Tasty tapas and $38++ set lunch at Spanish restaurant Amor

A la carte highlights include an original egg dish and a lobster rice dish with a rich seafood broth. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – There is a new Spanish restaurant in Amoy Street and it comes armed with earnest ambitions and punchy Mediterranean flavours. 

Novelty is a near-impossible pursuit in Singapore’s dining scene, especially when walking a path as well-trodden as Spanish cuisine.

Barcelona-inspired tapas? Its neighbour Tapas Bar and Grill has that covered, as do several other restaurants around town. Gaudi-inspired architecture? Hard to beat the attention to detail at Gaudi Bar.

Even the Basque cheesecake on its menu was first popularised by another restaurant, Olivia Restaurant & Lounge – executive chef Yu Wang Leung’s former employer.

Still, one cannot fault Amor for trying. And try it does, with admirable heart. There is an egg dish that takes a pretty convincing stab at originality. The Happy Eggggg ($18++) is served almost dessert-like in an elegant martini glass, layered with roasted pumpkin coulis, a 65 deg C onsen egg, truffle sabayon, crispy jamon chips, brown butter sourdough croutons, as well as flecks of dill and chervil. 

It is a bit fussier than what you might find at a rustic, no-frills tapas bar, but it works. The flavours are savoury enough to command your attention and the thrill of watching all three layers fuse into a magnolia-flecked cloud is a feast enough for the eyes (and camera).