La Cala 1

La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

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La Cala 1 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

Hola! Welcome to La Cala! Situated on the first floor of DUO Galleria in Bugis, this Spanish restaurant is in an easily accessible location.

The endless rows of glass panels silently draw you in, tempting you to have a peek into the restaurant.

La Cala 2 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

With soft music playing in the background and a gentle wood interior, this has to be one of the most comfortable restaurants I’ve been to, especially with the rustic wood interior.

La Cala 3 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The glass panels surrounding the establishment meant that ample amounts of natural sunlight could illuminate the restaurant.

As I snuggled into my seat, I was introduced to the head chef, who is in charge of bringing us through a gastronomical journey.

La Cala 4 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The first stop on our journey was the Jamon Iberico De Bellota ($26), where a slice of Iberico ham was placed atop lightly toasted bread and topped with chopped chives and olive oil caviar. 

As I took a bite, I was amazed at how light and crusty the bread was. The salty Iberico ham was tender, complementing the soft olive oil caviar which gently popped in my mouth and released the aroma of olive oil.

La Cala 7 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

Coca De Recapte ($20) is another tapas that comes with a crisp puff pastry, topped with caramelised onion, zucchini, and anchovies.

La Cala 6 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The sweetness from the caramelised onions and the saltiness from the anchovies harmonised perfectly, neither overpowering the other. The crisp puff pastry also gave the Coca De Recapte additional texture.

La Cala 8 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The Patatas Bravas ($12) was a bite-sized delight. The thin layer of lightly fried potato skin was crispy, and it wrapped around the creamy Mediterranean aioli sauce.

This dish was then garnished with some spicy red sauce, giving the Patatas Bravas a slight kick.

La Cala 9 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The moment I popped one of these treats into my mouth, I was hooked on it. Everything just seemed to blend effortlessly together. I loved how the creaminess of the Mediterranean aioli sauce was subdued by the crispy potato skin.

La Cala 12 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

Served on an ocean-blue plate that looked like sea-glass, the Carabinero Prawn Carpaccio with Ceps ($24) was a dish that left me in awe.

A thick layer of deep-sea Mediterranean prawns was served together with generous portions of sea urchin and ceps (also known as porcini mushroom).

La Cala 14 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The Carabinero Prawn Carpaccio was sweet and fresh, which went well with the soft and creamy sea urchin. The ceps were lightly roasted, giving off a pleasant earthy flavour.

I would recommend enjoying it together with the biscuit for a contrast in texture, as this dish is rather mushy.

La Cala 15 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

After the Canelon De Carne ($14) was served, the chef carefully sliced the black truffle onto the dish, being careful not to damage the $2,000-3,000/kg truffle. Yes, it’s that expensive!

La Cala 16 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The Canelon De Carne had a mixture of beef and pork filling, wrapped in a layer of thin pasta and doused with truffle cream sauce.

La Cala 18 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The filling was soft, with a texture that resembled shredded meat, and the black truffle flavour was actually surprisingly mild. The truffle cream coated the Canelon De Carne nicely, without making the pasta skin soggy.

La Cala 21 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The Lobster Paella ($70) came with an entire Boston lobster, together with carnaroli rice.

La Cala 24 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The carnaroli rice was brilliantly cooked, with a semi-firm crust surrounding the rice. Biting into it revealed its hidden softness, while the thick gravy contained bits of chopped capsicums and seafood.

La Cala 25 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The prominent sweetness of the fresh lobster made me wipe my plate clean of any trace of lobster. It was just that good!

La Cala 27 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The Crispy Suckling Pig ($35) was probably one of the best I’ve ever eaten. A small dollop of black garlic was placed beside the boneless Spanish suckling pig, and the dish was accompanied with a chunk of melon infused with beetroot.

La Cala 28 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

The crispy skin simply sang to my senses, and the juice oozed out with every bite, tantalising my taste buds. This is one dish I will probably never get sick of eating.

La Cala 32 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

To end off the dining experience, the refreshing Lemon And Cava ($12) hit the spot.

La Cala 33 La Cala: Lobster Paella, Crispy Suckling Pig & Other Tapas Dishes At DUO Galleria

Served with crushed cava-infused ice, lemon sorbet, lemon cream, and bread pieces, this was one refreshing dessert.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as sour as I thought it would be. The ice was sweetened by the cava, which countered the tartness of the lemon sorbet and the lemon cream. Have it together with the bread pieces in order to add a different texture to the dessert.


Dining at La Cala was a delightful and unforgettable experience. The excellent tapas, the fantastic mains, and the refreshing dessert, all added up to a great meal. Head down to La Cala to try it for yourself!

Expected Damage: $50 – 90 per pax

La Cala: 7 Fraser Street, #01-40/41/42/43, DUO Galleria, Singapore 189356 | Tel: +65 6282 9200 | Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon to Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook

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