Sunday, May 22, 2011

Taberna BARCELONA



We  started our meal with some complimentary bread and a small cup  of  chopped tomatoes mixed with olive oil and seasoned with a little  salt  and pepper. At first glance, I thought it was some kind of salsa,  but  its not.



Taste here is "As Is" ....... you taste the tomatoes, you taste the olive oil. Nothing more, nothing less.

SOPA DE AJO
Flavorful Broth of Roasted Garlic and Bacon Topped with Toasted Crouton and Poached Egg



The  broth  is not bland, though its not as flavorful as I had expected.  I  actually didn't get to taste much of the garlic or the bacon. The  big  piece of soggy crouton was a distraction. Rather, a piece of bread  on  the side would have been better. (come to think of it, considering  they  already gave us some free bread at the start. I think I do without  them)

The  addition of the egg could make the soup a bit too  heavy on the stomach.  (though I'm not entirely complaining since I love  eggs)

HUEVOS ALA FLAMENCA
Mixed Vegetables, Ham, Spanish Chorizo with Home Made Tomato Sauce and Sunny Side Up on Top



I  wouldn't be able to find out if the tomato sauce was indeed home made.  It actually didn't really matter to me as the sauce had a good subtle  balance of sweet and sour, thereby allowing the other tasty ingredients  to shine on their own. The yolk of the sunny side up was somewhat runny.  (which is to my liking)

Considering this was just  a Tapas (appetizer), this was our favorite dish for the day.

MONTADITO DE LOMO

Grilled Pork with Pimiento Sauce and Toasted Bread



It's  about 2 to 3 bites of well seasoned and tender pork. However, it  was a  bit difficult biting into it without the tendency for the pork to  fall  off. Perhaps it would have been better if they cut it into  smaller  single bite pieces. As for the pimiento sauce, it tasted much  like your  usual gravy. I didn't get much of that peppery flavor.

OSTRA COCIDA
Baked Oysters Gratinated with Cheddar and Mozarella Cheese



I like cheese, but this had too much of a cheesey flavor that it almost completely overwhelmed the taste of the oyster.

PASTA DE GAMBA

Pasta Noodles with Shrimps and Crab Meat



Sauce was too creamy for my taste. And while there were some pieces of shrimp, I however could not any crab meat.

PAELLA VALENCIANA
Saffron Infused Rice Cooked with Meat and Seafood




I  like my paella with that melt in your mouth texture. This  version  unfortunately, had a somewhat drier feel. And it did come off  as a little too salty.

PARILLA DE MARISCOS

Assorted Grilled Seafood



This  dish is very straightforward, an assortment of nicely grilled  seafoods  (except for the squids which were a little rubbery) with just the right  amount of seasoning. Though if you want to further enhance the flavor,  you can make use of the lemon-butter dipping sauce which comes with the  dish.

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Taberna BARCELONA is located at Third Level Atrium Section, SM Megamall (just across Amici)

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