Having had my first real taste of paella in Valencia and Barcelona 2 years ago, I was very excited when I saw Milagro’s menu. Of course we had to flamenco our way down to try it out.
*Throwback photos from Spain – First taste of real paella in Valencia and in Barcelona. Loving that crunchy rice texture and the crispy, crusty bottom of the rice (socarrat), Spanish version of our crusty claypot rice! Cute chef too 😀
Meanwhile, back to Milagro… Milagro’s has tasting versions of some of their key main dishes during LUNCH. This is good for portion sizing, lighter on the pocket (compared to dinner prices), and a great way to try a variety with your fellow diners.
We went for the Mixed Paella $12 (lunch menu), Prawn Aglio Olio $15 (lunch menu), Cheese and Olives platter $4 (when you order the lunch menu), Solomillo Iberico Pork $26 and Octopus a la Gallega $17
Octopus a la Gallega – Fresh, nice bite to the Octopus with a clean taste. Patatas, exactly like those I had in Spain. Thumbs up.
Cheese & Olives – My cheese crazy buddies could not stop scoffing the cheese mix. Manual intervention needed to keep some for my after meal dessert.
Prawn Aglio Olio – Pasta al dente, kind of over salty though. The prawns were firm but mealy at the head, usually an indication it is not fresh.
Solomillo Iberico Pork – Thumbs up again for the patatas and the salad, but we were not so sure about the pork. Slightly tough, and lacking the oomph in taste. Perhaps we had expected more as it is after all the famous Iberico pork..?
Mixed Paella – Looks very pretty. Chicken was alright. Prawns again not fresh. But the rice….! No al dente rice, no crusty bottom, just soggy rice that was so little it barely even covered the bottom of the mini pan. At $12, ok lah, value for money. But at the dinner prices of $50, I rather save a bit more and splurge at Serenity at VIVO.
My rating 7/10 (weekday lunch only)
Ambiance 8.5/10 (view of Orchard is lovely if you can get a seat next to the window. Decor is cosy. What’s with the sticky tables?)
Food 6.5/10 (Thumbs up for the patatas all round. Mains were not bad, but not great either, and no excuse for mealy prawns and soggy rice)
Service 6.5/10 (Perhaps the staff was new, or not very trained. Seemed a tad blur, and water refills were very slow even though there were only 4 full tables during our time there, with 3 staff. Appetizers were also served together with the mains.)
Price 7.5/10 (This applies only for the lunch specials. Normal/dinner pricing is heavier on the wallet)
Milagro Spanish Restaurant
Orchard Central (#08-06/07)
181 Orchard Rd 238896
Tel: +65 6238 6248
Opening Hours
Mon – Fri: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
singaporeaneats 