TINTO was well decked out with orchid blooms, exulting a casual, relaxing atmosphere yet blending in well with the classy charm of Dempsey Hill.
Everyday is a good time to drop by TINTO for authentic Spanish tapas, paella and wine. Hey..., you know I don't use words like authentic lightly or often - Blas who hails from Valencia, Spain told me so 😁
Right now, TINTO is offering Bodega Elias Mora Toro Crianza 2018 at $22++ a glass and $105++ a bottle promotion in conjunction with #EatSpainDrinkSpain 2023 from 15 Oct to 15 Nov.
But...., Blas started me off with a customary glass of sangria, the quintessentially Iberian cocktail. TINTO's version is a refreshing invigorating blend of red wine and vermouth with sliced fresh green apple, lemon, strawberry and berries.
For tapas, Blas picked Tosta Romana or Spanish anchovy toast. It's pickled anchovy slices with burrata cheese, crushed tomatoes and dried fig on a thick super crispy slice of toasted crystal bread.
The layered umami savouriness from the pickled anchovy and burrata cheese were bold, robust with sweetness and tanginess from dried fig and tomato only hinting their presence shyly.
Of course, we must have the Bodega Elias Mora Toro Crianza 2018.
Bodega Elias Mora winery is located between the Duero and Hornija rivers in central Spain. Their vines are planted in soil of large pebbles over limestone. Couple with extreme continental climate and scarcity of rainfall, their vineyards produce excellent quality Tinta de Toro grapes.
On the nose, Toro Crianza is oaky and fruity with smell of blackcurrant and cherry.
Broken Omelette. It's eggs with mushrooms "a la plancha", smoked Idiazabal cheese, caramelized onion and parsley garlic oil. Topped with potato chips.
This is a homely, comforting type dish - all omelettes are homely, comforting - maybe it is just me 🤭
The soft fluffy omelette tasted mainly eggy with savouriness from cheese. The pan grilled (a la plancha) mushrooms were savoury sweet with a toasty sear.
Gambas Al Ajillo. Shelled fresh prawn sauteed in roasted garlic oil, dried chili and garlic chips set on a soft bed of smooth potato puree.
The crunchy, juicy, meaty prawns were complemented by savoury sweet potato puree and spicy umami from the flavourful aromatic oil. Looks spicy hot but heat is gentle and nice (far from choking or numbing).
The chili, garlic and crustacean umami infused oil was good to the last drop. We were mopping it up gleefully with bread 😁
Woolala... Another of my favourite things.. octopus. Pulpo a la Brasa or grilled octopus with mojo rojo canario sauce and Catalan lentil stew.
The octopus tentacle was grilled to perfection with the inside spongy soft-tender and bursting unique octopus type umami sweetness with every bite. Always love octopus ♥️🐙
The mojo rojo canario sauce and nutty crunchy Catalan lentil stew complemented the grilled octopus well. They were delicious by themselves. Plenty of umami savouriness balanced with sweetness and aromatics.
Of course, we had to have a paella 😁
Blas picked New Valencia paella because he hails from Valencia 🤭 It's Spanish saffron rice with marinated chicken, pork Chorizo sausage, potato, baby zucchini, artichoke, green bean, broccoli, garlic aioli sauce, etc.
On the palate, Toro Crianza has a full fleshy body, fruity taste, sweet and savoury. It's nice!
Delicious paella is made for eating, not for social media 😅
The New Valencia paella was truly delicious. Each grain of rice, fat and soft-tender was deeply infused with sweet-savoury flavours from the vegetable stock it was cooked in.
Complement the sweet savoury rice with savouriness from pan seared chicken and bits of pork Chorizo sausage.
Next time, I shall try a seafood paella.
We shared a Valencia Orange Cake for dessert.
Blas gave his thumbs up for TINTO and said he will be back. Actually for me, while still eating, I was already running through my mind when and on what occassions soon, shall I will be back at TINTO. So excited lah.... 🤭
Restaurant name: TINTO Spanish Restaurant
Address: 10 Dempsey Road, #01-21, Singapore 247700
Tel: 9729 5002
Hours: 11:30 am - 3 pm | 5:30pm - 10:30 pm (Mon, Tue, Weds dinner service only)
Written by Tony Boey on 10 Nov 2023
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