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Spanish cuisine is usually found in restaurants, and I’m (unfortunately) not an atas diner. The number of occasions where I’ve had Spanish food is way less than my fingers can count. Yeah, I’m probably missing out…
My chance to up that tally fell right into my lap when I chanced upon PaeLah on my regular social media scroll. This hip hawker stall’s claim to fame is its paella cooked in—interestingly—humble claypots. Its adorable name was certainly eye-catching, too. Stoked, I bookmarked the spot and made my way down as soon as I could.
PaeLah sits cosily in the corner of Maddox Canteen Bar, a quiet kopitiam nestled within an industrial complex in Bukit Merah. Admittedly, its location is slightly off the beaten path.
Would I travel out of the way for this again? I was eager to let my tastebuds find an answer to that question.
What I tried at PaeLah
For starters, I ordered the Gambas (S$8), which is known more simply as Spanish-style garlic shrimp. This popular dish typically stars prawns sauteéd in olive oil with garlic, chilli and a dash of paprika.
PaeLah’s rendition was pretty easy on the eyes. Served in a little wok-shaped dish, it featured 6 plump prawns that glistened invitingly in the oil. Embedded within the pile were golden-brown bits of garlic, while 3 slices of toast leaned against the side of the dish.
Contrary to its tantalising appearance, the Gambas‘ seasoning left me a tad dismayed. It was not as rich or bold as I’d hoped, with only a muted hint of garlic and paprika — which lent a rather faint spice.
I’ll give credit where it’s due, though. The prawns were indeed snappy and juicy, with a natural sweetness and light briny freshness that I relished. It would’ve fared much better in my books had it been complemented well by the seasoning.
Eager to make use of everything the dish had to offer, I piled a slice of toast with a piece of prawn, a couple bits of garlic and a dab of chilli oil. I enjoyed the savoury kick the garlic lent the morsel, coupled with the subtle yeasty sweetness of the lightly crispy bread.
Time for the main attraction. I dove into the Signature Seafood Pae (S$10.90), which looked exactly like a textbook paella — ‘cept in a claypot, of course. The picturesque dish featured a bed of short grain rice topped with prawns, squid, clams and scallops, along with puffed rice bits and 4 dollops of garlic aioli.
As with the Gambas, my first spoonful of this paella had me a little perplexed. It fell short in flavour despite its vibrant orange hue. The briny essence of the seafood stock was present but muted, leaving the rice tasting mild and somewhat lacklustre.
It didn’t help that the grains were a little mushy either, as I’d have preferred an al dente consistency like the dish usually possesses. I don’t know, it could simply be due to the limitations of claypot cooking.
The seafood also leaned light on flavour, leaving much to be desired. I felt as though they absorbed little of the dish’s seasoning, leaving it tasting one-dimensional and sadly underwhelming. I definitely would’ve appreciated a pinch of heat from the paprika.
Still, I was grateful that PaeLah was generous with the portion of seafood, and that each piece was cooked to a great texture. My dining partner and I enjoyed the toothsome prawns and scallops in particular.
I gave the paella a thorough mix before I tucked into the rest of it and boy, did that do wonders for the dish. Slathering the rice in the creamy garlic aioli gave it the moreish oopmh it so needed, and I shovelled down spoonfuls with ease. A definite must-do!
That aside, I was thrilled to see that the rice was embellished with none other than the hallmark of great claypot rice: a layer of char, which imparted a light smokiness and rendered the soft rice a crispy textural contrast.
Onto my final conquest: the OG Pae (S$8.90), a simple chicken and tomato paella. The contents of this one are pretty self-explanatory: a pile of chicken chunks crowned the rice, with the same dollops of garlic aioli piped neatly around it.
Despite how similar the rice here looked to that in the Signature Seafood Pae, its flavour was discernibly different. It carried the characteristic sweet tang of tomato, which was balanced out by savoury notes of garlic. I liked this one a lot more than its counterpart on first taste, although I do have to gripe about how it leaned towards the milder side once again.
The chicken chunks were tender, moist and well-marinated. I was pleasantly surprised by how well they complemented the rice, as neither element tasted discrete in the least.
I had almost forgotten about the saucer of chilli crisp I’d helped myself to at PaeLah’s storefront and promptly added a spoonful to the paella. Oh, this was a total game-changer. The lao gan ma-esque mixture featured a smattering of chilli seeds, bits of hae bee and fried garlic, all of which took the dish up a whole notch with an incredible umami.
What started out as a spoonful turned into an even bigger heap — the whole saucer’s worth, and then my second helping. It really was that addictive.
Final thoughts
PaeLah’s paella fell a little short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong! While it wasn’t a stellar take on the iconic Spanish dish, I could definitely appreciate its influences. The fare was inventive and decently enjoyable, though I had hoped for more depth in their flavours. The elements were there, indeed, but they could really shine with a bit more emphasis and refinement.
They had one thing nailed, though: that chilli crisp… I’ll have one bucketful, please.
So, would I travel for this again? Funnily enough, I’d say yes — because I’d love to give their other creations a go. Namely, their Gochujang Pae (S$8.90), Kombu Pae (S$11.90) and Pae Fan (S$9.90), AKA their spin on pao fan.
Expected damage: S$8.90 – S$11.90 per pax
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