Spanish tapas sees an edgy, underground twist at Esquina – Singapore’s rustic-chic tapas bar with some superstar credentials.
Esquina is Singapore’s alternative tapas bar with an edgy underground charm – a hipster’s paradise if you will. It eschews the idea that a premier restaurant must have white table cloths and a formal fine dining ambience, instead blasting out heavy beats and cramming its casual diners around Barcelona-style counters and metal-back chairs. The food served is just as fun and funky, but don’t be fooled by the restaurant’s laid-back style that might suggest its dishes are as lackadaisical as its vibe.
Esquina’s unique take on Spanish tapas has earned itself an admired reputation with Singapore’s gourmands and casual restaurant goers alike, because despite the let-your-hair-down atmosphere, Esquina’s culinary direction is led by Michelin star Chef Jason Atherton, the protégé of celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay. He is also joined by Executive Chef Andrew Walsh, formerly from PUBLIC in New York and Tom Aikens in London.
To the Tapas
Casual dining is the flavour of choice at Esquina, so the tapas is served either downstairs atop the narrow metal counter, or in the living room-style diner upstairs at the recently opened Esquina 2.0. The second-storey addition came as part of Esquina’s second anniversary, and with it, Executive Chef Andrew Walsh also unveiled a brand new seasonal menu.
The new menu groups Esquina’s tapas under five different categories: Snacks, Soil, Sea, Land and Desserts. Each category represents the style of the tapas, for example, the “Soil” section is mostly based around different veggies, the “Sea” section offers up a number of fishy dishes and the “Land” option sees meatier dishes likes steaks, duck breast and some foie gras variations.
We kick off with the rustic raw hamachi from the “Sea” section. Juicy ribbons of the Japanese fish come layered with strips of house-cured duck, drizzled in a sweetened soya caramel. Walnut shavings are then strewn across the top to add a delicate crunchiness to each bite, where the buttery ocean delicacy is so soft it seems to melt away in the mouth.
Moving onto the “Land” dishes and the artistic beef tartare is a long-standing favourite here. Delicate mounds of scrumptious beef tartare messily dot the plate like a colourful painting, together with bright yellow blobs of a sea urchin mayonnaise. To the side of the plate, an egg yolk dressing is served in a cracked egg shell with two chunks of crusty bread; a gourmet twist on old-school egg & soldiers. The final funky touch sees a scattering of seaweed across the plate, before shards of frozen foie gras are rested atop the tartare mounds.
Other signatures from the “Land” include the skewered Iberico BBQ pork & foie gras burgers and the Cape Grim sirloin with burnt onion. Served with a side of sauerkraut, the burgers come extra thick and juicy, topped with delicate strips of foie gras. Meanwhile the sirloin is a chunky 200g cut of 100% grass-fed beef, lightly seared until pink and tender. It comes served atop a schmear of mushroom ketchup – earthy with a grainy texture – then lined with burnt onion slivers and toasted sourdough crumbs.
Onto dessert and an orange curd comes served in a miniature curved glass, layered with a refreshing mango sorbet and a cinnamon milk. The topping sees a sprinkling of an orange biscuit crumble, which goes surprisingly well with an after-dinner beer, the all-Spanish Estrella Galacia. Despite this winning combination, the show-stopping dessert is the chocolate mousse with vanilla churros, which you can find in our Sweet Sensation cover feature.
The Esquina Vibe
Taking after its namesake (meaning “the corner” in Spanish), Esquina is tucked away at the corner of Jiak Chuan Road. It is surrounded by post-war colonial buildings, hip coffee joints and old-school, home-style restaurants, so the restaurant really fits in with its eclectic neighbourhood. The rustic-chic eatery is decked out with antique knick-knacks adorning the walls, from vintage bronze lamps and one-of-their-kind stools, to rugged signs taken from exotic, far-flung cities around the world. It’s only when you notice that each random trinket has a story to tell, that you realise these are unique travel trophies of the restaurant’s owners and architects.
Esquina is the brainchild of acclaimed Singapore hotelier and restaurateur, Loh Lik Peng. Having had multiple successes with Hotel 1929, New Majestic Hotel and Wanderlust, as well as award-winning restaurants such as Jing and Cocotte, Esquina breathes life into the historic and charming neighbourhood. The space was designed by Singapore-based Columbian architect Antonio Eraso, the genius behind the old yet modern vibe and industrial, hipster touches that we just can’t get enough of.
Meet The Chefs
Jason Atherton, Culinary Director at Esquina, was the first British chef to complete a stage at Spain’s famous el Bulli restaurant. This invaluable experience laid the foundations for his unique creative style and fuelled his insatiable thirst for culinary knowledge. His flagship restaurant, Pollen Street Social, opened in April 2011, and within six months it was awarded a coveted Michelin star. He joined the Esquina venture later that year, bringing with him his award-winning kitchen talent.
Executive Chef Andrew Walsh has truly honed his culinary skills following a wealth of experience from his previous stints spanning three continents – Australia, America and United Kingdom. Some of the Michelin-starred restaurants he worked at include PUBLIC in New York and Tom Aikens in London before he joined Jason Atherton at Pollen Street Social in London. At Esquina, he infuses Jason’s culinary ideas with his own as he oversees the day-to-day running at Esquina.
