Firefly squid, Uni, Jalapeño, Habanero
Decided to go for the squid ink rice because I’ve been craving squid ink for some time now. It’s very much similar to Spanish paella in terms of looks and yet at the same time, it does remind me of Italian risotto. Does it hold up to what I’d expect from Spain or Italy? It’s…. very close! This modern seafood bar impressed us with their fusion take on the paella/ risotto. The rice were well flavoured with squid ink and seafood broth! Each mouthful of rice was accompanied with seafood hints. Instead of the usual sliced squid rings, the Arroz Negro is peppered with little firefly squids - you can pop them into your mouth in a whole! They’re cooked to perfect tenderness, nothing like rubbery squids that you've struggle to chew or swallow. I love how it came with Habenero sauce - you can’t quite identify where the dollops of habanero are and hence, it’s a burst of fiery heat on your tongue if you accidentally spoon a mouthful down! The husband learnt the lesson the hard way. Be sure to mix it all up before digging in! It’s served along a side of cream - I’m not quite sure of the actual/exact name to it. The creaminess certainly added calories to the dish. Was it necessary? Well, it does smoothen the taste of the dish but I’m happy either way - with or without it.