Paloma: Modern Spanish Bistro
Bern, Grace and I were off to yet another food adventure. We checked out Paloma Modern Spanish Bistro located at the 6th floor of the Shangri-la Mall ledge right beside Cyma. Bern read a write-up about this resto so she wanted all three of us to try it out. I arrived pretty early and the two were late so I had all the time to scrutinize my surroundings. The walls were painted mustard and rust (truly authentic spanish hues) and colorful murals were placed to give accent. The lighting was yellow and a bit dim to set the mood. They also played Spanish guitar tunes to complete the ambiance.
After close to an hour of waiting (tsk tsk! it's ok, they both had valid excuses for being late!) and munching of the crusty breadsticks with diced olive dip they served, Bern arrived. We ordered immediately because we knew already what we wanted to try. For our tapas, we ordered their highly recommended Manchego Cheese Triangles, Boquerones in Olive Oil (pickled anchovies) and their Gambas al jillo. The cheese traingles were crispy (albeit a bit oily) deep-fried parcels of manchego (I'm a big fan of cheese remember?) and cream cheese presented nicely on a bed of shredded lettu ce. I was a bit more discriminating of the boquerones because we make this at home. I was not impressed because it lacked the usual 'bite' and flavor of fresh de-boned anchovies soaked in vinegar and olive oil. Our homemade one is incomparable. The gambas topped with crispy deep fried spinach was also a treat although I 'd prefer it to be a bit more spicy. Grace arrived in time for the main course. Ofcourse it had to be the Paloma Paella which was their version of the traditional spanish treat with lobster tail! The serving was good for 3-4. We finished 3/4 of the dish which was good enough. It's definitely worth a try! We were all stuffed from the carbo-overload but Bern still insisted on dessert. We had their caramel cheesecake which was okay - nothing stellar but good enough to complete our Spanish dining experience.
Thanks Bern for the treat! :)
After close to an hour of waiting (tsk tsk! it's ok, they both had valid excuses for being late!) and munching of the crusty breadsticks with diced olive dip they served, Bern arrived. We ordered immediately because we knew already what we wanted to try. For our tapas, we ordered their highly recommended Manchego Cheese Triangles, Boquerones in Olive Oil (pickled anchovies) and their Gambas al jillo. The cheese traingles were crispy (albeit a bit oily) deep-fried parcels of manchego (I'm a big fan of cheese remember?) and cream cheese presented nicely on a bed of shredded lettu ce. I was a bit more discriminating of the boquerones because we make this at home. I was not impressed because it lacked the usual 'bite' and flavor of fresh de-boned anchovies soaked in vinegar and olive oil. Our homemade one is incomparable. The gambas topped with crispy deep fried spinach was also a treat although I 'd prefer it to be a bit more spicy. Grace arrived in time for the main course. Ofcourse it had to be the Paloma Paella which was their version of the traditional spanish treat with lobster tail! The serving was good for 3-4. We finished 3/4 of the dish which was good enough. It's definitely worth a try! We were all stuffed from the carbo-overload but Bern still insisted on dessert. We had their caramel cheesecake which was okay - nothing stellar but good enough to complete our Spanish dining experience.
Thanks Bern for the treat! :)
Comments