Croquettes are delish, but what if we really made ‘em ball out? @lumbre.sg answers that question with their Squid Ink Balls with Japanese Uni, which are priced at $26++ for a trio of balls. Since there were eight of us, we added on another croquette to make it two pairs of balls, but I don’t remember how much it was.⠀

The mashed potato filling within was charmingly creamy and velvet smooth. Enhanced by the savoury properties of the squid ink that’s been mixed in, the potatoes were satisfying savoury and umami. The exterior shell is delightfully crispy, and the uni carefully draped over adds a crazy amount of rich, briny creaminess. Still, close to thirty bucks for a trio of bite sized croquettes is pretty hard to stomach.⠀

For something a little more satisfying at the same price, the Grilled Argentina Prawns with Pisto and Pipirrana Pickle fits the bill. Kissed by the flames of the grill, these smoky shrimp are remarkably fresh and grilled just right. They are salted lightly, instead relying mainly on the pisto for flavour. Pisto is the Spanish offshoot of ratatouille, but a little spicier, more tomato-y, and the veggies within are diced into small bits. It’s spicy, tangy and salty, and it uplifts the flavour of the prawns.⠀

Not gonna lie, most of the appetisers at Lumbre were rather underwhelming, but the entrées are where it starts to get good.