At first, a Spanish tapas sake bar seems a bit odd but more than a year on, BAM! remains a hit with chef Pepe Moncayo still serving really good food to go with Sake pairings. Pepe continues to add new dishes, probably best experienced through the omakase menu but favourites are still available. I continue to enjoy visiting once in a while to see what’s new and knowing that Pepe’s friendly and humble demeanour and good food will not disappoint.
My first visits to BAM! consisted of ordering off their menu – namely their signature dishes such as their kampong egg with baby sotong and chorizo, cold capellini pasta with ebi sakura and uni, the pasta “a la plancha” and the roast suckling pig. While these dishes are still available (and highly recommended), the bulk of the menu changes regularly and this also partly reflects the fresh produce that BAM! can obtain. This is in keeping with the tradition of Japanese izakaya bars serving what’s freshly available.
On a recent visit our amuse bouche was one of BAM!’s signatures – caviar on a crispy fried Ankimo tofu which was accompanied by a complimentary glass of nicely chilled cava (essentially a Spanish sparkling wine).
Our first dish was foie gras terrine on grilled brioche with a hint of ginger dressing. This was followed by a signature – the cold capellini pasta with sakura ebi (small shrimp) and uni (sea urchin) and lots of nori.
A very nice egg royal or chawan mushi (steamed egg with broth) with lots of fresh Sri Lankan crab, konbu and small cubes of chopped apple followed. I really enjoyed this combination.
The next dish was I thought a bit underwhelming because it was a bit difficult to chew through the iberico pork. So basically, I ended with the whole chunk of pork separated from the english muffin. The pork was dressed with fermented lettuce and shisho peppers.
The next dish was quite unusual – fish belly in a tempura style was just a touch chewy but still enjoyable. I liked the local lime and salmon roe that went with it.
Next we had a grilled spanish octopus with hummus and lentils. BAM! tends to do its octopus well and this variation was no exception. The octopus was wonderfully tender – so cooked just right.
The last two dishes reflected the progression into heavier, meatier dishes. First we had meat from the head of a tuna grilled and served with bonito flakes and an aioli sauce and then we ended with wagyu beef served with fried pasta, burrata and truffle. I really liked the taste of the latter although the burrata being cold was slightly odd. It’s a mental thing because you’re expecting all items to be hot.
The dessert for the evening was a meringue cup holding a refreshing yoghurt chantilly on a pineapple compote. My friend also ordered the churros.
I’ve had some dishes in the past at BAM! that I’ve enjoyed equally or more in some cases but I think that there is very little that disappoints. I also think that that the dishes tend to flow well together so that there is not much that is incongruous in the meal. I took the lesser omakase at SGD150 for seven courses. The SGD180 version has the same number of dishes but with a greater quantum of specialty ingredients. The meal has an option of a sake pairing for SGD90 extra. I’ll have to try that one day.
Reservations recommended especially on weekends. BAM! is closed on Sundays.
BAM!’s website: http://bamtapassake.com/singapore.html