Boca

6 Bukit Pasoh, Singapore 089820
Tel: (+65) 6221 0132
www.facebook.com/pages/Boca-Singapore

What is Portuguese cuisine? Egg tarts? Yes (and their warm, flaky, oozing, egg tarts are probably the best on the island), but there’s much more to to it than that. Boca, meaning “mouth”, has replaced Italian Oca Grassa on Bukit Pasoh Road. Black porcelain swallows line the blue walls, while large wooden serving boards line the open kitchen where chefs are busy at work. On the menu, lots of seafood including dry salted cod (Bacalhau a Braz at $28 — mixed with grated fried potatoes, egg, olives and onions), and a beautifully tender Octopus Salad ($24) with red and yellow peppers and smoked paprika. Chorizo is served flamed ($36) with brandy and a stack of bread to dip into the smoky fat drippings. Unusual dishes like Shrimp “Porridge” ($28) made of bread (rather than Chinese rice or Western oats) are interesting to try – a comforting dish which you’d expect a Portuguese grandma to make on a wintry evening.