Spanish chef Carlos Montobbio's new venture Carlitos is all about honouring tradition. Those who have been to Spain will know that the best tapas is not found on the sleek silverware of Michelin-starred restaurants. Often, it is found in eateries tucked away in nondescript neighbourhoods, brimming with locals unwinding along a narrow bar counter, on which plates upon plates of local specialities are stacked.
Only time will tell whether Carlitos, a new Spanish restaurant in Joo Chiat that opens on Nov 8, manages to cultivate that same atmosphere of homey conviviality. For a start at least, it has the classic bar counter, a menu loaded with more than 30 types of tapas from all over Spain and memories from Spanish chef Carlos Montobbio’s childhood in Barcelona. Unlike his Jiak Chuan Road fine-dining establishment Esquina, where Spanish cuisine gets a modern makeover, Carlitos is all about honouring tradition.
It is a collaboration with long-time friend and La Bottega chef Antonio Miscellaneo and features solid, unpretentious cooking that does not smother its ingredients in seasoning, giving them plenty of room to breathe. Tortilla donostia from Carlitos. PHOTO: CARLITOS Tapas prices start at $8.
Taste the sweetness of potatoes in the tortilla donostia ($10 a slice), made from scratch every morning with organic eggs and confit shallots. Savour the creamy luxuriance of the bunuelos de pamplona ($12), codfish fritters enlivened by an earthy dollop of saffron aioli. Feel the crunc.
