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2016-02-18
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The classic Catalan cuisine was pretty great, if a little stodgy. There were a couple of memorable hits, but many were tame, as traditional fare is wont to be. That said, for a bill that just hit the $100 mark for 6 dishes, La Ventana could possibly be the cheapest Michelin-related restaurant ever. The Chicken Wing Confit ($14), conveniently boneless, was a lovely showpiece of slow-cooked succulence, blanketed in a lightly spiced jus. Nice, but a little forgettable. Ditto for the Surf & Turf ($1
The Chicken Wing Confit ($14), conveniently boneless, was a lovely showpiece of slow-cooked succulence, blanketed in a lightly spiced jus. Nice, but a little forgettable.
Ditto for the Surf & Turf ($18), juicy fat beef meatballs and baby calamari dunked in a well-rounded tomato-based sauce. It was a particularly thoughtful gesture to split them up into 2 portions for us.
Ah, the highlight of dinner was the humble Croquetas ($14), breaded tubes of mashed potato and cream and shredded roasted chicken, deep-fried to a beautiful golden. This was insanely good...I'm still dreaming about these babies.
A look inside each croqueta, this was more meat than potato or cream, making it a lot more substantive and savoury than most other renditions.
Another surprise was the Miniature Tortillas ($12), a perfect circle of a Spanish-style omelette flecked with potatoes and onions. This may have appeared drab, but turned out simplicity at its finest, delicious and wonderfully nuanced.
The Cod Bunuelos ($18) fritters of mashed Atlantic cod were so well done I hardly noticed the parsley specks weaved into it. Here, I actually thought the parsley balanced out the fattiness of the cod, rather than detracted from it.
The Fiduea ($32), a Catalan-style noodle paella simmered in a rich seafood stock and aioli, was a little contentious. I thought the umami exuberance wasn't as hateful as the Hubs felt, even if it was a smidge oily and overwhelming with the taste of octopus.
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