Tapas meets izakaya at Humo

Business Times

01-05-2025

NEW RESTAURANT
Humo 21 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089128 Tel: [phone] Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Sat: 12pm to 2.30 pm; 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm
QUESTION: Why would two Catalan chefs with impressive credentials decide to open Humo – an izakaya serving their own version of sushi, tempura and donabe, in eclectic surroundings decorated with Japanese lanterns, graffiti posters and manga?
One: To showcase the wonders of Japanese cuisine in a Spanish context; to engage in retaliatory cultural appropriation in a restaurant industry that calls dim sum 'Chinese tapas' just to sound trendy; to appeal to discerning palates hungry for a fresh dining experience.
Two: There's another Spanish restaurant a few doors away, so they needed a different concept.
Yes, Humo dabbles in cliches and dreaded fusion. And the Japanese accent intrudes more than it improves, but – the strength of its chefs ensures that it doesn't sink to overly gratuitous or cartoonish levels.
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Carolina Garcia Santamaria previously headed the kitchen of Tapas 24 in Robertson Quay. Jordi Jou has stints with Gaig in Barcelona (and Singapore) in his resume, along with Lumbre and Tapas 24, where he first met Santamaria. They are both very personable and hospitable, but they are not husband and wife.
'I wish,' says the manager, attending to us in mock exasperation. Looks like he gets asked this every time, so do him a favour and get your facts here first.
Still, his good humour and a genuinely friendly service team add to Humo's warm and welcoming vibe. The food is mostly Spanish, with the expected switcheroos to Japanese produce here, and infusions of wasabi and yuzu there. Tapas rule, and portions get progressively bigger as you go along.
Two chefs of equal stature in the kitchen mean they could easily raise the bar, but they're hampered by the scenario they work in: one that demands price-friendly, casual but trendy fare with a quirky edge. Straight Spanish fare wouldn't fly either, not when Humo and the higher-end Nomada – also on Keong Saik Road – belong to the same restaurant group that owns Kulto and Cenzo.
Canadian oysters splashed with chilli crab gazpacho. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
We don't know what kind of gastronomy awaits at Nomada but at Humo, expect easy-pleasing bites that offer instant gratification, if no lingering impact. To start, slurp some slippery, fat Canadian oysters (S$12 for two) splashed with 'chilli crab' gazpacho – for a jolt of spice that's a refreshing change from the norm.
'Sushi' of fried rice cake topped with prawn tartare. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
A sushi master may only slightly grumble at the crossover version here – a tablet of fried risotto or flattened arancini, topped with a generous mound of Argentinian prawn tartare, dusted with obligatory tobiko to complete the imagery (S$24). Crunchy outside, squishy inside, sashimi on top, what's not to like?
Roasted sweet potato, nori butter and ikura. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
Roasted Japanese sweet potato smeared with nori butter and covered in ikura (S$18) has us on the fence. We're trying to enjoy the deliciously sweet gooeyness of the satsumaimo, but the briny-fishy seaweed cream and roe keep butting in like a busybody interrupting a private conversation. It's the same with crab and prawn croquettes (S$10), two recognisable balls of bechamel and crustacean, fried to a requisite crunch on the outside. On top? Aioli and bonito flakes. Not unpalatable, but not entirely necessary either.
Octopus and potatoes dressed in shishito vinaigrette. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
We prefer it when the food leans closer to its origin. Ubiquitous octopus (S$34) comes tender and sliced, on a simple bed of chunky mashed potato drizzled with a shishito or Japanese green pepper vinaigrette so that you get alternate mouthfuls of mild acid just for contrast. Add chopped onions for texture, and that's all you need.
Iberico pork ribs and Japanese cabbage. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
The only Japanese element in the grilled and fatty iberico pork ribs is the cabbage (S$38). Richly marinated, robustly coloured and glazed, this is Texan BBQ without the crassness. Charred cabbage on the side is all it needs.
Seafood paella with unagi, scallops and clams. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
Seafood paella (S$38) is Spanish glory at its finest, and even the Japanese unagi crowning it feels like it has a good reason to be there. A very thin layer of rice is charred at the edges, so it's crunchy and al dente in parts while infused in the heady broth it's cooked in. The eel might not make the grade in a bona fide unagi don shop, but it's adequate. It's joined by some scallops and clams, and dots of wasabi aioli make a good contrast.
Strawberries and Hokkaido milk ice cream. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
We would prefer churros to end off but you only get matcha cheesecake or strawberries and Hokkaido milk ice cream (S$14). You can't go wrong with the latter.
Blazing neon letters above the kitchen spell out the words Humo (Spanish for 'smoke') and 'oishii' (Japanese characters for 'delicious') in a bold statement of East-West camaraderie. A bit like forced joy in the corporate environment, this union is more manufactured than organic. But what's real is the sincerity of the chefs and team, decent food and good pricing. We'll take that over concept anytime.
Rating: 6.5