Grilled chicken hearts, roasted suckling pig: This new restaurant in Tanjong Pagar offers a taste of Colombia
After shuttering Preludio and Bacata, chef Fernando Arevalo is moving away from his previous fine dining direction with the casual eatery Latido in Tras Street.
Colombian chef Fernando Arevalo is back with a new restaurant. Latido, located on Tras Street, is a casual but still polished hotspot for all things related to Colombian cuisine, drinks and culture, with a personal touch.
After shuttering Preludio and Bacata at Frasers Tower, Arevalo is moving away from his previous fine dining direction to a more accessible a la carte menu. (You can, however, opt for tasting menus priced from S$128 to S$188).
Fans of his accomplished cooking will be glad to hear that many of the dishes served at Bacata reappear on Latido’s menu, albeit in slightly different forms.
Like the cult favourite rye bread (S$8), first served at Preludio four years ago – with its fermented mushroom glaze, bacon fat and sprinkle of thyme and salt, and a pairing of onion butter, it’s a non-negotiable must-order.
And the Sopa Langosta (S$48), his take on the classic Colombian dish of ajiaco, a hearty soup of chicken, potatoes, corn and the herb guascas, which his mother used to make at home in Bogota. This version uses lobster and three different kinds of potato for elevated textures and beautifully paired flavours.
Then there are the Bocados de Tiradito (S$16), featuring a ceviche of sawara or Spanish mackerel with tiger’s milk and lime vinegar pearls in a house-made, coriander seed-infused kueh pie tee shell – one of Arevalo’s many culinary touches reflecting how Singaporean he’s become after living here for 10 years and building a family.
There are also new dishes to take for a spin, like the Pincho de Corazones (S$22): Expertly grilled skewers of chicken hearts paired with a sauce of red wine and egg yolk, served with addictive Andes potato fried in duck fat. I asked for more orders of this to the point where he joked that he might as well be running a yakitori joint. But I think it’s quite poetic that the chicken hearts are my favourite dish as the restaurant’s name, Latido, is the Spanish word for “heartbeat”.
Other interesting dishes are braised rabbit with bacon and pickled onion on cassava tortillas (S$32); grilled cuttlefish in a sauce of salted egg, nduja and chimichurri (S$22); and skate wing rice (S$38) with coffee, red wine and granadilla, a fruit bearing a resemblance to passionfruit.
Stopping the show is the Lechonsita or suckling pig, served with warm tortillas (a 100g portion is S$38). A whole piglet is roasted each day, stuffed with layers of chickpeas and its own meat, cooked for six hours in the oven and served with pickled padron peppers and onions for a complementary hit of acidity.
Traditionally enjoyed at feasts in Colombia, the stuffing of the pig varies by region, Arevalo said, and he, too, will serve different stuffings from time to time.
In fact, he plans to change the menu up every three months. For example, the arepas or grilled cakes of leaf-wrapped maize, will have different toppings; or the empanadas (yes, the South American curry puffs) will have different fillings.
More than just a restaurant, Arevalo hopes Latido will be a hub for Colombian culture in Singapore. Decor on display, like decorative vessels and masks handmade by indigenous craftspeople in Colombia, can also be purchased.
He’s bringing fruits commonly grown and eaten in Colombia, like granadilla, lulo, feijoa, plantain and pink guava, into the country.
And, starting in January, there are plans for a weekend brunch that’s also a farmer’s market of sorts, where people can come and have coffee and a bite, while browsing and shopping for fruits, flowers and fresh bakes.
"The goal was to make Colombia more visible, and Bacata told us that it was possible. With Latido, we don’t have any limitations. It's more Colombian, in more ways," Arevalo said. "It's not just a restaurant, it's a place for the community to come and see what it is, what it feels like, what it tastes, to be in Colombia, and it's a tool for us to help the Colombian community, and to bring in all these amazing things that no one knows exist."
Latido is at 40 Tras Street, Singapore 078990.