Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant

Today I discovered a different side to the quiet and laidback area of Jalan Jurong Kechil. Lorong Kilat runs a lane before Chun Tin Road (where the homely Sup Sip & Vis-a-Vis resides) and is slowly welcoming new F&B establishments like Don Quijote which I visited for lunch today. Don Quijote has been around since January 2009 and will soon have a new neighbour – U.d.d.e.r.s opening on 19 June 2009. The Spanish restaurant is tucked away behind Shell station and faces Poh Tai Kok Temple on Lorong Kilat. Enticed by rave reviews about their paella and sangrias, K and I made a trip to satisfy our long-overdue paella craving. And I must say, we were not disappointed. Don Quijote has branches in Singapore and Macao, and their menu boasts more than 25 tapas and traditional Spanish fare like Paella Valencia, and the rare Jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham).

While deliberating our already evident choice for lunch, we ordered red and white Sangrias ($12/gls) [****] to accompany our welcome bread which we promptly dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

After placing our order for Don Quijote’s Special Paella [****.] for 2-4 pax ($54), we were told that preparation and cooking will take 20-25 minutes…which is totally understandable because they use really fresh ingredients and paella is always made to order. For a moment I considered ordering some tapas to start us off, but recalled the waitress telling us their medium portion was pretty big. In any case, our waitresses for the day were very attentive and furnished us with another basket of bread the moment we were done. What they said was a 20-25 minute wait was really a lot shorter.

And to my delight, the rice was yellow. Not orange or red, but yellow. Which can only mean that they definitely used saffron. Hence the price tag. If it were tomato-based, the rice grains will be orangey-red which is typical of some of the many variations of this popular staple in the Spanish diet. Earlier on, we could choose to have our rice done al dente or soft, and we picked al dente. However, it turned out rather soft though it was still very good.

I loved the rice which was thoroughly infused with savoury flavours, light spices, and rich broth. Every grain oozed seafood goodness. The assortment of seafood comprised clams, mussels, king prawns, and squid rings. Beneath this pile of seafood you see here, the rice was mixed with small chunks of chicken and yet more prawns. A real hearty seafood meal. The best part for me was the bottom of the pan where the rice grains were slightly charred (not burnt) and the small prawns that absorbed the myriad of flavours. Every mouthful had the succulent taste of fresh seafood.

So despite the price, we were getting great quality paella in generous portions. By the end of the meal I was too stuffed for dessert or more tapas, and I believe I speak for K as well. Don Quijote has 3-course lunch sets and other promotions, so do check out their website for more details. Well, one thing’s for sure – I’ll definitely come back for more.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
17 Lorong Kilat, #01-09 Singapore 598139

Tel: +65 6465 1811

Website: http://www.don-quijote-restaurants.com

Opening hours:
Open from Tuesdays to Sundays
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 10.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 11.30am to 3.00pm

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: Clementi

Buses: 985, 157, 61…

Bakerzin’s Student Promotion

Bakerzin is generously offering a student promotion at their Jurong Point & North Point outlets!

From Mondays to Fridays, 10.30 am to 5 pm.

After presenting your student/matric card, each student is entitled to 50% off a main course AND 50% off a dessert (not incl. of cakes at the counter).

Grab some sweet treats to sweeten your week!

Yuletide Feasting

Merry Christmas everyone! After all the merry-making of the holiday season, I’ve finally found the time to update you on the festive feasting. I’ve had an abundance of lamb, turkey, canapes and such at various abodes…but today’s entry will be about a simple Christmas dinner I cooked for my close friends. Now let me tell you the story behind my dinner…this year, I thought of giving my friends something different from the usual presents and such, so I devised a question to ask them on the pretext of it being for Charlinary.com:

“What is the 1 thing you could eat every day for the rest of your life?”

These were their answers:

• KIS: Masala Chicken from Samy’s Curry
• KW: Apple Pork Rib Soup
• KY: Boon Tong Kee’s Chicken Rice
• R: Vegetarian Bee Hoon from a Whampoa hawker centre stall

I actually had a fifth guest, but asking her the same question out of the blue would’ve roused suspicion, so I decided on prawns for her. Chicken rice and vegetarian bee hoon were excluded from the menu and replaced by Cajun Fish and Bangers & Mash respectively in order to suit the festive menu. Here’s my menu for the night:

Appetizer
Gambas a la Plancha

Baby Spinach Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Bacon Bits

Soup
Apple Pork Ribs Soup with Sliced Pear

Entrées
Masala Chicken & Papadum from Samy’s Curry

Bangers & Mash

Cajun Fish Fillet

Dessert
Gingerbread Boy & Girl from Chocz (image taken from Chocz)

It has always been my wish to have a nice quiet dinner with my friends, and I’m glad we managed to have one this Christmas. Thank you all for being present and I hope dinner was to your liking. Rest assured that there’ll be more dinners to come…to my other friends out there, you’ll certainly get a taste of my cooking (once I’ve improved). You can expect recipes from me this 2009 so happy reading! May you all have a awesome year ahead!

/ the images above were taken by KIS & KY.

Serenity Restaurant & Bistro

Today was a lazy Saturday afternoon spent with S at VivoCity. And just around mid-day, we got hungry. Our search for food ensued. We stopped at Corduroy Candy (now-defunct) to grab some chocolate-coated apricots and raisins, and ended up at Serenity Restaurant & Bistro for their Crazy Hour special.

Serenity serves Mediterranean fusion cuisine (but now specialises in Spanish cuisine as of Feb 2009), and I’ve been yearning to pay them a visit. Their laidback interiors in cool tones are a good match with Vivo city’s waterfront image.

From 3-6 pm daily, Serenity offers 50% off all tapas and cocktails.

Our eyes lit up when we saw 2 things on their tapas menu – Soy Tomato Bruschetta and Gambas Picantes. These 2 sealed the deal for us.

One of the things I like about this place was their attractive menu. It came leather-bound, with brightly-coloured pages. Presentation is key, and Serenity does get that message across. I must say their tapas (a variety of appetisers) selection was an interesting one. But we had our tummies set on Gambas Picantes ($10) [****] and Soy Tomato Bruschetta ($8) [*****].

Gambas Picantes is pictured here on the left. It is actually wok-charred tiger prawns in a spicy sweet sauce, topped with white sesame seeds on a bed of greens. The prawns were fresh and sustained a lingering charred taste after being served. The spicy sweet sauce it was dressed with wasn’t cloying, so it matched the prawns well.

On the other hand, the Soy Tomato Bruschetta was listed as a recommendation, so we were curious to taste how good it was. Of the 2, I’ve got to say I liked this one better. It was a tough call, but this simple tapas won my heart. Generous toppings of diced tomatoes marinated with soy, coriander, and ginger adorned each piece of toasted baguette. Tomato and soy make a great combination because soy adds a mildly salty tinge to the otherwise zesty flavour of tomatoes. As for the ginger and coriander, they balance out the overall flavour with their slightly bittersweet notes.

Both tapas are healthy and delicious must-tries for a start to any meal, or great as snacks between cocktails. Looks like I’ll be back for more delish tapas at Serenity during their crazy hour…and dinner should be on the cards before year-end. For those who are looking for something a little different for a date or special occasion, Mediterranean fusion cuisine would be an interesting way to go…so give Serenity a shot and let me know how it turns out.

/ Prices stated above are before 50% off and subject to GST & service charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6376 8185

Website: http://www.serenity.com.sg

Address:
1 HarbourFront Walk, VivoCity, #01-98/99

Opening hours:
Sun to Thu (11am – 11pm)  Fri & Sat (11am -12am)

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: HarbourFront (NEL)