food&drink
¡good grifo !
Show me the kimchi!
Tapping into Madrid’s finest watering holes
El Pimiento Verde Where? C/Principe de Vergara, 60 (Metro: Nuñez de Balboa). Tel: 91 431 74 56. When? Mon-Sat, 9am-12pm.
Natalia Diaz finds restraint a challenge at an Oriental all-you-can-eat experience
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here are two important things I’ve learned during my Asian food expeditions in Madrid: expensive menus do not always mean better or more authentic food, and the success rate in finding the real deal is a bit like a job hunt—sometimes, it all comes down to asking the right people. Being Asian, it has always been a challenge for me to find authentic Oriental fare in the city. So, when a friend spilled the beans about his Korean classmates trekking religiously to a cheap all-you-can-eat Korean restaurant on a road less travelled, it was a clear sign to embark on a little Seoul-searching. The hidden treasure is called Tulipán, tucked away discretely between El Carmen and Barrio de la Concepción districts of Madrid. A nondescript cafeteria fronts the restaurant, but through a side door, you enter a cosy, minimalist dining area that has about 12 tables and no menus. That’s right, there are no menus because you don’t need to order food here, you eat what they serve you in a Korean-style dégustacion. It starts off with a buffet of sumptuous side dishes filling up the whole table from end to end. You get a wide variety of authentic Korean favourites such as different kinds of kimchi, the traditional fermented vegetable dish, or japchae, cellophane noodles stir-fried in sesame oil and served with fresh veggies and beef, and Korean-style steamed dumplings. And my, are they generous! Once you’re through with each dish, the waiter asks if you want replenishment, without extra charge. So if
What? This funky, bright green bar with its shelves of wine bottles and artsy black and white photos brings delectable Basque cuisine to Madrid. For those not familiar with Basque cooking, prepare yourself for elaborate arrangements of pintxos (little treats on toast) as well as a wide variety of seafood.
you’re armed with a ravenous appetite, you can pretty much keep topping up to your heart’s content; and that’s just the first part of this gastronomical experience. The main dish follows, which is usually a hefty plate of bulgogi, marinated barbecue beef that you cook on an open fire stove. Paired off with sticky white rice, and some of the spicy side dishes, the taste is absolutely delicious. It’s also worth noting that Tulipán stays true to the spice levels, which is non-negotiable for some of its traditional dishes. Unless you request it, they won’t water down the levels to suit the piquant-phobic Spanish palate. The icing on the cake? This eat-til-you-drop encounter is all yours for only 20. Seriously, that is a real bargain for authentic Asian fare in Madrid. Before you set up camp on a table there, it’s best to make reservations ahead as the place gets full during lunch and dinner hours. A bit of a warning from personal experience—as with all buffet libre encounters—it’s a good idea to eat leisurely between sips of Rioja. Do not unleash the gluttonous beast within, which leads me to a third important lesson: forgetting to control oneself with the words “all-you-can-eat” most certainly leads to a food coma.
Tulipán Korean Restaurant, C/Virgen de la Fuencisla, 2 (Metro: Barrio de le Concepción/El Carmen). Tel: 91 404 10 54. Open Mon-Sun. Midday-11pm
¡Pour favor! What to drink this month Spring’s about here, so we’re shelving the big reds and freshening up with whites again. Martin Codax shows us we’re not limited to “crisp” and “refreshing” whites. Perhaps the most widely known and distributed of all Albariños, Martin Codax is often mistaken for being a mass-produced, soulless wine. Untrue. Rather, the oldest cooperative in the DO screens every grape that enters its Cambados facility, buying only from conscientious growers who limit their yields and aim for quality over quantity (some have named each vine in their plot). With Organistrum, a wine named after a local stringed instrument, they join the avantgarde producers experimenting with different ways of making Albariño. In this case, it’s letting the wine spend time ageing in oak. Here’s what we found: Appearance Pure yellow suggesting a rich flavour, with pretty, long legs/tears. Aroma Like most of the Martin Codax line, this wine shows a medium-intense bouquet of ripe fruits like golden apple and peach. Due to the oak treatment and malo-lactic fermentation, this is wrapped up in aromas of a bakery, with notes of vanilla and coconut oil.
