Spanish

Seafood all in good order, but that squid ink paella was awfully salty – as if it'd been salted on top of all the oceanic brine already imbued in it. I don't think any of us managed to bring ourselves to swallow more than one bite of the rice 😣 .

I don't eat (pig) innards, nor do I like lamb, so it is quite astounding that I actually don't mind sweetbreads (lamb pancreas). Or maybe Dehesa just does such splendid work on these creamy bits of offal – served here with baby-sized nibbles of ravioli – that I just can't help but take a fancy to them.

Dehesa's expertise is supposedly in the nose-to-tail department – think ox heart and sweetbreads – but what captivated me was the unassuming tortilla. Here, the Spanish classic features soft chunks of potato and jamon embedded in a slightly wet omelette and fried to a smoky, brown crisp on the surfaces. A generous slathering of piquant Romesco sauce (at least I think that's what it is) as the finishing touch made this utterly impossible to resist.

Compliments to chef on this remarkable slab of pork in all its golden-skinned glory. Every bite – an incredible composition of crispy crackling, melty fat and juicy flesh – was just pure bliss, I tell you. Pair with those caramelised pineapple chunks and... MIND. BLOWN.

Yes, yessss, YESSSSSSSS.

What went through my head as I was blissfully savouring every morsel of that glorious golden-brown croquette, its gooey-creamy-velvety filling textured with chewy bits of Spanish sausage. And that piquillo mayo was just the right finishing touch, adding a mild bell pepper-like sweetness.

Brought the parents for a lunch treat at Esquina last month and was quite blown away at how spectacular the food was. And at just $38++ for 5 courses, this has gotta be the best lunch steal around.

This was one of the starter options on the menu for the day – cauliflower florets roasted to a glowing yellow complete with charred edges, served with crusty pieces of serrano ham on a bed of cauliflower "cous cous", and given a finishing shower of freshly grated tendrils of Manchego. So brilliant.

I fell in love with these fried potatoes when I first visited MLSP at Bukit Timah more than 5 years ago. They were wonderfully soft and fluffy in the middle, the edges and corners crisp in contrast, and there wasn't anything more perfect to dunk them in than MLSP's homemade garlic aioli.

These, however, I thought were a tad too soft and could have been crisper. The seasoning was incredibly addictive, though.

Thin shavings of potato fried crispy, topped with a "broken" egg and bits of Jamon. Burst and mix the egg yolk around so that it binds the slices of potato together.

One of my favourite cuisines has gotta be Spanish, for their heavy usage of carbs and salty meats. Potatoes, bread, potatoes, bread, potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. YES.

So happy that I got to try this signature at @catalunyasg last week. It's part of the weekend brunch menu at $98++ per person, which is amazingly good value, considering that you get sizeable portions of their specialties – suckling pig, paella and salt-baked fish – on top of a buffet of cold cuts, cheeses and salads.

This is definitely the best Spanish roasted piglet I've had. It's served with pomp and parade, chopped into portions with a single plate to showcase just how tender the meat is (after which, the plate is promptly smashed on the floor in true Spanish style). I love that the fat was rendered down so that the glossy brown skin was left as thin, crackly shards, just the way I like it.

How I wish I was at Catalunya again today, lapping up all these indulgent goodies. What I love about Spanish food is that it's so colourful, flavourful, and FULL OF CARBS. Potato, potato, rice, bread, potato... *-* So much win.

The potato foam is one of my absolute favourites in the buffet (read: FREE FLOW), consisting of sweet caramelised onions topped with velvety, ultra-light siphoned potato purée and egg sabayon.

The bikinis are also delightful – daintily skimpy sandwiches whose size is of no proportion to the flavour they bag. There are two flavours: vegetarian zucchini & pesto and truffled cheese & jamon – my vote goes to the latter cos I'm a sucker for truffle anything.

The paella is one of Catalunya's signatures, though the toppings vary from week to week. I like how the rice is done just right with a firm bite, imbued with loads of crustacean-y flavour, and topped with fresh, briny seafood.

Weekend brunch at @catalunyasg is in session! This is the ultimate Spanish indulgence.