MoVida Singapore Review: Popular Tapas Restaurant From Melbourne Opens In SG

MoVida Singapore opens at Raffles City with famous tapas

Raffles City just got a whole lot cooler with the opening of Mensho Tokyo Singapore, a famous ramen joint that boasts 18 outlets worldwide. And now, located next door is MoVida Singapore, another noteworthy brand brought in by the same folks—Surrey Hills Holdings. The popular tapas restaurant, which hails from Melbourne, Australia, has been around since 2003.

If their name sounds familiar, that’s because they previously collaborated with Surrey Hills Grocer Holland Village earlier this year, giving patrons a teaser of what to expect at this new restaurant.

Food at MoVida Singapore

There are a total of nine tapas to choose from, priced from $8++ per piece. You won’t go wrong with the classic Croqueta ($12++), where creamy leek and lobster are encased in a golden-fried exterior, then paired with a piquillo pepper.

This was a delightful medley of textures and flavours; you get the crispy shell, followed by the smooth and savoury filling, finished with a touch of sweetness from the pepper. My only gripe was its price—$12++ seemed rather steep for one piece.

I thought that the Tartaleta ($8++) was more interesting, with its rich chicken liver parfait filling and sweet brûléed cap, wrapped by a paper-thin brik pastry—a savoury Tunisian pastry similar to filo. I’m not usually a fan of liver, but the clever use of the brûléed top here added a lovely sweetness and crunch, cutting through any potential gaminess.

We also tried the Abalón ($16++), where slow-cooked abalone is finished over charcoal, then complemented by thin strips of Iberico pork lardo, and finished with a butter emulsion. Unfortunately, the abalone was just a tad overcooked, though the other components came together beautifully. Personally, I couldn’t justify paying $16++ for one piece, but if you’re an abalone fanatic, it might be up your alley.

I would recommend the Cecina ($32++) instead, as it turned out to be a unanimous favourite at the table. Fun fact: this was an award-winning dish back at the OG Melbourne restaurant!

This sharing-worthy plate featured air-cured Wagyu, truffle potato foam, and a poached egg as the crowning glory. It sounded simple at first, but the three elements were delicious altogether: the smooth and fragrant potato mousse paired beautifully with the creamy yolk, while the umami-packed Wagyu slices brought the dish to the next level.

Another must-try at MoVida is the Paella De Señorito ($75++) AKA “Gentlemen’s Paella”. Here’s why it’s named as such: just like how a gentleman would peel the prawns for you, the seafood here is served peeled and ready to eat, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty.

You get a generous layer of smoked prawns, calamari, and barramundi chunks, all of which are fresh and perfectly cooked. This portion can easily feed three to four diners.

My ideal way to enjoy this is to consume the seafood, then wait for the saffron-infused rice to crisp up at the bottom, a la claypot rice.

On to the sweets: MoVida Singapore absolutely nailed their desserts. The Churros Con Chocolate ($12++) featured crispy churros served with a side of rich dark chocolate sauce for dipping and drinking.

Each churro stick was well-fried till crispy on the outside, yet light in the middle. However, the real star of the show was the chocolate sauce, which was uber-rich without being cloyingly sweet. You bet I mopped up every last bit of that calorific liquid gold.

My dining companion preferred the Flan ($12++): Spanish cream caramel with spiced pestinos pastries.

It’s not hard to see why: this was probably the best flan I’ve had. It was perfectly executed, with an incredibly smooth texture and a melt-in-the-mouth consistency, paired with a deep sweetness from the caramel.

Ambience at MoVida Singapore

The restaurant sits on the third floor of Raffles City Shopping Centre, a three-minute walk from City Hall MRT Station.

Upon entering, we felt like we were transported to another part of the world; the interiors resembled that of a hidden underground wine cellar with its brick walls and stone-textured ceilings. There were a good mix of long tables for group settings and cosy nooks for intimate date nights, along with a few bar seats for those who want to watch the bartenders in action.

The verdict

MoVida Singapore scores with their delicious Spanish food and desserts. While prices are on the steep end, I think they’re worth a visit for special, splurge-worthy occasions.

Another noteworthy restaurant to check out at Raffles City is Wo Wo Dian, which specialises in traditional buns and rice noodles. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled for 27 August 2024, as that’s when cult coffee chain Blue Bottle Coffee is set to open at the same mall for a limited time!

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #03-43, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 10pm
Tel: 8380 8509
Website
MoVida Singapore is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Paula Formantes.
This was a media tasting at MoVida Singapore.