[CLOSED] La Barra at The Star Vista
Must eats: Ajiaco (potato and chicken soup), domino with black beans and feta cheese, chicken empandas
Restaurant setting: We walked around in circles looking for La Barra; it’s perched on a verandah of sorts on level two and accessible only via an open air walkway (if it’s raining, weave your way through the tables at Brotzeit and Senor Taco). Once you find your way in, the brightly coloured furniture and a view of the mall courtyard welcome you. The vibe here is casual and comfortable – their vibrant red, yellow and blue chairs managed to brighten up even a dull, rainy day. Amidst the array of dining options at Star Vista, La Barra stands out for unique Latin American cuisine meets Colombian street fare, a very first for Singapore.
What to eat: Dive straight in, Colombian fare is new territory but the pictures on the menu do help. We started our meal with a pleasantly robust cappuccino ($4.50) made with organic beans by Colombian brand Juan Valdez. Also great is their selection of Colombian bottled beers, try the Club Colombiana ($12), Aguila ($12) or the lime-flavored Redd’s ($12); which is apparently a hit with the ladies. Food-wise, La Barra has many hits and only a few misses, the arepas (grilled corn flour flat bread) come with several classic toppings and we tried (and liked) the domino with black beans and feta cheese ($9) and the reina with chicken and creamy avocado ($11). The empanadas ($10) are curry puff like corn flour fritters and come with fillings like beef, chicken and cheese. The cheese version was very cloying but the chicken has the right balance of filling and mealy crust. If nibbles to go with your drinks are what you are after, you cannot go wrong with the papas criollas (bite-sized fried potatoes) ($8) but do be adventurous and try the patacones ($6). Green plantains are flattened and deep fried into crisp, yet chewy in the middle, fritters and served with a very complementary hogao (tomato and onion) sauce. All the items we tried are available on their regular menu, however if you are there on a weekend do ask for their specials – a recurring winner on the specials menu is the hearty ajiaco ($26), a potato and chicken soup with a whole corn on the cob immersed in it.
La Barra | #02-21 The Star Vista, 1 Vista Exchange Green | Tel: 66942495 | Opening hours: Mon-Sun 12noon-11pm
