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2012-01-16
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I can't remember when it began but somehow all things Spanish became really 'in'. The football team, Formula racing, FC Barcelona. El Builli, Loewe, Zara, Mango and so on and so on. And of course Tapas, Spanish ham, Spanish food, Spanish chefs and restaurant became the centre of dinning.So I was not surprised when my friends all began to suggest eating Spanish food whenever we asked for suggestions. We had a not so good meal at Tapeo for lunch a few months back and this time we went to try Mesa
So I was not surprised when my friends all began to suggest eating Spanish food whenever we asked for suggestions. We had a not so good meal at Tapeo for lunch a few months back and this time we went to try Mesa 15 for my friend's birthday dinner. One of my friends had been to the restaurant a few times and know the chef by name, she asked him to create a menu for us at $500 per head. And so it was that we did not know what was in store for us
To start off, we ordered a jug of Sangria and even though I am a teetotaler, I tolerate Sangria and Champagne in small doses.
After the drinks, the tapas began to arrive one by one. The mashed tomato on toasted bread reminded me of our trip to Barcelona a few years ago. It's such a nice way to start a meal but after having it a few times every day for 5 days, we got quite bored with it but it was nice to see it again
Then we had Iberico black hair ham. This was tasty and oily in all the right ways and second only to the one I tasted when Spain hosted the El Bulli chef in HK. We were taught never to remove the fatty bits from the ham, otherwise, it wouldn't taste right
The next dish I gave a miss as I don't eat raw beef but friends said the Cappaccio was great
Then came the potato croquette with ham which was creamy, rich and full of flavour without being too salty
Scallop salad was delicious with a citrus dressing
Clams with pesto sauce was good but not too exciting
Chorizo in wine sauce was not that special or delicious, probably the only disappointing dish
Grilled Iberico pork shoulder was probably one of the best dishes that night, the meat so tender and the taste so delicate. However, in my excitement, I forgot to take a photo. By this time, most of us were full but we were told there were still a few more dishes to come. My friend insisted we continue as the best was yet to come. I suppose she was right as the next 2 dishes were spectacular24 hour slow cooked crispy suckling pig was not so crispy but the texture of the meat and the flavour was so delicious that we had to each try some. i don't know how they manage to get the fatty layers to sink into the meat but you could hardly separate them and it just melted in our mouths
The final savoury dish was grilled prawns on Paella. I have never liked the chalky rice that is found in Paellas but this dish was quite different. The rice was so rich in flavour and more chewy than chalky that it was a super yummy dish. By now, we were too full even to talk.
Luckily, dessert was light, the Dracula Surprise. It tasted like a raspberry sorbet with some cream or mousse at the bottom, very refreshing on the palate.
Finally, it was time to meet the mastermind behind all the creations, the chef himself. We thanked him profusely for producing such a wonderful meal for my friend's birthday.
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