My Little Spanish Place

My Little Spanish Place

Tucked in a small stretch of shops along Bukit Timah road, My Little Spanish Place is a quaint  restaurant that specialises in authentic Spanish cooking. While the name implies a home-like setting and it does have very small seating capacity, the interior exudes a more dimly lit/romantic setting that is more catered to couples or small gatherings. Note: If you intend to dine here on the weekends, it is safer to make a reservation beforehand as there was note on the door of the restaurant saying that the place was fully reserved for the night (Saturday night). Although, most of the tables were reserved for 7 plus, when I left at around 8, the place was at half capacity despite each table having  placards with reservations long overdue. Makes you wonder if restaurants are correct in promoting and allowing extensive use of reservations. Anyway, on to the menu for my party of 4.

1) Croquetas - $10

2) Paella de Marisco -$40

3) Pan con Tomate (toasted bread with tomato puree) - $9

4)Calamares a la Plancha (grilled calamari) - $21

5) Chulettillas de Cordero (Lamb cutlet) - $32

6) Cochinillo Asado (1/4 suckling pig) - $72

7 Churros - $12

Pan con Tomate

Pan con Tomate
Bread is a common starter for Western restaurants and it is not uncommon to be given complimentary (as with Blu Kouzina). MLSP does not have this but is still acceptable. Taste wise, the bread is nothing outstanding, your typical toasted bread served with olive oil and salt. The tomato puree is quite unique, offering a refreshing and more subtle taste. What's not right is the portion size that this bread starter comes with. At the high price of $9, I would have expected a more generous serving of bread. (instead we got like 5 thin bread "sticks"). My party initially thought the waiter was refilling the bread when he only took away the bowl it came in, but sadly it wasn't the case. For the high price and stingy servings, I do not recommend this.

Price: $9

Rating: 5.5/10

Croquetas (4 pcs)
Basically a savory fried puff filled with jamon-filled stuffing which is of a creamy texture. For a party of 4, this was a decent starter. More worthwhile than the bread.

Price: $10

Rating: 7/10

Lamb cutlet

Lamb Cutlet
Now as I'm a lamb lover,this dish is not bad but nothing unique. Portion size is reasonable for 3 pax (1 guy and 2 girls). Also, note if you normally want your lamb cooked medium-rare, I suggest you ask for medium instead. The lamb was really raw in many parts. While the lamb was average, the fries were outstanding. It's rare to get fries that are fresh and able to retain that pure potato taste.

Price: $32

                                                                            

                                                                                       Rating: 7/10

Grilled Calamari

Grilled Calamari

A decent side dish, though the sauce is on the sweet side but that's down to personal preference.

Squid was tender and well-cooked. Price is reasonable as well.

Price: $21

Rating: 7/10

Paella de Marisco (small)

Paella de Marisco (seafood)
One of the highlights and anchor of the meal, this paella's portion is value for its "small" size. It can easily feed 4 and there is an abundance of seafood. What's disappointing is the cooking, mainly how the rice was cooked. It tasted too moist to me and should have been more dry and more "nutty" or solid. A pity really.

Price: $40

Rating: 7.5/10 (gave it 0.5 more due to the generous portion size)

1/4 Suckling Pig

Suckling pig (1/4)

Probably the best part of the meal, the 1/4 pig is more than enough for 4 people. Comes with potato as seen in the picture. The skin is well-crisped and the meat is tender. Although the seasoning was not distributed properly: some parts were overly salted while some lacked salt completely. I would still recommend this for the taste and portion size. Note: you have to pre-order this about a day earlier (for full pig) and about 3 hrs earlier for any smaller amount.

Price: $72

Rating: 8/10

Churros with ice cream and chocolate dip

Churros
Easily the most disappointing part of the meal, this churros is just bad. While it looked really appetizing and fresh, the dough was undercooked and too moist. Even the churros sold in USS is better quality, although is not fresh from the oven.

Price: $12

Rating: 4/10

My Little Spanish Place is an expensive place but the food is decent if you know what to order. I strongly recommend the suckling pig and maybe the paella (giving them a benefit of a doubt that the rice was a one off thing). Both of the dishes are really generous with the portion sizes. Ambience wise, the restaurant is quite suitable for couples or gathering of friends, although seating capacity is limited so make reservations! But as far as Spanish food goes, this is rather disappointing. I would recommend Don Quijote at Dempsey instead. 


Overall rating: 7.5/10 (Mainly because of the suckling pig)