225 330
WINE&DINE
225
November14
FOC
40 Hong Kong Street
6100 4040 | focrestaurant.com
First impressions:
Pronounced as it's spelt – funny story
there, between me and the bar’s PR person – FOC (“fire” in
Catalan) is a buzzing cocktail bar serving up Spanish and
Asian-inspired tapas in a fabulously refurbished shophouse.
Giant heads hang from the ceiling and line the open kitchen,
a playful take on the
correfoc
or Catalan fire-run.
The Chosen One:
Award-winningmixologist Dario Knox takes
the craft of cocktails to the next level with a solera system to
age a range of spirits and make FOC’s own syrups, infusions
and bitters. His homemade lemon-agave gin and basil-lemon
tincture are what make
Smells Like Gin Spirit
($14) the
dazzling little invention it is. Great craft beers for blokes, too.
The Cheapskate:
While happy hour was not yet on the menu,
shelling out $13 to $16 or so for such expertly put-together
cocktails isn’t outrageous, in our opinion. The mixologists
even throw in a little jig for the price, giving your concoction
one skilled shake! Beers are from $9.50, sangria from $12.50,
and tequilas and sakes from $12.
Bite on this:
Nandu Jubany, you saint! We snacked on the
Michelin-starred chef’s crispy pork tacos ($14), watermelon
gazpacho ($12) with charcoal smoked olive oil ice cream,
and black Mediterranean seafood paella ($22), served to
us at the bar counter by head chef Jordi Noguera. And we
won’t even pretend we didn’t get properly stuck into FOC’s
chocolate burger ($12), made of white chocolate, vanilla
mousse, strawberries and mint leaves and meant to be eaten
with both hands like a regular burger. Perfection!
Last but not least:
You’ll find a detailed breakdown of every
cocktail’s ingredients on the menu, plus a nifty diagram
showing you where it lies on the scale from sweet to sour, dry
to bitter. Can’t decide? Catch Knox’s eye, tell him what you
fancy and let him surprise you.
Jess Smit
The Boiler
18 Howard Road | #01-06, Novelty Bizcentre
6635 1285 | theboiler.com.sg
There’s a new Cajun-style seafood joint on the
block, and it’s a good ’un. The Boiler is a Louisiana
seafood boil-style eatery that serves up delicious
seafood boiled with Cajun spices and flavours
alongside imported craft beers. The restaurant
follows the same line as other Cajun seafood
restaurants: no cutlery or plates, just waxed
tablecloths and plastic bibs, the seafood served
in big bags brimming with sauce and eaten solely
with your fingers.
A contemporary-industrial interior gives this
restaurant a clean, minimalist look that lets
the food do the talking, and communal dining
benches make this the perfect place to do with a
big group or with the kids.
It offers a great selection of imported Louisiana
beers and signature beer cocktails such as the
Beerita
($11.90). If you’re a beer fan, these
cocktails are delicious, refreshing and absolutely
worth trying.
Since we were first-timers to The Boiler, the
staff recommended we start with a few sides,
namely the
fish and chips
($12.90), the
Southern
Chicks and Waffles
($9.90) and the
Louisianan
mid-wings
($8.90). The wings were our particular
favourite; they were crisp and juicy with a tangy
marinade that was mouth-wateringly good.
Keen to try all the sauces, we ordered a
live
Boston lobster
($75) with the
garlic butter
and
two of the
Bombdiggity bags
($139, serves four),
one with
The Works sauce
and the other with
Peppa’ Butter
. The bags are unceremoniously
dumped in the middle of the table for all to
tuck into; and with no cutlery in sight, this soon
becomes dirty but fun work. Of the sauces, The
Works was our winner of the night; a tangy, zesty
concoction full of Cajun flavour. All the seafood
was fresh and marinated perfectly.
This fun, quirky and delicious eatery offers a
true taste of the South and is definitely worth a
visit, particularly when you have friends or family
in town.
Natalie Whittell
MUST-TRY DISH:
Bombdiggity bag with The Works sauce