Boca @ Keong Siak

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The great thing about celebrating my birthday is I do eat enough to last me for more than a week - and this year's choice was left entirely up to the Husband who decided to bring me out of my comfort zone and attempt a cuisine neither of us were acquainted with. Trust me when I nearly flung my hands up in the air in sheer desperation making wild guesses on cuisines as near as Himalayan to as far as Icelandic. Turned out to be Portugese at Boca.


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I was greeted with a wall of wooden pans - signals a passion for the kitchen? You bet.

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After the kitchen wall installation, there was a full wall of porcelain swallows filling up an entire wall. It sure did look like an art piece painstackingly put together.

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I was introduced to a Portugese White that was as sweet as a vinsanto and actually even better than a moscato.

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Loved the ergonometric cutlery to no end!

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Amuse bouche of cured sardine and apple puree on cracker, the vinaigrette touch was definitely a welcoming start to the meal ahead.

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Seafood Salad ($25)

This would pass off as a seafood salad more than an octopus salad. Grilled till tender, the salad was good enough for a mains with the chunks of seafood piled on.

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Cod Fritters ($15)

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Breaded and deep fried, these potato dumplings are stuffed deliciously with enough cod.

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Octopus Rice ($38)

I was half expecting a portugese paella and was almost disappointed to see it swimming in broth. But, that was when magic truly happened. Food served in copper pots definitely make a difference resulting in an incredibly tender octopus slices in a comforting porridge base.

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Pork with Clams ($30)

Pork Ribs  that were well marinated in a finger licking yummy paste, the clams were insanely juicy and the potato cubes that could easily pass off for potato chips.

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Quail Confit with Port Wine and Grapes ($24)

Quail Confit that I was presented in a jar stuffed with onion pearls. The quail tasted pretty much like a black chicken somehow, not my favouritest of proteins amongst the rest eaten but top marks for novelty.

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Almond, Egg Pudding, Port Icecream ($16)

Almond cake and port wine sorbet, two unlikely desserts served together that created what I would call - fireworks in my mouth. The gummy texture of the sorbet and scrummy almond cake did send me into a dessert coma - one I really did not want to wake up from.

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Portugese Egg Tart ($4.50)

When in Portugal eat portugese tart, almost an unknown fact to us Asians who actually think the best portugese tarts are from Macau. And who can blame us when nobody corrected us? Only 20 baked daily, I probably had my birthday luck shining so bright on me.

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The filo pastry that so many layers cracking under pressure, noise became music to the ears and the custard innards that spilt so relentlessly - that had to be food porn at its best. As old school as dusted icing sugar is, I actually embraced it with an open mouth.

Hands, pants and forks down, best portugese tart.

For a new restaurant, it definitely set the standards for the rest - there is no such thing as compromised food quality or service because a new restaurant is overcoming teething problems. If there is just one who can get it so right, I definitely do not see why there should be outliers.

Well done, Boca. Impressed was the least I can say about it.

Boca
6 Bukit Pasoh Road

Comments

  1. When did you go to Boca? I went last week, and they are currently changing their chefs. Whatever you had--porridge, egg tarts, etc--weren't available for us. :( I was upset at the limited menu. But you were lucky! Happy belated birthday!

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    Replies
    1. ah!! changing chefs???? That's way too quick, I had this on 21 Feb. Thanks for the belated birthday wish! :)

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