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Calling all lovers of Spanish food! There’s a new tapas pop-up in town, and it’s on for the next three months at Statement. Aqua Nueva, Statement’s sister restaurant in London, has brought its award-winning recipes (food and cocktails) to our dear city and is keen to showcase why it’s been a hotspot for over 10 years.
We went to check out Aqua Nueva’s five-course brunch menu ($358/person). For some of the sections, there’s a choice between two dishes. My friend and I chose one of each and shared both.
Para empezar
Poached egg, breadcrumbs, potato foam, smoked oil
Rocket, pumpkin purée, olives, toasted chickpeas, roasted tomatoes, rosemary, lemon
Croquettas platter
While it’s always nice to have eggs at brunch, I enjoyed the pumpkin option a bit more. The variety of textures and flavours was lively and interesting. The croquettas platter (+$85) is an add-on, but it’s worth it as it comes with five different types of croquette: Manchego and black truffle, Ibérico ham, lobster bisque, wild mushroom and black seafood.
Para picar
Chorizo, jamón serrano, fuet sausage, baked tetilla cheese, pickles, olives, acorn-fed 30-month pata negra (+$68/person)
Who could resist such a decadent platter? Eat the cheese while it’s hot and ask for more bread!
Tapas
Beef short rib, potato gratin, chimichurri
Roasted octopus, green chilli sauce, potato, chorizo foam
The short rib option looked beautiful, but the flavour sadly reminded me of airplane food. The roasted octopus was much better and very fresh.
El almuerzo
Peppered rib-eye, piquillo, baked potato
If you’re dining as a party of two, you’ll both have to choose the same option – either seafood paella or peppered rib-eye. We opted for the latter and didn’t bat an eye when our server recommended it cooked medium; many chefs recommend this as the higher temperature allows more of the fat to melt. Unfortunately, our pieces came out nearly well done. This could have been a one-off, but it may be worth having a longer chat with your server.
Dulce
Spanish dessert platter
We loved quite a few of the items on the dessert platter, especially the nougat – a piece each was not nearly enough…
Verdict
Book your table soon if you’re interested in this pop-up. The restaurant was nearly full on the weekend we went. Note that a vegetarian brunch option is also available.
1/F, Block 1, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, 2848 3000, book online
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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