Spanish food with love at Amor
The new Amoy Street eatery doesn’t provide any surprises, but its predictability and good intentions make up for it
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NEW RESTAURANT Amor Singapore 107 Amoy Street Singapore 069927 Tel: 8916-5607 Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Sat: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 12 am
STEPPING into Amor is like walking into a surprise birthday party you already knew about. But everyone put so much effort into it, you act surprised anyway.
Not that we’ve ever been invited to such a birthday party in real life. But we have been to enough Spanish restaurants in Singapore that we keep hoping will surprise us. They’re usually helmed by nice, well-meaning people. Yet we still end up at a tight little table, forlornly counting our frequent flyer miles that never add up to a flight to Barcelona – eating yet another jamon croqueta in quiet despair.
If you really want to go to Spain, Amor makes you hanker even more. More gaudy than Gaudi, more aspirationally Spanish than authentic, it works best as a made-in-Singapore party place that happens to serve tapas and paella.
That explains why the vibe at Amor is happy and buzzing even on a weeknight. People who seem to know each other file in as the open kitchen bustles, pushing out starters and mains in haphazard order.
The restaurant is the solo debut of Singaporean chef Yu Wang Leong, who earned his wings at Spanish stalwart Olivia. He seems to be playing chef-patron rather than head chef, though – he doesn’t step into the kitchen at all while we’re there. Entertaining guests is a good thing, but not at the expense of quality control in the kitchen.
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A free snack of fermented watermelon is a misfire. Cubes of watermelon steeped in sangria and skewered on toothpicks sound like fun, but we’ll pass on its “lost in fridge” look and “lost for a long time” funkiness.
Escalivada tarts (S$16) feature a twist of foie gras – a thin, pale disc tucked into a pile of roasted peppers in a crisp tart shell. It has the effect of passing a secret message to the wrong courier: completely lost. You barely taste it in this under-seasoned but still refreshing bite.
Happy Eggggg (S$16) feels a little presumptuous, since the unborn chick might be existential and they’d never know. This parfait glass of pumpkin puree, onsen egg, potato foam and croutons for crunch offers instant creamy gratification, nonetheless.
Pa amb tomaquet (S$12) is a lazy chef’s version of crystal bread smothered in crushed tomatoes. They don’t bother to use the proper thin, shattering flatbread; regular toasted sourdough stands in instead.
Gambas al ajillo (S$34) lives up to its name: fresh and firm shrimp on a bed of potato foam, drizzled with olive oil and garlic chips for crunch. It’s like happy egggg – without the egg and extra letters.
Amor’s squid ink paella (S$56) is a worthy effort, with socarrat-edged rice spread thinly over a flat pan, with fish and the same prawns from before keeping their texture and moisture. Mix it all with dollops of aioli, and you get seafood-infused grains with a glossy, creamy finish.
Our main of barbecued iberico pork ribs (S$56) gets flash-roasted tableside as a server blasts it with a portable torch in a “proof of char” moment. Unnecessary but fun. Requisitely tender, it’s tasteless in parts, but steeped in a fruity, sweet marinade elsewhere.
Dessert is all-around good. There is the signature molten basque cheesecake (S$16) made popular at Olivia but reinterpreted here. Creamy, slightly goat-y, and not too sweet. But we really like the pan con chocolate (S$18) – a crispy bun that collapses to reveal a stream of thick chocolate foam.
The staff are friendly and know how to engage, which may account for repeat visits. One of our desserts is on the house, and we’re offered free cocktails at the end of the meal.
It’s touches like these that make you want to overlook any kitchen shortcomings, and just embrace the intent of Amor. Like its name, it just wants to spread some love, even if the food isn’t an instant attraction.
That said, maybe if you want to organise a surprise birthday party, this might be the right place. Even if the birthday person is expecting it, the effort will be well appreciated.
Rating: 6.5
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