Dehesa Spanish Restaurant – Nose to Tail Dining at North Canal Road

Before you say eeeew, Dehesa offers more than just offals on the menu.

It is quite rare to find a restaurant in Singapore that sells pigs head, lard, ox heart and duck hearts all in one place. The most you can find is the Chinese pig’s internal organ soup sold in hawker centres.

That aside, if you are into offals and Spanish cuisine, Dehesa will give you a really nice and intimate dining experience alongside your favourite food and Spanish wine. Coined as the nose to tail Spanish restaurant in Singapore, be prepared to eat your way through the pig.

This would be my second visit to Dehesa, a year apart from my previous.

The menu has undergone a revamp with many new dish additions. Be spoilt for choice from categories like Chef Specials to All Time Favourites, Food from the Ground, Grassland and Sea while not forgetting the popular Spanish Rice and Dessert.

For starters, we had the Cured Meats Platter $42.

The crispy pork crackling was addictive while the thin slices of lard had that melt-in-the-mouth texture.

What I loved was the garlio aioli with olive oil; the taste was exactly how I remembered it from my previous visit, very tasty and spread sublimely over the sourdough.

You can’t skip a Spanish cuisine without having the classic Croquetas $14. Also known as Jamon Croquettes, these came in a serving of four crispy balls topped with Jamon Iberico. I could easily have several more of these.

One of the chef’s specials include the Pimientos De Padron $14, bite-sized portions of charred peppers with sea salt.

I also spotted the Crispy Tripe $14, Dehesa Bravas Potatoes $12 and Sobresada $16 which looked appetising as well.

I was glad to be able to savour this Black Truffle ‘Croque Monsieur‘.

Imagine sinking your teeth into the crusty bread stuffed with a thick layer of cheese and even more truffle. An unpretentious toast without the over-the-top ‘truffle taste’.

Easily the best risotto I have ever eaten was this Squid $28 – squid ink rice with very tender baby octopus and clams. The rice was plump and fulfilling with each bite. Even I who wasn’t a big fan of octopus had to agree that they were cooked just perfectly without the chewy consistency.

How nice was it? We polished this dish within minutes!

The Roll Pork Belly with Octopus was another well executed dish. The pork belly was moist with the soft underlying fats. Complementing the meats nicely was the smooth creamy mash, which gave a wholesome feeling in the mouth.

For those who love your beef, the Angus Braised Beef Short Ribs was a shift from all the pork-based dishes. Some other heartening eats available on the menu are Beef Tartare $20, Bone Marrow $34 and Ox Heart $18. Sounds like a third visit is warranted to savour all these too.

Desserts were nothing short of spectacular.

The Chocolat $15 might sound simple but arrived in a sophisticated plating featuring two luscious scoops of chocolate ice cream in sea salt and olive oil. It was an explosion of flavours: dark, bitter, sweet and savoury. This was stellar.

Do look out for specials of the day and featured wines on their chalk board as well.

Dehesa is not just for the adventurous to satisfy their offal cravings but also for those who enjoy quality classic Spanish dishes at reasonable prices.

Read more about my previous visit here

 

Dehesa Exclusive Set Lunch Menu (till 31st August)

2-course: $28 ++

3-course: $38 ++

 

Dehesa

12 North Canal Road, Singapore 048825

Tel: +65 6221 7790

Mon to Fri: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Mon to Sat: 5:30 PM till late

 

Website: http://dehesa.com.sg/