Taste The full-bodied wine fills your mouth with those deep, ripe fruit flavours you might have smelled. Again, these are blended with the toasted flavours imparted by oak; vanilla with an almost buttery taste and texture. The malo-lactic barrel fermentation converts the tart malic acid into softer lactic acid, altering the original texture and making it smoother and sweeter, with hint of coconut. But this is still Albariño, and the acidity is high enough to balance the flavours and give the wine excellent structure. Try it with Lobster and rice. This is the
Bodegas Martin Codax 2008 Organistrum DO: Rias Baixas. 3 mos. malo-lactic barrel fermentation, 7 mos. stainless steel. 100% Albariño. 13% ABV. Available from Bodega Santa Cecilia: €15.25 biggest of Martin Codax’s Albariños, and simple seafood won’t do it justice. The body and oil of the crustacean matches the wine’s texture perfectly. Furthermore, the rich flavours of both pair well while the bright acidity refreshes your palate. Of course, if lobster is absent, any quality seafood and most cheeses will work fine. Final thoughts Depending on your personal tastes, this could easily be the best Martin Codax white. Lots of Albariño producers are experimenting with oak, and as is often the case in Spain, several are overdoing it. The Martin Codax winemakers, however, do it with restraint. They use larger oak barrels rather than the smaller, 225 litre barrique they used for the first years of Organistrum. This, done over a relatively short time, prevents the oak from wiping out the fruit, yet allows it to impart flavours and structural elements to give the wine added richness and complexity. People are starting to realize the potential for ageing in a grape that was once lauded only for its crispness and drunk immediately. Take advantage of the opportunity to try an elegant elaboration of a classic ■ THOMAS SPAETH grape.
People? During weekdays the clientele tends to be made up of locals and executives, while in the evenings and at weekends the bar is full of families, old friends and tourists who come to sample the delights. Drinks? As well as the usual suspects (including cañas for 2 and wine for 2.20- 2.50 a glass), the bar stocks traditional Basque tipples such as txakoli ( 2.70—a very dry, sparkling white wine, often served by pouring it into the glass from a great height) and cider ( 1.75—and usually served like the txakoli). Food? The famous pintxos are priced between 2-3 each, and are lined up temptingly along the bar. There is also a vast array of other tapas choices and an a la carte menu for the restaurant area. A popular tapas choice is the alcachofa (artichoke), fried and served with sea salt. (The owner claims that they get through 25,000 kilos of artichokes a year!) We also tried the rollos de primavera de morcilla (blood sausage spring rolls) which managed to win over even my normally morcilla-phobic friend. There are assorted tortillas, meatballs and croquetas to try too. Sadly, we did not have room to try the gin and tonic ice cream.
Anything else? Raúl Tarancón, the owner, moved here from Bilbao 12 years ago and opened El Pimiento Verde in 2003. He describes the food he serves as comida de verdad (honest food). The waiters are mostly young and friendly, and Raúl says that the good atmosphere and service keep the punters coming back. El Pimiento Verde also has other branches on C/ Lagasca, 46 (Metro: Serrano) and C/ Quintana, 1 (Metro: Argüelles). The Quintana branch (which is more of a restaurant) opens 1.30-5pm and 9-12pm. ■ VICKY KNILL
(Yes, this ad is upside down on purpose!M)
Oriental tea house Arabic cuisine and cakes –Delicious Couscous– Tues-Sat, evenings: belly dancing Classes: belly dancing Arabic percussion Poetry circle– –P c/Martín de los Heros, 28. Tel: 91 559 57 85
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APRIL 2011
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T H E E N G L I S H - L A N G U A G E M O N T H LY