Woo.. hoo.. awesome Spanish fare at UNA @ Alkaff Mansion - the grande dame of fine dining in Singapore. UNA's paellas are mind blowing umami blasts and their stewed beef cheek, unforgettable.
Restaurant name: UNA at the Alkaff Mansion
Address: 10 Telok Blangah Green, Level 2, Singapore 109178
Tel: +65 8126 8844
Hours: 6:00pm - 10:30pm (opens at 9am on Sun | Mon off)
I remember coming to Alkaff Mansion in the 1990s for events. It's nice to be back - the grand lady seemed even more charming and elegant with age.
Chilling out at the al fresco TXA Pintxo Bar while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.
I enjoyed this Estella Damm from Barcelona on tap. The beautiful smooth golden body and creamy froth taste sweet and fruity with subtle caramel notes. Refreshing with 5.4% alcohol, Estella Damm is easy to enjoy ice cold on a breezy tropical evening.
Of course, there will be Sangria.
Tinto de Pintxo is a refreshing, zesty sweet concoction of rum, red wine, berries and fruits with a kick.
We had a few pintxos to go with the drinks. All were good, and this fried oyster with garlic aioli was particularly addictive. The warm golden brown crumbly crisp shell warps a soft briny savoury juicy succulent oyster inside. The smooth garlic aioli adds a garlicky touch to the savoury snack. Yummaey.... .
There's a lot more at TXA Pintxo Bar but I shall keep that for another post (today, we are here for UNA).
UNA on level 2 of Alkaff Mansion isn't very big or expansive inside. It felt cosy and intimate inside, exulting a nice warm charm with lots of dark wood in the pillars, rafters and flooring.
Not sure what this is on the menu but these grilled chili peppers were very nice appetisers. Juicy with a bit of residual crunch, they taste sweet with mild underlying spicy heat. A sprinkle of sea salt gave it a briny balance and the seared outside added a nice toasty taste. Get this by showing the wait staff this picture ๐
Coming to UNA, I felt I innocently walked into an umami ambush.
One spoonful of that rice, I was blown away by the umami blast on my palate ๐ฎ
The Paella De Marisco comes in a heavy cast iron pan. Bomba rice (from Spain) topped with tiger prawns, clams, mussels, saffron etc $52++ for small serving, $72++ for large serving.
The Bomba rice is cooked in UNA's signature stock of prawn, fish, vegetables, etc. The tender nutty grains are infused with rich savoury umami which explodes in umami bursts in the mouth.
Just WOW.
Paella de Chorizo Y Habitas - same umami loaded paella rice topped with Spanish Chorizo, fava beans, saffron and aioli.
You will love this if you are a chorizo fan. Personally, the assertive savoury flavour of the chorizo competes somewhat with the taste of the rice for dominance.
Paella Aroz Negro - pasta with squid ink topped with crisp deep fried battered clams, prawns and cuttlefish.
Same umami stock infused into soft pasta (instead of rice). Many people prefer this over the paella rice though I am not one of them ๐ I like the nutty mouth feel of paella rice more.
You won't find Vegetarian Paella on the menu but UNA will oblige when guests request for it. The stock is made with vegetables. The tender nutty rice is loaded with savoury sweet flavours. Umami quotient is dialled down a couple of notches from the signature seafood stock but this is still an enjoyable paella.
Blogger privilege ๐
I got to take a peek of the action at the paella station in the kitchen. UNA's specialist paella chef has been cooking paella only, every business day for the last 6 years ๐ฎ That explains a lot of things.
The deep sea Carabinero prawns that go into Paella De Marisco.
Carrillera De Ternera.
Angus beef cheek braised in red wine, served with creamy potato and blanched broccolini.
Oh..... the beef cheek was so tenderly juicy with every fibre rich with beefy sweet goodness.
Awesome.
Caught a snap of UNA head chef Tom Kung unpacking a rack of wagyu prime rib. Chef Tom worked 6 years in Spain - I've never been to Iberia before but felt grateful that chef Tom has brought us a taste of Spain in Singapore.
Classic buttery crisp outside warm soft spongy inside churros with spicy pecan chocolate dip.
I extract the paella and roasts & grills for your reference.
Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.
Alkaff Mansion is a hill top colonial bungalow built in 1918 by the Alkaff family as a weekend escape. From Yemen, the Alkaffs who arrived in Singapore in 1852 made their fortune trading sugar, coffee and spices between India and Indonesia.
Alkaff Mansion was also known as Washington House due perhaps to the Alkaffs' close ties with the Americans. The Mansion was known for exclusive high society parties in the 1930s until gatecrashed by the Japanese during World War Two, leaving the house abandoned for three decades after the war ended.
Alkaff Mansion was also known as Washington House due perhaps to the Alkaffs' close ties with the Americans. The Mansion was known for exclusive high society parties in the 1930s until gatecrashed by the Japanese during World War Two, leaving the house abandoned for three decades after the war ended.
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| Alkaff Mansion 1980s. Image credit: National Archives Singapore |
The mansion was the headquarters of the World Buddhist Society from around 1970 to 1984 before it was completely rebuilt in the late 1980s.
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| Alkaff Mansion 1990s. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore |
Reconstruction completed, Alkaff Mansion was relaunched as a restaurant and events venue in the 1990s. I remember coming here a few times in the 1990s for functions.
When that party ended in 2004, the mansion languished until 2010 when it was again restored (at a cost of $5 million). Reopened in 2011 as the upscale Italian Alkaff Mansion Ristorante which operated until 2016.
When that party ended in 2004, the mansion languished until 2010 when it was again restored (at a cost of $5 million). Reopened in 2011 as the upscale Italian Alkaff Mansion Ristorante which operated until 2016.
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| Alkaff Mansion 2020 |
In 2019, 1-Group relaunched "The Alkaff Mansion" as a three-in-one collection of Spanish lifestyle F&B concepts consisting of the Spanish Restaurant UNA (previously at One Rochester), TXA Pintxos Bar, and Wildseed Cafe. (Source: Singapore Infopedia.)
Date visited: 10 Sep 2020
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