Monday 10 August 2009

Hit and Miss

WE went out to La Tasca, Broad Street, clutching one of those vouchers promising fifty per cent off your food bill.
Unlike many other money-off vouchers it can be redeemed all day, every day, so cut-price food on a Saturday night seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.
However, it was rather fortunate we only paid for half our food because while some of it was tapas-tastic, the rest feel short of the mark.
Here's what my party of three ordered, and how we rated it...
  • Bread and olives: Bread was fresh and absorbed dipping oil and balsamic vinegar (more Italian than Spanish) well, black olives were a little too soft, but the boy rated the green ones
  • Langostinos a la plancha: Juicy grilled prawns with sea salt and lemon. A bit troublesome to peel, despite being properly cooked, but worth the effort
  • Pescado Blanco Frito: Good, crisp batter encased slightly over-cooked non-specified white fish. Mayonnaise lacked flavour so overall the dish lacked significance
  • Calamares Andaluza: A little cold, a little chewy, but still one of my favourite dishes of the evening
  • Albondigas a la jardinera: Light, bouncy meatballs made of pork and beef in tomato sauce. Could have eaten double
  • Berenjenas gratinadas: Disappointingly watery aubergines in a thin tomato sauce, topped in a teaspoon of cheese
  • Champinones al ajillo: I was reliably informed that these garlic mushrooms were a big hit
  • Pimento Romano: Half a Romano pepper stuffed with some undecipherable vegetables and cous-cous (allegedly). Give this dish a wide berth
  • Ensalada de espinacas et aguacate: Unremarkable mix of spinach, cucumber, white onion and avocado. At least the avocado was ripe
  • Paella de verduras: Vegetable paella lacked any real pizazz but had comforting texture and a nice range of veggies
  • Gambas gabardina: Deep fried prawns with light batter tasted fresh and delicious
VERDICT: Without the voucher our bill would have nudged almost 70 quid (including a bottle of fruity red), but with half price food, £45 made it all together more palatable. On the plus side, the atmosphere was lively and the service welcoming!

What's your favourite tapas dish? Let me know

4 comments:

Thinspired said...

I have been curious about this place for a while! I will take your advice and use a voucher to get the most value. It sounds like a fun restaurant for a social gathering, even if the food isn't top notch.

Unknown said...

I've never eaten here before. I kind of have this thing against tiny plates of food (yes, i do realize you r supposed to order alot lol). My favorite tapas is patatas bravas. Yum.

cinabar said...

I hate when you order prawns, and they come covered in sauce but with the shell on. I know they look nice but it is just so messy!
Thanks for the link, 50% off is a fantastic incentive to give the place a try!

Anonymous said...

Not favourite tapas dish but favourite tapas restaurant has to be Cambio de Tercio in London. How it hasn't been awarded a Michelin star I have no idea but it does beat pretty much everywhere else silly hands down.

And back to favourite tapas dish - Gallician style Octopus and Patatas Bravas