There’s something appealing about the idea of a neighbourhood bodega — a casual place to drop by for a drink, a few plates of food and plenty of conversation. That is the concept behind Casa Lola, the latest Spanish dining concept by FOC Group, located at 3 Boon Tat Street.
Casa Lola is inspired by the traditional neighbourhood bodegas of Barcelona, but there’s also a more personal story behind the restaurant. It was co-founded by Barcelona-born Chef Juanjo Carrillo and Marcela Pino, and the restaurant takes its name from Juanjo’s grandmother Lola. Some of his earliest food memories came from summers spent at her family-run venta, a traditional country inn and restaurant in Jumilla in southeastern Spain.
The restaurant itself is designed around that rustic Spanish bodega atmosphere, with aged timber, terracotta, exposed brick, Spanish tiles and vintage artwork. The idea is less about formal Spanish dining and more about sitting down with friends, sharing plates and lingering over wine. And that is exactly how Casa Lola looks – none of the fancy but out-of-touch decor, the interiors are homey and warm.
I recently visited Casa Lola for a media tasting, where we were treated to a selection of its tapas, followed by a main course and dessert.
We began with the “Salmorejo” Chilled Tomato Soup, served with Iberico ham, boiled egg and croutons. Salmorejo is a traditional Spanish cold soup, and Casa Lola’s version is built around the classic combination of tomato, ham and egg. It was a refreshing way to begin the meal.
Next was one of the more unusual combinations of the night: Smoked Cantabrico Anchovies with Foie Gras Ganache & Brioche.
The anchovies are served on brioche with foie gras ganache, bringing together the smokiness and saltiness of the fish with the richness of foie gras. This is the restaurant’s take on the anchovy pintxos of Spain’s Basque Country and a play on the Spanish mar i muntanya idea of combining flavours from the sea and land.
For the hot tapas, we had the Crab Croquettes with Sea Urchin and Aioli. The crispy croquettes made for a nice contrast to the softer and creamier elements accompanying them.
The Crispy Plantain Fritters with Avocado Cream, Honey & Sriracha were perhaps the most playful dish of the meal. The combination of crispy plantain with creamy avocado, sweet honey and a touch of sriracha gives the dish a distinctly modern, slightly Latin-influenced character. The concept is actually inspired by the Spanish pairing of fried aubergine with honey, with plantain used in place of the aubergine. This was the first pleasant surprise of the night as I didn’t expect the chips to taste so good.
Then came the “Huevos Rotos” with King Prawns “Al Ajillo” Rich Garlic Sauce.
Huevos rotos is one of those Spanish dishes that sounds simple on paper — eggs and potato chips — but Casa Lola turns it into something considerably more substantial with king prawns cooked in a rich garlic sauce. Mix it all up with the egg yolk and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the evening.
We also had the Seasonal Paella with Molino Roca “Dinamita” Rice, which showcases Casa Lola’s more traditional Spanish side. The restaurant uses Molino Roca “Dinamita” rice from Valencia, cooked with salmorreta, spices and saffron before being finished over high heat to develop the prized socarrat — that crisp, caramelized layer of rice at the bottom of the pan.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate Cake with Layers of Manjari 66% Dark Chocolate Ganache.
Made in-house, the dessert consists of moist cocoa sponge layered with dark chocolate ganache and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. The Manjari chocolate is 66% cacao, while Cointreau is also used in the sponge. This was an extremely decadent dessert and the rich and moist chocolate made it even better. I am not normally a chocolate lover but I couldn’t help but reach out for more.
Verdict
What I found interesting about Casa Lola is that it isn’t trying to present Spanish cuisine as something particularly formal or precious – which is a refreshing departure from how it is usually presented in Singapore. The restaurant’s whole premise is built around the conviviality of a neighborhood bodega while the menu mixes recognizable Spanish dishes with some more contemporary interpretations.
There are plenty of familiar Spanish references, from salmorejo and huevos rotos to suckling pig and paella, but dishes such as the plantain fritters and the anchovy with foie gras show that the kitchen isn’t afraid to play around with those traditions. The restaurant mixes up its menu from time to time and during my visit, I heard they were at the tail-end of the current menu and changing it soon. I’ll definitely be back.
Casa Lola
3 Boon Tat St
Singapore 069612
+65 9657 8020
Bino
Hi, my name is Bino and I started I Wander around 15 years ago with the aim of sharing about some of my personal journeys and experiences, hoping that the information may benefit readers like yourselves.
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