Adios Bomba Paella Bar
Bomba Paella Bar is a place that I'd been meaning to check out for the longest time. I never got around to doing it till this year and that's because the restaurant will cease operations after 11 January 2014 (yes, today's their last day so hurry before they disappear).
Pimientos del Padron @ S$ 12
Grilled Peppers seasoned with Sea Salt
A bunch of us met for lunch last Saturday at Bomba Paella Bar. We wanted to order all the tapas dishes on the menu but had to restrain ourselves because we had a whole suckling pig waiting for us. We started with some Padron peppers from Galicia that had been grilled and sprinkled with sea salt. Smoky and sweet with a slightly peppery flavour, the juicy peppers were addictive! This is a Must-Try!
Gambas Al Ajillo @ S$ 17
Prawns sauteed in olive oil, garlic, chili flakes & parsley
One of my favourite tapas dishes is Gambas Al Ajillo. The succulent prawns were swimming in a shallow bath of tasty prawn stock that tasted very much like a lighter form of Prawn Bisque. We found ourselves slurping up the gravy and wishing we had more. This is also a Must-Try!
Manzanilla Olives with Pork Crackling @ S$ 6
Jumbo green olives marinated in olive oil & anchovy water
The last of our tapas dish for lunch was Manzanilla Olives with Pork Crackling. The juicy olives were refreshing as they were neither too salty nor too sour in flavour. As I love olives, I enjoyed nibbling on the olives and removing the pits while the conversation swirled around the table. The pork crackling was light and crisp without being excessively oily and to my relief, didn't have a strong porky flavour. This is also a Must-Try!
Sangria @ S$ 14 (glass) / S$ 52 (jug)
Red Wine, Spanish Brandy, Orange
I loved the Sangria here as the flavour was well-balanced and there was enough alcohol to give you a slight buzz after a glass. If you like Sangria, definitely give this a try.
Whole Suckling Pig @ S$220
* Needs to be pre-ordered 24 hours in advance
We'd pre-ordered a Whole Suckling Pig the day before. Don't worry if you didn't have the chance to pre-order as Bomba Paella Bar serves Suckling Pig Platters (front & back leg + rib till sold out) at $60.
The Roast Suckling Pig is served with a sauce made from drippings and roasted vegetables.
Suckling Pig
When the Suckling Pig had been chopped up, we wound up with three full plates. Good thing we didn't order too many dishes. The flesh was just a tad dry at some parts but was otherwise moist, tender and sweet. I preferred to eat the meat without the accompanying sauce. The crackling was crisp and not greasy. Some of my friends said that this Suckling Pig tasted better than the one served at Catalunya Singapore. I shall have to try that sometime just for comparison's sake. The Suckling Pig at Bomba Paella Bar is a Must-Try!
Arroz Negro @ $45 (S), $55 (M) & $65 (L)
A wet paella of squid ink, squid, dry sherry, fish stock, spring onions & black mushrooms
If I had to choose just one dish at Bomba Paella Bar, it would have to be the Arroz Negro. Wetter than the usual paella, this dish was chockful of flavour in spite of its less than alluring appearance. Each grain of rice was perfectly infused with the umami-rich goodness of squid ink, fish stock and black mushrooms whilst small morsels of tender squid added a different texture to the dish. This dish had most of us going gaga and is definitely a Must-Try!
Paella Valenciana @ S$40 (S), $55 (M) & $65 (L)
Chicken eg, pork belly & Chorizo slow-cooked with Saffron, chicken stock & beans
Paella Valenciana is one of my favourite Spanish dishes. I love this dish because though the rice grains were cooked through and bursting with flavour from the saffron-infused stock, they are usually not mushy. I also love the juicy browned pieces of chicken and saltiness of the Chorizo. Bomba Paella Bar makes a mean Paella Valenciana. That said, if you have to choose just one paella dish, I think you should opt for the Arroz Negro instead.
Churros con Chocolat @ S$12
Spanish Donut with Chocolate Dipping
Everyone was pretty full but I convinced them to have some Churros. I reasoned, Bomba Paella Bar will be closing in a week, so it's now or never. When the freshly-fried Churros arrived, everyone seemed to forget for a moment just how full they felt prior to that. Fried to a beautiful golden brown hue, the crisp crust yielded to a warm, fluffy core when bitten into. The Churros seemed to melt in the mouth especially when coated with the decadent chocolate dip. We were amazed and felt Bomba Paella Bar serves the best Churros in town (at least till 11 Jan). The Churros are naturally a Must-Try!
I found myself returning for dinner the next day as I was raving so much about the food that R wanted to try it. I didn't mind the second visit in as many days as I had the opportunity to try other dishes. The restaurant was packed and I loved how the red packing crates looked at night with the bulbs lit!
Chipirones @ S$20
Deep fried baby squid served crispy with chili flakes
R and I love baby squid so we ordered Chipirones which comprised baby squid that had been coated in batter and deep fried till crispy before being served with chili flakes. The crisp batter was a little too salty but was otherwise a joy to crunch on. The baby squid were sweet and tender. The use of chili flakes in this dish reminded me of a classic Hong Kong dish, Squid fried with Chili and Salt 椒盐墨鱼. This dish is worth a try, hope your portion won't be too salty. The Grilled Peppers fared better.
Seafood Fideua @ S$60 (M size only)
Cooked in a paella pan, it's made with noodles and seafood cooked in fish broth
We still had some room for more food after the Arroz Negro. I wanted to try the Seafood Fideua so we ordered one. When the pan arrived, we were greeted by a heady aroma. The strands of pasta were well-infused with the flavour of the robust fish broth that was made even tastier with the juices of the Flower Crab, Prawns, Squid and Saffron. The dish reminded me somewhat of Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles. The dish was rather heavy and we couldn't finish it as we had to save some room for Churros. Although this dish was great, the Arroz Negro still has a special place in my heart.
Graffiti Wall Mural at Bomba Paella Bar
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to return to Bomba Paella Bar since last weekend. I will definitely miss the Arroz Negro and Churros. I hope they'll make a comeback! Hasta la vista, baby!
Bomba Paella Bar (last day of operations: 11 Jan 2014)
38 Martin Road,
Singapore 239059
Operating Hours:
Last day of operations on 11 Jan 2014: 12 - 3pm & 6pm to 12am
PS: Something's brewing, follow
for updates.