Spanish

No one, and I repeat—no one, should leave FOC without trying their paella. Tried and loved their squid ink version previously, and the paella range has since expanded to include more variants such as cod fish, red prawn, pork, and even a vegetarian one.

We went for the Iberian pork version this time and I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for something hearty. This was chockfull of ingredients such as tender pork ribs, coarsely-ground sausage, and mushrooms, and each al dente grain was bursting with the full flavours of the robust stock. Pro-tip: Allow the rice to set for a few minutes before scooping it up; this turns the rice along the pan surface crispy & smoky and it's so much more enjoyable :)

I'll make no bones about my love for these babies—Chicken wings deboned to yield only its crispy skin and succulent flesh, "kiapped" between grilled, buttery brioche buns and slathered with luscious avocado sauce and a citrusy dressing...oh, just take my money already.

Way more delicious than it sounds. The juicy egg omelette arrived open-faced at the table, before being rolled and cut in popiah fashion before our eyes. Those black bits that you see? Not seaweed, but black truffle, holding its own with heady earthiness amidst the sea of cheesy, tangy, savoury goodness. Lip-smackingly good.

If you're looking to have traditional patatas bravas (a hearty, greasy dish of cubed potatoes), this is not the one for you. Not that we weren't warned, though—they did disclaim with that little 'Our' on the menu.

Otherwise, for non-purists, this creative interpretation proves just as delightful; the sleek slabs of potato crisp and sweet, with all the quintessential flavours kept intact with garlicky aioli espuma and paprika tomato sauce. Definitely one that deserves seconds.

Calamari and feta cheese...who would have thought? And yet the harmony between the two impressed. The buttery, glazed goodness of the batter was balanced out by feta's sharp tang and stayed crisp throughout the passage of time.

Interestingly, this dish struck a better chord than the lacklustre version I recall having at the their HongKong Street flagship. The tender, smoke-kissed octopus here was a step up in terms of flavour and texture, complemented by the smooth bed of spuds underneath, studded with delightful bits of its own and laced with heady olive oil.

I've always been a fan of tomato-based gazpachos, but a beetroot one? That sure is refreshing in every sense of the word. It seems that their Sentosa branch tends to steer away from tradition, if the inventive tapas we've had here is anything to go by.

Now, order this if you're a fan of chilled soup and beetroot – both of which tend to draw polarising opinions – or just feeling adventurous. Even if you're not, like my beetroot-averse dining companions, this might just be your friendly and less threatening introduction to the delicious world of the ruby red vegetable. Here, its fruity flavours were amplified in a pool of cool velvet, with creaminess and nuanced flavour imparted from the olive oil ice cream. Delicious, and just the perfect dish to get that tapas party started.

(Pardon the grainy image; that was the best my iPhone could do in lowlight.)

This arrived in a sizzling hotplate, with a runny egg begging to be torn and taken apart. Hearty, but nothing to rave about. It's a little on the salty side, but should be fine if you're sharing this with 1-2 other persons.

Unless you must have your spuds, I'd say save your tummy space for more of their delectable paellas instead.

And it tasted every bit as delicious as it sounded. Bold, yet well-balanced flavours worked in perfect harmony. That creamy dollop gracing the crisp, English muffin-like bun is a very delicious kimuchi (Japanese take on kimchi) mayo which deserves a special mention for lending a mouth-puckering piquancy to the mix.

It's both a hit and a miss for this starter, for which I had high expectations. Slow-cooking and charcoal grilling rendered a sufficiently moist texture for the octopus, but I found it wanting in the flavour department. Count on the humble sidekick to save the dish instead. Embedded with potato bits, the mash was creamy, buttery, and absolutely addictive.