Spanish Jakarta erupts in style at Holiday Inn
By Parvathi Nayar Narayan
JAKARTA (JP): Time to take out those castanets and let your feet go tappin', the flamenco way! Time to sample some delicious Spanish finger food, known worldwide as tapas. Have a sweet, sometimes strong glass of sangria, the traditional red wine concoction, or just sit on the "Patio" and look down at the sea...
If this is a menu that appeals, then it's time to visit the newly opened Plaza de Espana, at Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza. Here's a restaurant that prides itself on providing the complete, yet casual Spanish dining experience. While it may be the city's only restaurant serving authentic Spanish food, it is equally a place to go to have fun.
Step through the restaurant doors and enter a Spanish village square, complete with tapas bar. Tapas refers to a mouthwatering selection of food in bite size portions, or Spanish appetizers. This tapas bar isn't just a place, but a concept. It's a venue to hang out and meet people. And by the way, some tapas on the side, maybe a drink or two.
The Tapas Bar offers nearly 60 varieties of tapas. There are no menus here -- you simply point at what interests the taste buds. Some of it is eaten cold; delicious bell peppers marinated in olive oil, spicy jalapenos stuffed with cheese, and squid in its own ink sauce. Or for something more familiar, check out the pizza-like empanadas. There is a wide selection of meats and seafood cooked at the bar itself, served piping hot. Definitely economical, tapas dishes are priced from only Rp 4,000 to Rp 8,000 per serving.
For drinks there is of course sangria, that heady combination of fruit juices, pieces of fruit and red wine. It is practically the drink synonymous with sun drenched Spain. Priced at Rp 15,000 a glass, or Rp 75,000 a pitcher, it may not be cheap, but it's the taste of experience that goes down smoothly.
The main dining area is a series of rooms beyond the Tapas Bar. It's modeled along the lines of a classical Spanish home or "maison", converted into a restaurant. A team from the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Jakarta, visited Spain to shop for artifacts, fabrics, even posters to provide the authentic ambiance.
For those who want it, there are areas more secluded, with special places like the Matador Room or the Patio for intimacy. The latter has a trompe de l'oeil type painting on two walls -- giving the effect of being perched atop a hillside in Catelonia, looking down to the sea. There is also the "wine cellar" where one can pick wines, plonk or a superb vintage, with the option of drinking real quality by the glass.
Tapas, in any number, are a great meal within themselves, but equally they are the ideal entree. If you do decide on main courses though, how do pieces of Spanish omelette, eaten cold and stuffed with potatoes and olives grab you? Careful though, what may seem like tiny portions can satisfy very quickly. There is a selection of soups too, with chilled gazpacho always a tasty option.
For main course the first choice has to be the traditional paella, especially for the first time experience of Spanish cuisine. It must rank as the most famous of Spanish dishes -- it is what spaghetti is to Italians, tacos to Mexicans. Paella is essentially rice flavored with saffron, mixed with a number of other tasty ingredients, always including the best of local seafood, chicken and vegetables. The result is a dish that is more than a meal in itself.
At Plaza de Espana there is a vegetarian paella too, as well as the most unusual pasta paella. This features a combination of mixed seafood, fusilli spirals and vegetables. The prices range from Rp 22,000 for the vegetarian Paella, up to Rp 26,000 for the pasta variation.
Other main dishes consist of a selection of seafood, meat and poultry. Chuleton A la Parrilla, or grilled veal chop marinated with garlic and herbs, is tasty and succulent. Accompanied with roasted potatoes, pickled onions and a selection of pulses including lentils and garbanzos allowing for combinations in a dish that might otherwise have contained simply too much meat.
A similar selection of accompaniments came with the Cordero Lechon Al Homo, or roasted lamb shank with Castillian spices, priced at Rp 30,000. The portions of meat were large, and people with small to medium appetites would be wise to share the dish.
Spanish food is usually cooked with lots of saffron, olive oil, red peppers, garlic, lemon and the liberal use of fresh herbs like rosemary and oregano. Chef Esmeraldo says most of the top-quality ingredients are readily available locally, but specialty items like serrano ham, and certain cheeses, are flown in from Spain.
At regular intervals during our meal, waiters rushed to the center of the floor. They sang special songs about the restaurant, danced, keeping rhythm on the tambourine. Once guests recovered from their initial surprise, they relaxed almost visibly, soaking in the idea of casual spontaneity that Plaza de Espana says will become its trademark. One doesn't have to remain an onlooker either -- you are more than welcome to join the waiters, who are only too happy to show you the steps of their dance.
But no dining experience is ever complete without postres or dessert. Just one of the best on offer is the Crema Quemada Plaza de Espana or Creme Brulee. It came with a spun sugar basket, sticky, but fun to break off in bits and nibble. This also served as an interesting contrast to the creamy texture and flavor of the creme brulee.
The Leche Frita is described as fried milk with Anisette sauce, served with ice cream. But this one was a trifle stodgy for the liking, as were the Churros Con Chocolate, fried doughnuts. Shaped like bread sticks, these are dipped into a hot, bitter, chocolate sauce.
The range of dishes has been conceived from various areas of Spain. The accent is not on presentation, because as chef Esmeraldo eloquently illustrates "... the food is handled too much by the time it is presented for you to eat". At the Plaza de Espana, the order of the day is simple, but authentic food. The kind you might find at home in Spain. Buen Provecho!