Hola España!
It’s been quite a long time I’m drooling over nice Paella. Here in Jakarta, it’s not easy to find one. There’s only a little of Spanish restaurant in the industry. Suddenly, my eyes stopped at ‘Tapas Movida’ while I read some magazine. Voila! A Spanish restaurant!!
No more hesitation, I arranged a little gathering with my fellow foodie. Finally, I can taste some exotic taste in my palate! Woohoo!
Located in Cipete area, there’s this small restaurant with a classic atmosphere and a nice touch of mosaic tiles for the outdoor sitting area. Nice ambience.
As I look through the menu, Paella and Sangria really it’s a must order items. We ended up ordered Paella de Marisco (270k) and a jug of Sangria (210k).
Paella, it’s basically a Spanish yellow rice (from Saffron) cooked until it’s get a crusty layer in the bottom of the pan. They cooked it in a special paella pan. This one, they served it with a humongous portion and generous amount of condiments. From peas, chicken, prawns and also mussels. The rice turns out not the same as I expected it to be. I like it a bit dry yet still have the moist texture. I found it also a bit too salty but after that Chef Manuel Verdaguer came and explains that it’s how Spanish do their paella. (And we did order the Spanish styles!) They love salt. Unfortunately, the salt that we have here in Indonesia is more salty than the one in overseas. I think maybe that’s the reason why I found a salty taste in the end. However, I really enjoyed every single bite. There are lots of layers to be described by words.
When you entered a Spanish restaurant, you really need to enjoy a glass maybe two or more Sangria. Nothing can beat the feeling after you sipping nice Sangria! We ended up finish two jugs of Sangria. Big thank you for the complimentary chef! Sangria is a mixture of red wine, orange juice, soda, syrup and fruits. Keep it in the fridge minimum 1 day before serving. That’s how you enjoy it! A little reminder, don’t drink too much with empty stomach; you’ll ended up in your bed the whole day! Haha!
A journey of Spanish cuisine won’t be complete without some Pinchos/Tapas. We then ordered quite a lot of tapas selections.
Tortilla espanola (30k). It’s a Spanish potato omellete and very fulfilling.
Albondigas (40k). I bet you’ve heard a quote of ‘Less is more’ quite a lot of time. I totally agree with that statement. These simple meatballs were extremely delicious. I wasn’t quite sure to order it at the first place. Who might think not-your-extraordinary-look-meatball could melt your heart and leave no room for any other food. It’s the best meatballs in the world! In addition, the sauce was a top notch too!
Patata confitada con salmon y compota de manzana (15k). It’s a stack of candied potato sandwich with salmon and apple compote. I love the potato. It’s sweet and matches perfectly with the smoked salmon.
Gambones con gabardina y alioli (15k). A toast served with fried prawns drizzled with garlic mayonnaise. Couldn’t ask for more.
Tosta de brie y cebolla caramelizada (15k). Another to-die-for toast served with brie cheese and caramelized onion. The sweetness from the onion melt together with the cheese will bring you above the sky.
Montadito de ternera con queso azul y cebolla caramelizada (18k). Fulfilling toast with tenderloin, cheese and caramelized onion. However, I’d prefer the brie cheese and caramelized onion one.
Pintxo de pollo moruno con salsa de yogur y queso (15k). You might think it’s only a chicken satay. I tell you, it’s definitely not! It’s well marinated chicken with a great dipping yogurt and cheese sauce. One is never enough.
Esparragos trigueros con huevos pasados por agua (15k). It’s green asparagus with poached egg. The asparagus still has the nice texture.
Bruschetta de guacamole y gambas al ajillo (15k). If you love avocado and shrimp, this one is highly recommended. A toast served with generous amount of guacamole and garlic shrimps on top. The freshness of the guacamole brings a different world in your palate.
Enough for some light bites. Now it’s time for some scrumptious dessert. We kinda confused what to order for dessert. After much consideration, we tried Reinette (35k) and Milhoja de fresas con sabayon de vainilla y salsa de chocolate (40k).
Who would refuse a nice mixture of nougat, vanilla ice cream and apple tatin? I love this lovely heavenly glass of sweet tooth.
For a millefuille fans, you should try theirs. A two layered pastry with piped vanilla sabayon and fresh strawberry drizzled with generous amount of chocolate sauce. Watch out! You’ll get messy with this food! Yet that’s the fun part to enjoy this loveable pastry. Unfortunately, the vanilla sabayon was a bit bland. It’s more like a whipped cream.
The night was off. We had a great dinner experience and also a nice conversation with the Chef! Tapas Movida is definitely my favorite restaurant. The food was great and friendly staff. I’ll meet you soon! Hasta la vista!
