Don Quijote @ Demsey Hill: Food that is Spanish and Delish

On the famous Demsey Hill sits a Spanish restaurant that has a casual and friendly atmosphere.

Starting with the tapas, the Barbequed Prawns in Garlic and Olive Oil was so plump and juicy. Each mouthful had a burst of flavour and a good crunch from the fried, chopped garlic. Dip some fluffy bread into the remaining garlic and olive oil and you’re good to go.

Price: $18
Taste: 3.5/5
Heat: 0/5

The Croquettes with Cured Spanish Ham was a burst of surprise with the warm, smooth potato hiding under the crispily fried layer. Pair it with the dip at the side was sweet and slightly spicy, or just eat it on its own.

Price: $16
Taste: 4/5
Heat: 1/5 (dip)

There was a good combination of sweet from the apple sauce and savoury from the meatball seasoning for the Meatballs with Apple Sauce. Although slightly small in size, it had a really good crunchy exterior.

Price: $13
Taste: 3.5/5
Heat: 0/5

I particularly did not love this dish as the Grilled Spicy Squid was a little chewy but it really varies with people because there were many others that loved this dish. Also, it was tasty and did have a punch of spice.

Price: $16 (secret menu item*)
Taste: 3/5
Heat: 2/5

Called secret because these parts of the meat would be kept for themselves, we got to try the Grilled Spanish ‘Secret’ Iberian Pork. I’ve never had a medium or medium rare done pork so this was a really interesting dish that was packed with flavour and was actually one of my favourite tapas.

Price: $26 (secret menu item*)
Taste: 4/5
Heat: 0/5

Moving on to mains, the tender Ox-Tail Stew was falling off the bone and the stew was so rich and hearty. It would have been perfect if eaten with bread too.

Price: $36
Taste: 4/5
Heat: 0/5

Served on a platter, the Oven-roasted Spanish Suckling Pig in medium size had a thin crispy skin and everything was just mouthwatering. Those who love a good amount of fat in their pork would love this as the fats were quite substantial and so melt-in-the-mouth.

Price: $89/$169/$329 (min. 2 days in advance)
Taste: 4.5/5
Heat: 0/5

A definite must-try when you’re here is the Charcoal-flame-grilled Bone-in Tomahawk Rib-steak. This huge steak was simply seasoned with sea salt and pepper from Sarawak, which gave it enough flavour to give you a memorable experience. Usually, I do not like my steak being this rare but this was an exception. The meat was so soft yet not chewy – I enjoyed every bite of it.

Price: $18/100 grams (min. 2 days in advance)
Taste: 5/5
Heat: 0/5

It was also my first time trying a Paella. The ‘Live’ Baby Boston Lobster Paella and ‘Live’ Baby Boston Lobster Squid-ink Pasta both had a live lobster plated on top, plus other seafood items like mussel and fresh prawns.

Price: $65 (large) + $79 (with lobster)
Taste: 3/5
Heat: 0/5

I particularly appreciated the squid-ink pasta more as I like the flavours of it more and how fine the pasta was. The paella, on the other hand, was quite savoury and the texture was too wet for my liking, but that’s just my preference.

Price: $65 (large) + $79 (with lobster)
Taste: 3.5/5
Heat: 0/5

Don Quijote’s chocolate is from Barcelona. They are the only restaurant that carries this range of chocolate as they are the only ones that directly import it. The chocolate in the Churros with Chocolate Sauce and Warm-chocolate Lava Cake with Artisanal Chocolate was nice and smooth and was sweet too.

Price: $16
Taste: 3.5/5 (churros)
Heat: 0/5

However, if I had to choose between one dessert, it would have to be the lava cake as I just love a hot lava cake with a hard crust at the bottom paired with a sweet vanilla ice cream.

Price: $19
Taste: 4/5 (lava cake)
Heat: 0/5