Before you go "Another tapas bar? Isn't that so... 2012?" at the mention of new Spanish dining concept FOC Restaurant, it'd serve you well to reserve judgment just for a second.
Yes, by all appearances, it's "yet another" tapas bar. But unlike many of the other less-than-stellar versions we have around town thanks to a surge of openings somewhere late 2012, the barely-a-month-old FOC (which means "fire" in Catalan and sounds amusingly similar to another word we can't spell out here – yes, it's not read as F-O-C) is already off to a rousing start, its way paved by a stellar food menu and a quirky drinks selection.
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It's not all that surprising if you think about it. After all, the culinary talents behind the restaurant includes Chef Jordi Noguera (formerly of the immensely popular, now-defunct FoodBar Dada), Catalan chef Nandu Jubany of one-Michelin star restaurant Can Jubany in Spain, and award-winning mixologist Dario Knox (previously from Catalunya Restaurant).
"We wanted to present a side of Catalan and Spanish culture that hasn't been seen before. We didn't want to restrict ourselves to traditional Spanish food", says head chef Jordi.
But lest you start worrying about what sort of weird incarnations of Spanish classics you're in for, rest easy: the menu is still full of recognizable favourites, spruced up with a modern touch (read: Asian inspired in the case of a selection of menu choices) but not quite veering into avant-garde territory. At heart, it's all just fun, quirky and downright delicious bites that we can see ourselves making return trips for.
Must-tries: You can't go wrong with the crispy-creamy combo of the Mushroom Croquettes ($8), nor with the classic octopus done Galician style, char-grilled and lightly seasoned with paprika, olive oil and served with potatoes ($22).
Though well-executed, these are more bite-sized options; move on to the black Mediterranean “Paella” with seafood and garlic mayonnaise ($22, above) – lip-smackingly good (and lip-staining) with a pan of stock-infused black rice grains – and the fork-tender pork belly confit with cauliflower puree ($14 for four pieces) when you're ready for something more substantial. The latter comes with a golden-brown pork crackling that's so satisfying through every crunch.
Drink too: Dario's menu of zany concoctions. Our Blacked Out in Bangkok ($13.50), a lemongrass-ginger-jasmine tea concoction given a spicy bite with a chili padi-lemongrass tincture, is surprisingly yummy and just intriguing enough to pique our interest in what else Dario's got up his sleeves.
FOC Restaurant is located at 40 Hongkong Street. For more information, visit www.focrestaurant.com.