Very often, we are strapped of choices when it comes to dining at tourists’ attractions. The restaurants are either too expensive, or the food just isn’t good altogether. Sometimes, they are not family-friendly, and kids have nothing suitable to eat. But being here in Singapore means we do not have to worry about all that, because we have trusty establishments to always bring the bests to us.
The newly opened PISCO South American Kitchen & Bar at Resorts World Sentosa is one that has made it to our chart of best family-friendly restaurants. Managed by Deliciae Hospitality Management in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa, this 76-seat outlet sits in the heart of the Integrated Resort.
Dishing out quality South American food, PISCO resembles a carnival – the happy colours of the interior and furnishing make it a joy to dine at, and has an extensive menu that is sure to whet everyone’s appetite. Here are some of their signatures, and our favourites from the menu.
PISCO features traditional dishes from Peru, Chile, and other countries in the South American continent, and the menu is divided into several categories: Bocadillos (homemade light snacks), Ceviches, Los Pinchos (grilled skewers), A La Parrilla (the grill), and Postres (desserts). In short, expect a good mix of dishes with a melange of textures, colours and flavours influenced by the Native American cuisine.
With so many dishes on PISCO’s menu, you should certainly pace yourself so that you can try a bit of everything.
Start off with snacks like Nachos (S$11) with spicy guacamole, and Empanadas (S$14) – minced beef in corn dough parcels. We would also suggest going for the Quesadillas (S$9.50 for 2 pcs), tortilla of manchego cheese that is simply done, and a great way to kick start your meal. Oh, if you are up for trying something different, go for the Arepas Venzolanas (S$13 – S$15) – Venezuelan sandwiches made of corn flat bread filled with toppings like shredded beef, black beans and corn.
Having a cocktail (or two) is the best way to enjoy the snacks. Pisco is the national drink for Peruvians, and with this, the drinks to order at PISCO is its variety of pisco cocktails – like Cocoloco Flip, Negroni Pisco, and the iconic Pisco Sour – which gives the restaurant its name. Besides pisco cocktails, the bar also offers delicious daiquiris, margaritas and mojitos in exhilarating variations. On Thursday to Saturday nights, you can enjoy the cocktails while listening to music from a live band.
Ceviches, for the uninitiated, are chilled seafood dishes. They are hugely popular, and is considered one of the staples in South American cuisine. Made from raw fish marinated in a tangy citrus juice, and spiced with chilli peppers, ceviches are as appetising as they look. PISCO offers six different variations; each with something to offer.
Amongst the ones that we have tried, we love the Gambas (S$13) – prawns dunked with mixed citrus fruits- and the result is a refreshing and tantalising combination of freshness and tanginess. The other noteworthy ceviche is Conchas Borrachas (S$15) – sea scallops drowned with Pisco and passionfruit sauce. This is another great example of how a simple dish done well can be so addictive. Octopus lovers must not miss out on the Pulpo (S$13) – octopus in olive oil and capers sauce.
Served with three sauces – mint salsa, salsa criolla, and amarillo chili – the grilled kebabs is the star of PISCO, and a meal here would not be complete without at least a serving of these perfectly grilled meat that come hanging gloriously on shiny metal skewers.
The meat options include Chicken Thigh (S$13), Pork Belly (S$14), Lamb Shoulder (S$18), and Beef Ribeye (S$23). There are also seafood choices such as Squid (S$15), Salmon (S$16), Seabass (S$17), and Octopus (S$23). The easiest way is to go for a combo (S$45++) – which gives you one meat, one seafood, and one vegetarian kebab.
The Chicken Thigh was succulent and juicy, and the Pork Belly proved to be even better. We were also impressed by how the Salmon was grilled to a perfect texture with the fish’s moisture retained. But the limelight was stolen by the Beef Ribeye – well-marinated and every bite tasted like heaven.
If you are with a big group, order the mains from the grill. Grilled Ribeye Steak (S$39), Whole Red Snapper (S$30) cooked in banana leaves, and Grilled Lamb Chop (S$24) are some satisfying options to fill your tummies.
To complete your meal, well, it has got to be desserts. And while the list may not be longer than your typical algebra equation, every one weighs a significant impact. If there could only be one pick, we’d say go for the Churros (S$9). Fans of Sabio Spanish Tapas Bar will be delighted to know that this is the exact same recipe, the legendary recipe that we might just proclaim it to be the best in Singapore.
Another pleasing dessert is the Encenelado de Pisco – a cake with pisco and cinnamon syrup baked to a sponge-like texture. It sounds more than simple and less than impressive, but it ticked all the right boxes. Else, the adventurous ones can try the Spicy Rice Pudding (S$9), which gives your palate a punch with its dimensional flavours.
PISCO has an excellent value-for-money set lunch available daily from 11.30am – 3pm. For S$18++, it comes with a soup of the day or Quesadillas, a Chicken/Salmon skewer, and steamed olive rice or grilled corn. There is an option of adding S$5 for the to-die-for churros.
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PISCO South American Kitchen & Bar
26 Sentosa Gateway, The Forum #01-231/232
Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
Tel: +65 6795 4720
Sun to Wed: 11.30am – 12 midnight
Thu to Sat: 11.30am – 1am
Nearest Station: Harbourfront
This post is brought to you by PISCO.
Hi! The set lunch serves everyday right, just to clarify. Anw the food looks delish! can’t wait to bring my partner to try
Them churros!!!!
Interesting they have chosen to call this place PISCO, obviously trying to catch people’s attention now Peruvian food seems to be trendy elsewhere.
I went through the menu and not a single dish looks Peruvian to me (I’m a Peruvian living in Singapore by the way)….oh…except for the Pisco Sour of course. But that I’ll have to try to see if it’s authentic or not.
Good luck but I think you have got it totally wrong for the ones who DO KNOW what to expect from REAL Peruvian and Latin American food.
You know a restaurant is in trouble when they change their menu within 2 weeks of opening, now offering a buffet for their skewers instead of their overpriced skewers set. Prices of the skewers have decreased from $13 to $10 for the chicken thigh, $14 to $12 for the pork belly etc. The food is not authentic, their chef is french. And the service staff are terrible, even worse than the sabio outlets which is managed by the same company. Definitely don’t order the octopus skewers, they are so rubbery that one can barely chew them. The only half decent thing is the ribeye skewers. And please do not order the cocktails, there is hardly any alcohol in them. And the pisco sour is nothing like what is found in peru.