Familiar Spanish tapas at Binomio’s new location
The stalwart restaurant has moved to bigger premises with the same predictable fare that is competent but not exciting
RESTAURANT RELOCATION
Binomio #01-25 Raffles Hotel Arcade 328 North Bridge Road Singapore 188719 Tel: 9758-6471 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 12 pm to 1:45 pm; 5:30 pm to 10 pm (9:15 pm on Sunday)
THE new Binomio is a classic example of how far Spanish cuisine has come in Singapore. As in, not very far.
We remember the old Binomio. It was 2012 and the F&B scene was hit by Spanish fever. Everyone and their Iberian-wannabe cousin was opening an “authentic” tapas bar, making us believe that the entire population of Spain lived on a diet of jamon, croqueta and paella.
OG chef Jose Alonso – who still held the mantle of authenticity passed on from the late Santi Santamaria – stepped in and raised the bar. The food was real, refined and varied. But also pricey.
That idea didn’t last. Alonso left. Binomio shook off its classy leanings and settled for a presumably winning formula of mainstream comfort cooking that kept it going for the next decade even as trends and the spelling of “croqueta” fluctuated.
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That brings it to where it is now – a finely honed operation that’s figured out what the market wants and the price it will tolerate, but not much else. It recently swapped its Craig Road premises for a larger footprint at the Raffles Hotel’s retail arcade, picking up the space vacated by Burger & Lobster.
There are two separate sections – an alfresco cocktail bar and a restaurant proper – so make sure you book the right place. We head to the restaurant, its decor straight out of a “generic semi-fine-dining with Mediterranean accent” playbook. A metallic grapevine curls overhead, snaking its way around the ceiling-height see-through wine display. Clumps of “grapes” cling to the branches in case you don’t get the imagery. Maybe it’s just us, but they look a little embarrassed.
On the one hand, we applaud the predictability and the consistency it brings. Our other hand, though, is twitchy and bored. It wants more to play with, but few surprises are forthcoming.
There’s little character to speak of at Binomio, which dishes out food with the efficiency of a hardworking chef who hasn’t had a hug in a long time. We’ve barely settled down when two complimentary rice balls are slapped down on our table like pamphlets handed out by a guy in the MRT who can’t wait to get rid of them.
We’re vaguely suspicious of the little croquette-looking snacks, but the deep-fried crust and its sticky-cheesy interior is rather pleasant.
Our servers have no compulsion to be our best friends, so they treat us with basic civility, and one of them is nice enough to let us order a half portion of chicken and egg croquetas (S$18 for four).
Like most of the menu, they’re more “core contributor” than “strong contributor” if we use HR parlance – essentially meeting standards and ticking all the boxes but not good enough for that final leap into the next pay grade.
The croquetas are suitably creamy with chicken bits in the bechamel and an underlying hint of jamon, finishing off with a tender breadcrumb crust that has a fleeting crunch.
Pan con tomate (S$9) is missing the crystal bread but the toasted sourdough covered with garlicky mashed tomato scores at least for its tasty topping.
Meanwhile, forget dictionary definitions of tapas being small bites. Binomio says tapas but we say sharing plates because one can feed maybe four controlled appetites.
Pulpo A’feira (S$44) nestles sliced octopus and potato on a hot plate, dusted with paprika and drizzled in olive oil. The soft spuds and slightly rubbery tentacles are sporadically seasoned, so some parts taste fine, but the rest are bland.
Gambas al ajillo (S$34) fares better with spunky shrimp swimming in a pool of garlicky olive oil with extra garlic chips and toasted bread unashamedly soaking it all up without losing any crunch. A final hit of dried chilli sneaks up on you when it’s too late.
Skip the lamb rack (S$38), which the server didn’t recommend and no wonder. The overcooked chops drown in a sticky sweet sauce before it can warn its sweetbread to escape this losing proposition. But they’re both caught in an uneasy alliance with aggressive goat cheese.
Squid ink paella (S$74) gets it right. Infused in a rich stock, the rice is al dente and burnt in the right places, with barely cooked clams and bits of squid.
Practice makes perfect here, but not so with the churros (S$16), which almost make it except for an oily sheen and slightly damp centre. It’s hard to resist the velvety chocolate sauce though.
Binomio has more of an upscale, chain restaurant feel than a personal, chef-driven one. The cooking is dependable, fuss-free and reliable as far as local Spanish cooking standards are concerned. It won’t inspire or delight, but it gets the job done. And there are times when that’s all you need.
Rating: 6.5
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