Catalunya, Fullerton Pavilion Singapore

A jar of beautiful "olives"

We were booked for lunch by GOE and Flatmate Amy at Catalunya
an award-winning establishment in Singapore that's much raved about
if there's waiting list on its reservation book, u better have connections or some other advantages to get urself into this place without being arrested.

that same morning, Monkey and Yiks had a badminton session
no matter how tired, how exhausted....die die must come
so we showered and zoomed straight to Catalunya after picking up Joanna and Choco Markie :))

so back to those beautiful "olives"
I thought something wasn't right because the colors were different
the waiter then scoop them up carefully and served those "olives" unto olives spoon
but then they looked so real inside its jar of herbs and olive oil

this dish is called An Assortment of Olives
u pop them in and soon the "olives" burst in ur mouth, coating every milimetre of space u have there with pure olive juice and oil

What a playful beginning to this lunch :)))
then expectations were raised up a few notch
after hearing much reviews from friends about this place, I was very prepared for anything to come my plate...just bring it on :)))))

an international Spanish restaurant, Catalunya consist of an international team of chefs from elBulli, Sketch, Santi and Drolma
doesn't matter if u dun recognise the rest of the big names but elBulli alone is enough to sell everything in this restaurant :))))

Andalucian style calamari
no tapas meal is complete without fried battered squid
especially those fatty squid from the deep sea
not your normal local chewy squid :D

what amazed me was their homemade mayo
it's really deep in yellow thanks to the egg yolk
with some zing of freshly grated lemon zest

and then we have the Jamon Iberico Gran Reserva cured ham
a bomb but then it's Jamon Iberico!!!!
for a small plate it's SGD 55

I am gonna buy more Jamon Iberico in Spain
it's like so cheap there that it makes u wanna carry the whole leg of ham home to Malaysia
if only we can pass the custom and immigration holding that leg of ham over JS's shoulder
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
last year we couldn't afford to do that without stirring a commotion at the airport so we just resorted to stuffing ourselves to death with Jamon everyday from breakfast till supper
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
yeah I dunno what happen to "moderation is the key" in life
if I continue to eat like this.....my insurance agent gonna de-list me :P

Tomato Tartar confit topped with finely chopped chives
tomatoes are staple food esp in the Mediterranean coast countries
it's sweet and refreshing with the umami flavour
this dish was served with thin crispy bread, I forgot to snap a pic of it
:P

Jamon Iberico croquette
looked so innocent right????

wuuuahhhhh
the outer shell was crispy then next came the soft potato-ish part that melts in your mouth
and finally the fillings...
hey guys no wonder it's so good...it's Iberico!!!!!

Pa amb Tomaquet

this is another must try and very very Catalan
simple grilled crispy bread, rubbed with garlic then topped with extra virgin olive oil and sweet fresh smashed tomatoes
so simple and yet so delicious
last year when we were in Barcelona we had tonnes of these and JS warned me then not to pile my stomach(s) with breads -_-

simple Patatas Bravas with homemade "aioli"
the aioli was a garlic mayo with spicy sauce

Ham, Cheese and Truffles bikini
it's a really good sandwich and everyone commented they can have this for breakfast everyday

well this pic did no justice
sorry all pics taken with my dearie iPhone coz JS, my unofficial photog, wasn't present at this wonderful lunch *yeah I know, he missed out big* coz he was busy playing golf -_-
yes playing golf in Singapore lugging that huge golf bag around

Roasted meat canelon served with Basil Oil and cheese sauce
and fresh yummy chanterelle mushrooms
it's the mushroom season now in Europe

how time flies and Autumn is here very very soon
other than that, chestnut is also in season :))))
and of course truffles season will follow suit

Catalunya is really beautifully built
the group engaged award winning New York firm AvroKo to design this beautiful domed restaurant

it sits on the Marina Bay, floating among the concrete jungle and yachts
if you happened to have a yacht, u can berth outside the restaurant and step in style
:))))

that's why we couldn't locate this restaurant in the GPS
not only it's NEW and not listed in the GPS
it's coordinate is actually ON WATER
:P

Inside, it's just stunning!!!!
every table commands a beautiful view of the Marina
we can spend hours enjoying our meal here

I'm sure at night, it's an entirely different view
not that this restaurant is a revolving one, but with the light shows and the city lights around this area it's sure to delight your eyes

so we were done with the Tapas and came the main course
Traditional Suckling Pig, Segovian style

it's really a tiny baby!!!!
Monkey quickly Whatsapp JS this pic to make him jeles

JS replied almost instantly
JS: "Huh? Giant Rosemary??"
yeah the pig was such a baby the rosemary looked huge
poor pig~~~~~ sacrificed for our palate
so folks, never ever waste food
if u gonna kill animals and eat them, please make the honor of appreciating every single morsels of it

braised lamb rack from Castilla y Leon
was done perfectly pink with a few flakes of sea salt

side dish of Smoked Mash Potatoes
silky smooth and topped with nuts
stewed mushrooms with caramelized baby onions
good combo with the meat

my favourite side dish was the wood roasted pineapples with pink peppercorn and cinnamon
just balanced off the richness fr all the meat

this was J&J James and Jelina favourite
Black Beef Tuxleta
extremely yummy!!!!!!!

and for dessert, we have Creme Catalan with lemon jelly
it was a disappointment for me because I have much much better creme Catalan in Spain

this one was a bit too runny
or maybe it was intentionally done that way for a different kick/style???

Chocolates in different texture was ordered for Choco Markie
well there's alwiz reason why he's called Choco Markie right?

he's already 5 years old.....watching friends' kids growing up make me realised I am not getting younger
arghhhh....ok ok ok have more chocolates and stop the misery :P

Flatmate Amy ordered this really yummy refreshing Fruits with aromatic Osmotizada

think they soaked the cubed fruits in a highly purified water with sugar?
I need to do some research on this dessert

anyway we are bound to return to Catalunya again
so perhaps it's time to set the date and make reservation for next month?
hehehehehehhehe

*pic stolen fr the web*
really beautiful at dusk huh?

A place not to be missed and I would highly recommend it
maybe just skip the dinner and have all of its tapas :)))
Thank you M People for this yummy lunch treat!!!!

Catalunya Restaurant
The Fullerton Pavilion
82 Collyer Quay
Singapore 049327.
Tel: +65 6534 01888 for general enquiries
Tel: +65 6534 0886 for reservations
Opens from 12 noon to 2 am
www.catalunya.sg