking for organic options, there are some traders in organic produce.

organic certfied fruits and vegetables

of walnuts and pecans

nashi pears and navel oranges

Quite liked the ambiance of PasarBella.

artsy feel

if walls can talk

There are many non-food traders too. Such as Pantry Magic. Everything looks so appealing in there. Of course, am easily jolted back to reality just by looking at the price tags.

Pantry Magic

attracted to shiny bronzy things

retro but complicated looking toaster

Elsewhere, one can stop to smell the flowers too.

nice decor with imported flowers

The upwards riding escalator inside PasarBella was intriguing. We went up but couldn't get down, till we go up one more level.

to infinity?

Interesting stuffs all around in the market area for us to explore.

pinky cute

Ok, back to food. Passed by Le Patio, and its gigantic pan.

Chef working, Le Patio's paella magic

Went on to Bistro Botintin, where the tiniest suckling pig was ready for customers.

spanish suckling pig

Wasn't hungry but was determined to at least try something, so got the Iberico pork loin (@$8 per 100grams).

Iberico pork loin

closer view

The fatty bits was really nice, especially with caramelization. Meat was slightly pinkish and tender. Enjoyable.