BAM! | 4/5

SINGAPORE - BAM! bills itself as a tapas-sake bar — a walk-in sake cellar greets guests as they enter the industrial-chic dining space. Tapas and sake sound like an unlikely pairing, yet it works in the hands of chef Pepe Moncayo and sake distributor Derrick Lim, who helm BAM!.

The ever-changing menu depends on whatever is freshest on any given day. There are, however, some dishes that could easily remain staples, such as the sakura ebi omelette (S$23). The quivery omelette is flecked with those minute Japanese shrimps that imbue it with a deep smokiness not unlike the flavour of Chinese foo yong dan. The thin slices of melon served with it seemed a little misplaced, although a dusting of smoked paprika tied all the flavours together.

The standout of our meal was the mushroom rice with scallops and Idiazabal cheese (S$28) that demonstrated Moncayo’s thoughtful approach to his food, as varying flavour and textural contrasts made every spoonful a delight. There was the deep earthiness of the mushrooms, creamy mozzarella cheese, perfectly cooked sweet scallops and the roundedness of Parmesan cheese.

Similarly, the tender sliced pork ear (S$18) that sat on a bed of quinoa, topped with creamy burrata cheese, sung with unexpected acidity. The addition of anchovy vinaigrette really set off the flavours, rendering it light and fresh. As for the sake, it purportedly harbours some rare bottles that are exclusive to BAM!. My dining companions could not stop waxing lyrical about the Sensho Masamune Junmai Daiginjo (S$24 a glass) — a sweet, fruity sake that was all too easy to drink.

With precision cooking, creativity and fresh and good quality ingredients, these dishes came out tops — which more than justified the S$70 or so (per person) we spent, including a glass of sake or cocktail each. The restaurant doesn’t levy a service charge, but its wait staff were all so good-natured, knowledgeable and efficient that not leaving a tip seemed criminal.

BAM! Tapas & Sake Bar

38 Tras Street

Tel: 6226 0500

Opening hours: 6pm till late daily