I made a booking at Anada a few days back through their answering machine. They called to confirm three times but I wasn't able to answer their calls. I really thought that I would need to switch to another place for dinner. Good thing was they were patient and called a few hours before my reservation. And the best thing was, they gave me a table instead of just some place at the bar since I'll be dining alone. For that, I'm really grateful to have my own table and enjoy the food.
Anada is a bustling little place along Gertrude Street and with all the swank and old street charm around it, this bar definitely deserves a spot there. It also gets packed easily, with just a few communal tables, stools and places at the bar but the food, wine and atmosphere made up for it. Now, on to the food.
Aperitif #1: Romate Palo Cortado ‘La Regente’ 750ml Jerez, Spain. A nice dry sherry to start the meal and with the tapas. Not overly sweet nor too pungent that it will make you gasp. It has a lovely tinted rose pink color and a nice spicy, nutty scent as well.
Tapas #1 : Fresh sea urchin with tarragon and Pedro Ximenez. This was their special for the night. I think some people would squirm at the sight and texture of fresh sea urchin but I like it. The plump flesh was sweet and bursting with the flavor of the sea. The crunch from the tarragon slivers and rich Pedro Ximenez were good combinations but could be better.
Tapas #2: Crumbed lambs brain with red lentils. This was exquisite. I have tasted pork brains before and it was somewhat sharp but creamy. Lambs brain was a different story. If I didn't tell you that it was lambs brain, it would taste like mushrooms to you in terms of texture. There was no gamey-ness at all. It was just fresh and light, and the idea of crumbing with the red lentils were good accompaniments to the tapas. The red lentil sauce was sweet instead of tangy with tastes of cumin.
Tapas #3: Rabbit empanadilla. Another first for me. I haven't had rabbit meat before (apologies to my hare/rabbit loving cousins). The crust of the empanadilla was good and flaky but too salty for me. The rabbit tasted a lot like tuna, heavily spiked with paprika.
With my raciones: Red wine Alvaro Castro ‘Dão’ Tinto 2007 Dão, Portugal. A very drinkable red wine. I don't like red wine a lot and always opt for crisp whites but with more Spanish or Portugese reds, I might change my mind. It is smooth and tasted slightly of cherries.
My only Raciones: Slow roasted beef cheek in Romate oloroso & paprika with fava bean puree. For foodies, we know that the cheek is the best part of the animal. This is the real deal. The beef cheek was swimming in lovely tomato and fava bean sauce. I think this was the softest, silkiest piece of meat I've ever tasted and how fortunate I am to have it all to myself. The fava bean puree was also divine. You can just use the spoon to scoop up the beef cheek's flesh and just your fork to lightly drag it apart. Of course, do not forget the sauce!
Sweet sherry: Romate Cream ‘La Sacrista’ 30 yr Jerez, Spain. This is worlds apart from the Pedro Ximenez sherry that I had at MoVida. In terms of color, La Sacrista was lighter in color and less richer in terms of taste. It is sweeter than the Pedro Ximenez, almost like a dessert in itself.
Dessert: Blood Orange Yoghurt Cake with Pistachios. This was the least of my favorite of the night. Everything was on the tangy side and seems like they have forgetten about to consider the sweet side of the dish. Blood Orange, sour. Yoghurt cake, slightly sour. Yoghurt, sour. Can be better.
Anada knows what its about in terms of serving up good tapas and raciones. Every dish was executed with care and a certain liveliness as well. It is not pretentious and does not forget to bring the boldness of flavors from the food to the wine and to its ambiance.
Anada is a bustling little place along Gertrude Street and with all the swank and old street charm around it, this bar definitely deserves a spot there. It also gets packed easily, with just a few communal tables, stools and places at the bar but the food, wine and atmosphere made up for it. Now, on to the food.
Aperitif #1: Romate Palo Cortado ‘La Regente’ 750ml Jerez, Spain. A nice dry sherry to start the meal and with the tapas. Not overly sweet nor too pungent that it will make you gasp. It has a lovely tinted rose pink color and a nice spicy, nutty scent as well.Tapas #1 : Fresh sea urchin with tarragon and Pedro Ximenez. This was their special for the night. I think some people would squirm at the sight and texture of fresh sea urchin but I like it. The plump flesh was sweet and bursting with the flavor of the sea. The crunch from the tarragon slivers and rich Pedro Ximenez were good combinations but could be better.
Tapas #2: Crumbed lambs brain with red lentils. This was exquisite. I have tasted pork brains before and it was somewhat sharp but creamy. Lambs brain was a different story. If I didn't tell you that it was lambs brain, it would taste like mushrooms to you in terms of texture. There was no gamey-ness at all. It was just fresh and light, and the idea of crumbing with the red lentils were good accompaniments to the tapas. The red lentil sauce was sweet instead of tangy with tastes of cumin.Tapas #3: Rabbit empanadilla. Another first for me. I haven't had rabbit meat before (apologies to my hare/rabbit loving cousins). The crust of the empanadilla was good and flaky but too salty for me. The rabbit tasted a lot like tuna, heavily spiked with paprika.
With my raciones: Red wine Alvaro Castro ‘Dão’ Tinto 2007 Dão, Portugal. A very drinkable red wine. I don't like red wine a lot and always opt for crisp whites but with more Spanish or Portugese reds, I might change my mind. It is smooth and tasted slightly of cherries.My only Raciones: Slow roasted beef cheek in Romate oloroso & paprika with fava bean puree. For foodies, we know that the cheek is the best part of the animal. This is the real deal. The beef cheek was swimming in lovely tomato and fava bean sauce. I think this was the softest, silkiest piece of meat I've ever tasted and how fortunate I am to have it all to myself. The fava bean puree was also divine. You can just use the spoon to scoop up the beef cheek's flesh and just your fork to lightly drag it apart. Of course, do not forget the sauce!
Sweet sherry: Romate Cream ‘La Sacrista’ 30 yr Jerez, Spain. This is worlds apart from the Pedro Ximenez sherry that I had at MoVida. In terms of color, La Sacrista was lighter in color and less richer in terms of taste. It is sweeter than the Pedro Ximenez, almost like a dessert in itself.Dessert: Blood Orange Yoghurt Cake with Pistachios. This was the least of my favorite of the night. Everything was on the tangy side and seems like they have forgetten about to consider the sweet side of the dish. Blood Orange, sour. Yoghurt cake, slightly sour. Yoghurt, sour. Can be better.
Anada knows what its about in terms of serving up good tapas and raciones. Every dish was executed with care and a certain liveliness as well. It is not pretentious and does not forget to bring the boldness of flavors from the food to the wine and to its ambiance.
Comments