Carlitos - Casa de Comidas came onto the Singapore dining scene like a piece of hot coal recently, with media covering their launch quite intensely as it is the brainchild of two famous chefs - Spanish Chef Carlos Montobbio of Esquina and Italian Chef Antonio Miscellaneo of La Bottega. I became curious as a result, yet keenly aware that new restaurants, especially those that are hyped up so much, will typically have a full reservation list and inconsistencies with their food/service. So I was cautiously managing my expectations when me and my friend finally found a dinner slot which worked for us (at 6pm on a random week day!) and went to try it out. This restaurant also had to be compared to restaurants in Madrid and the home of tapas, San Sebastien, since I just came back from my trip there. Big shoes to fill!
Here's the food menu. For some reason I also thought that it was very pricey at the beginning, but when I was there looking at the prices (and thinking back to my Spain trip), they were actually not too bad. Especially since it is more and more expensive to eat out in Singapore. For example, a plate of octopus for $22? Unheard of!
There's also a simplified drinks menu at the back of the food menu for alcoholic drinks.
There's a more extended drinks menu for their wines. Pretty legit and authentic selection of Spanish wines. Apparently, the Vega Sicilia Unico 2009 for $728 is a decent price (I checked, indeed it is).
And one for their spirits, beer and non-alcoholic drinks. I got the Estrella Galicia beer while my friend had a cocktail.
On to the food. I had done a bit of TikTok research on the way here, so there were a few signature items we had to try. The first is their Tortilla Donostia Slice (S$10) made with organic eggs, confit shallots and potatoes and EVOO. Well-made, but I the onions (or shallots) in the eggs made this taste very much like the cai fan stall egg. It wasn't as runny as I would have liked inside. But ok, it still wasn't bad. 3/5
Then another must-try, which this time I agree, is the Txipirones Bilbao (S$20) that has 3 types of squid: grilled squid, crispy baby squid, squid and shallot orzo. The dish was garlicky and the different textures of the squid (typically something I avoid) was delightful. 4/5
Then there's the super smokey Pulpo La Coruña (S$22) using Spanish octopus, smoked paprika and EVOO. I did not expect them to be so thinly sliced, but this was a genius move because even the toughest, most rubbery octopus, can be softened up this way. They weren't hard at all and the smokey flavour was super pleasant. 4/5
We also got the Pimientos de Padron (S$12), which is just grilled Padron peppers with sea salt. Nothing to write home about, just classic good peppers. 4/5
I also decided to take a chance on the Gambas al Ajilo (S$6/pc, min 2 pcs) with Atlantic prawns in garlic and chilli oil served with sourdough bread, by just ordering ONE piece each. That is because if it was good, we'll get more. I'm glad I did this. While the prawn itself was big AND it came with the bread, we had quite a lot of food plus the prawn itself was not that bouncy, so I did not like it much. Can skip. 3/5
The best dish of the night hands down was the Arroz Caldoso de Gambas (S$28) with Atlantic prawns, lobster brothy rice and vongole veraci. It was so seafoody with the lobster broth soaking the rice that we did not have to order any paella (was told they are similar) but here, the rice was a bit wetter which allowed more flavour. The same kind of soft, not snappy, prawns were used as well. 4/5
We ended the meal with the Tarta de Queso (S$12), which is the Basque burnt cheesecake tart paired with sangria sorbet, as the very friendly chef/owner Carlos Montobbio came over to say hi and told us to get this over the flan. I think it was the right choice - the cheesecake was creamy, indulgent and just right to end the meal. The sangria sorbet though, felt like just a berry sorbet? Still, it was a great pairing and end. 4.5/5
Carlitos proved its worth (and wait) with their food and convivial dining experience. We spent $90 per person in total for all the food and one drink each, which TBF was not too bad. Would recommend going and trying out the lobster rice and the cheesecake tart!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if you love Spanish food ✔️
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Carlitos - Casa de Comidas
350 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427598
Wed/Thurs 5.30pm-11pm, Fridays to Sundays 11.30am to 3.30pm and 5.30-11pm
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Reserve on their website (via Sevenrooms) or WhatsApp them at +65 97765348
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