FOC Restaurant moves to Keong Saik: One of Singapore’s top Spanish restaurants relocates after 11 years

Is Keong Saik really dead?

That might have looked the case a few months ago, but it seems the former “It” neighbourhood might be in the midst of a resurgence, with several new restaurants popping up — including Spanish outfit FOC Restaurant.

It’s not a new new opening, exactly, but rather a relocation. The Hongkong Street stalwart is embarking on a new chapter after a fruitful 11 years at its original location.

Spanish food aficionados would know that FOC Restaurant is one of the top spots in town for the cuisine, and is beloved for its Barcelonian tapas and paella.

The brand’s new Keong Saik digs are located right beside the legendary Tong Ah building, which used to house popular brand Potato Head (P.S. it’s now boarded up with some new concepts on the way!). 

The restaurant began in 2014 in collaboration with lauded Spanish chef Nandu Jubany.

Chef Nandu is a global industry legend, best known for conceiving Barcelona’s legendary restaurant Can Jubany in 1995, where he subsequently clinched his first-ever Michelin star in 1998.

But don’t expect a formal, fine-dining setting here — the restaurant is, instead, known for accessible food, convivial ambience, and warm service. 

Much like its old Hongkong Street home, FOC Restaurant’s new Keong Saik location is simple but cosy, and regulars will spot many of its familiar fixtures and quirks here as well.

Although the octagonal mirror arrays and oversized busts remain, it’s also given a new layer of modern swagger, particularly with the help of the mood lights that give it a snazzier vibe than before.

Still the same ol’ FOC Restaurant

If you ask any layperson about Spanish cuisine, the first two things that come to mind are, inevitably, tapas and paella.

And those two items are exactly what put FOC Restaurant on the map. And in this regard, FOC has proven itself to be consistent, even with a whole assortment of tapas to prepare and serve up each day.

Take, for example, the smoked Cantabrico anchovies on charcoal brioche (S$11 for two pieces). 

Smoky, buttery, and potently umami slivers of anchovies, rested on crunchy charcoal brioche — a simple but oh-so-lovable combo executed without a hitch.

While you won’t regret getting other Spanish staples on FOC’s menu — such as the hand-cut iberico jamon (S$32) or patatas bravas (S$6 for two pieces) — we thought the unassuming Momotaro tomato salad (S$20) was worth a shout out.

No one would have pegged a plate of tomatoes as a menu highlight, but the immensely juicy tomatoes, combined with the spirited zing of the tomato sorbet, simply made for the most sensationally refreshing appetiser.

Who says salad is always boring?

Then, there’s the seafood “Senyoret” paella (S$42), which arrives with an ensemble of glistening Hokkaido scallops and Mediterranean red prawns.

FOC Restaurant does it quite uniquely — it serves its paella with a side of aioli, for those who prefer their paella with a stronger garlicky oomph.

We have to say the texture is excellent — the paella isn’t too wet and there is plenty of socarrat (the layer of singed rice at the bottom of the pan) that enlivened each bite with bursts of smoke and crunch.

That said, it was unusually tame in flavour, seemingly lacking in salt — even the scallops tasted rather bland. 

Maybe it’s a deliberate choice, so that it doesn’t end up being too rich after guests squeeze the prawn head juice or stir the aioli in?

Bold Spanish flavours for Keong Saik

Other than the tapas, FOC Restaurant’s bigger, meatier plates also provide plenty of bold, gratifying flavours.

The exceedingly luscious braised oxtail (S$38) is the best representation of that.

Stuffed with foie gras and caked in a glaze of port wine sauce, this dish just overflows with richness from the first bite. But not overly so: The fattiness of the foie gras is deftly countered by the bright acidity of the sauce.

Moving onto seafood: Charcoal-grilled octopus (S$34) is a must-order staple at any Spanish restaurant, much less one of FOC Restaurant’s stature.

As expected, the meaty and juicy octopus demonstrates sound execution, but it’s the accoutrements of pork jowl and cabbage “trinxat” (chopped cabbage hash) that really brings the dish to life.

Those little bits of fatty pork jowl and the earthy cabbage add an extra dimension to the smoky octopus, which can be rather one-note when eaten at a go.

Perhaps the most shocking thing to us, was that we found having the molten chocolate & hazelnut gianduja cake (S$16) was an imperative.

Lava cakes are often gimmicky and disappointing, but not this one — it actually erupts with a torrent of molten chocolate. It’s thick, velvety and gratuitously fragrant.

At the side, you’re also treated to a quenelle of pistachio ice cream and a visually spectacular, see-through sugar “tower”. 

If it’s up to us, we’ll say that you should come for the tapas, and stay for the lava cake. 

FOC Restaurant does tapas well, the vibe is great, and, above all, the lava cake might actually be to die for.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the best spots to get this year’s viral shio pans and the cool new back-alley steakhouse with unlimited fries!