New Restaurant Alert: Daniel and Tamara Chávez to open Spanish restaurant Tinto on May 9

Celebrations shouldn’t be an excuse for good food. Just like their Latin American heritage and culture, the brand new Spanish restaurant Tinto is another affirmation that life is meant to be celebrated everyday with good company, great food and even better wine

Singapore is home to many fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants, but not all chefs are in the restaurant business for the accolades and stars. Some do it for the love of life and because life should simply be celebrated. For Singapore’s most popular Peruvian-Mexican husband-wife chef couple, Daniel and Tamara Chávez, dining out is a time to unwind and to let the restaurant take care of you, so you don’t have to worry about anything. “Now more than ever after the pandemic, we feel that everyone really needs to relax and enjoy life again, especially with Singapore’s hectic lifestyle,” says Daniel.

With Daniel’s Peruvian roots and Tamara’s Mexican heritage, Singapore has been treated to a gamut of their restaurants, rife with the vibrant Latin American culture and its different cuisines, and the couple’s perfect partnership. They heartily embody the Mi casa is su casa philosophy, as they’ve always delivered a great dining experience with great value for money at each of their restaurants till date. And that includes, the food, the music, the wine, the convivial ambience and the service. “Music is very important to us. When was the last time you went to a restaurant with a great playlist playing in the background over drinks?” asks Daniel. Valid point.

“Canchita has been my baby for the past two years, and now we’re ready for another one,” grins Tamara, who will be heading the kitchen in both restaurants. Enter Tinto.

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Above Cangrejo

Above Fideua carabineros and setas

Naturally, Tinto is also located in Dempsey Hill, so that the couple can manage both restaurants easily in close proximity. “We love this area, especially for its lush greenery. There’s something about Dempsey Hill that gives you a mental break, and makes you relax as you leave the city. We were in the CBD area for 10 years when it was the place to be; but now, what better place to be than in Dempsey?” shares Daniel. Adds Tamara, “We love eating and drinking in our own restaurants because we believe 100 per cent in what we’re offering our guests.”

Simply put, Tinto (named after vino tinto, Spanish for red wine) offers authentic Valencian paellas, fideuà, tapas and Spanish wines, transporting diners back to Spain with its colours, flavours and dishes. Daniel’s work took him to Valencia before working in Barcelona with the late Santi Santamaria, and thereafter helming (the now-defunct) Santi at Marina Bay Sands with him. “Spain has been such a large part of our lives. Santi was the first Catalan chef to receive the three-Michelin-star accolade, but you would never know that working with him. His ethos was all about kindness as a person; and flavour and traditional recipes as a chef, albeit through fine dining. In many ways, Tinto is a tribute to Santi and all that he has done for us, and this is our way of honouring him and his legacy,” says Daniel warmly.

The humble chef couple also got married over the computer during the pandemic and Spain was one of the very few places that offered a VTL at that time. Hence Daniel got the chance to finally show off Spain to Tamara, as it was such a turning point in his life.

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Above Chef couple Daniel and Tamara Chavéz

With Spain’s strong relationship with Latin America and Mexico’s big Spanish influence, with the couple’s love for food and their heritage, the seed for the restaurant subconsciously took root in their minds. “Sometimes you feel something for a place that isn’t even your own birth place, and for me, that was Spain. I fell in love with their tapas and their paellas; I’m always cooking paellas and fideuà at home for us and for our friends,” says Daniel.

Unlike other Spanish restaurants in town that mostly offer Catalan cuisine, Tinto’s Valencian-inspired menu features tapas (expect premium Cinco Jotas acorn-fed Ibérico ham); sharing- and individual-sized paellas (one of Spain's national treasure); fideuà (originally from the coast of Valencia, instead of typical Bomba rice, fideuà is the pasta noodle version of paella); suckling pig; vegetarian options, and more. Signatures include Tinto paella with grilled octopus and chorizo; the Valencian paella with chicken and rabbit; and the luxe carabineros & setas fideuà, brimming with organic mushrooms à la plancha, dry sherry, chestnuts and red carabinero prawns crowning the creation.

“Our dining philosophy is simple, it should be fun and relaxed. Like Canchita, Tinto will also be a casual restaurant, with good food and even better wine. We’re keeping everything really simple so that everyone enjoys themselves and diners keep coming back for the value, the flavours, and the warm Latino hospitality,” smiles Tamara. Adds Daniel, “When I first came to Singapore 17 years ago, champagne was most popular. Then came prosecco and whisky; but the only thing that hasn’t changed is red wine. It’s healthy to drink a little red wine everyday; we like drinking red wine ourselves; it’s an easy name to remember; and it’s easy to pronounce with every accent, so Tinto was an obvious choice for the restaurant name.”

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Above De pulpo and chorizo

Above New Valenciana

As their mark of respect for Singapore being home for so many years, the chefs have made minor changes to the original recipes to better suit local tastes, but without touching the soul of the dish and still keeping the inspiration authentic. For instance, paella is typically cooked stew-style with the meats, Spanish saffron and other flavourings cooking together with the rice. At Tinto however, cooked rice is crisped up in the oven and crowned with the caramelised toppings for more flavour. And unlike typical Spanish fare, Tinto’s renditions will be less saltier and less oilier too.

For tipples, don’t expect a complicated wine list despite the restaurant’s moniker, nor a sommelier. Not only does the latter keep things casual, but the savings in the restaurant’s overheads and operating costs are passed onto the diners. Daniel curated the beverage list together with his manager and the sommelier from Santi, offering a list of (wallet-friendly) only Spanish wines, sherries and brandies that they personally enjoy and which will complement Tinto’s food, so that everyone can enjoy good wine at affordable prices.

And yes, expect a stellar playlist too, with Daniel’s personally curated Latino selection.

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Topics

Spanish restaurant Tinto Dempsey Hill Tamara Chavéz Daniel Chavéz

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New restaurant alert: Daniel and Tamara Chávez to open Spanish restaurant Tinto on May 9