Tapas

259 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 561/266-0599

Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

Sometimes I’m in the mood to get all dressed up and eat at a posh restaurant, but most of the time I just want straightforward food in a relaxed setting. Simple doesn’t translate to bland or boring at Papa’s Tapas. Instead, it expresses a warm, familial ambience, where you can taste the care that goes into each dish. Ancestrally I’m Spanish, but even if I’m several generations removed, there’s something about the cuisine that makes my soul sing. Each region has its specialties, from earthy stews to the freshest seafood, and Papa’s Tapas admirably brings the country’s variety to Delray.

When the family-owned restaurant relocated to its current location about a decade ago, it was considered off the beaten path, several blocks off Atlantic Avenue. But its quaint Pineapple Grove Arts District has exploded in recent years. The owners, whom our bubbly waitress affectionately called mama and papa, are still the heart of the concept, but now their children have stepped up. The evening we dined, we were told their daughter was cooking.

The restaurant is one of those places you instantly feel welcomed. Once the food arrives, you’ll also feel satisfied (and maybe ready for a siesta). For a quick, lighter or shareable meal—whatever you’re in the mood for—the tapas selections are the way to go. We also wanted to try the paella, so we ordered just a few tapas and the famous rice entree. Pro tip: The dish takes an hour to make, so if you’re craving paella but don’t want to wait, call ahead and order it before you leave the house.

We started with the Gambas Al Ajillo ($17), Chorizo Al Jerez ($16) and Pulpo ($20). Most tapas are typically Spanish, but you’ll see a Latin fusion come through on a few, like the Sweet Angels ($15)— ripe plantains wrapped in bacon, a sweet and savory combination that shouldn’t be missed. The other three tapas arrived quickly, each sizzling in their respective terra cotta dish and each featuring equal amounts of aromatic garlic slices. The gambas, or shrimp, were a simple, classic dish with a hint of spice at the end, while the chorizo, or cured meat, was tender and multidimensional in the sherry wine, and the pulpo, or octopus, was soft and far from chewy.

Because we ordered a few tapas, we asked for only one portion of the Paella Marinera ($36)—but you can order it for as many people as you’d like. The portion was sizeable with a variety of seafood, including plump shrimp and scallops, tender calamari and mahi, clams, mussels and a small lobster tail. And the saffron rice was perfectly cooked—not mushy, dry or crunchy.

We ended with two sweet treats: the Yuca & Coconut Cake ($10) and Tres Leches ($7), both homemade but completely different. The traditional tres leches sponge cake was milky, moist and marvelous, while the former had more structure, was served warm and is the creation of mama. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the evening.

Executive Chef / Restauranteur Steven Botta has added the former Kathy’s Gazebo to his portfolio of high end restaurants. The 40 year tradition of excellence continues in a newly reimagined and newly renovated space.

The name and decor may have changed but the menu has all the old menu favorites with some exciting new ones which will delight the palate. From the moment you arrive you will quickly realize that you have entered a restaurant where old world service is still the norm rather than the exception.

A throwback to the days when where guests become family and a place to make new memories while reminiscing about past ones. Come join us and see what all the excitement is about. We look forward to seeing you. Yevette, Steven and Anthony.

Yevette, Steven and Anthony

If You Go

PARKING: Parking lot

HOURS: Sun.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

PRICES: $9-$38

WEBSITE: kousine.com

In its purest expression, Peruvian ceviche is a simple dish with a limited number of ingredients—high-quality fish and lime are at its core. But making a tasty ceviche isn’t so easy. So, when I visited Kousine Peruvian Kitchen I was cautiously optimistic. Its Federal Highway location, just north of Glades, is its second outpost and opened about two years ago. Chef and owner Danny Kou shares his Peruvian heritage with a curated menu of dishes that accurately represent his country’s famous ceviche while introducing patrons to other, less popular dishes that are just as tempting.

Kousine offers five different ceviches. The Ceviche Trio ($42) is a pricy appetizer but includes the three most popular varieties, and is sizable enough for a light dinner if not shared. Let me start by saying all three options—while different—were equally enticing, fresh and quite satisfying. The classic ceviche is exactly what your tastebuds expect when you order ceviche: a high lime concentration with chunks of raw fish (this dish had grouper), onion slices, cancha (or salty corn kernels), sweet potato and Peruvian corn. The mixto ceviche has a variety of seafood including grouper, tender shrimp and plump calamari in a slightly spicy citrus sauce; it was my personal favorite. The Kousine ceviche came with tuna drenched in a passionfruit sauce that was sweeter than the other two ceviches. It’s also topped with nori, avocado, cucumber and sesame seeds.

Our second appetizer, La Causa ($19), was a take on tuna tartare that I’d never tasted. You have to like potatoes to enjoy the dish— and I certainly do. It’s a stout tower of layered mashed potatoes, tuna and avocado topped with fried shrimp and a rocoto cream sauce. Rocoto peppers, native to Peru, carry a heat similar to the habanero, but in this creamy sauce there was merely a hint of spice, and I enjoyed every bite.

For mains we dined on the Chaufa Aeropuerto ($19) and Aji de Gallina ($16). While Nikkei cuisine, which combines Peru- vian ingredients with Japanese techniques, has become more mainstream in recent years, Peru also has a long (and tumultuous) history with Chinese immigrants who brought their cuisine to the country. Chifa is what the fusion of the two cultures is called, and chaufa is Peru’s version of fried rice. The barbecue pork fried rice was topped with an egg omelet and a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce. The peppers and daikon radish gave the dish a nice crunch that balanced the softness of the rice and pork. The aji is a shredded chicken dish that is served over large chunks of potato and then topped with creamy aji amarillo sauce. Aji amarillo, another Peruvian pepper, gives the dish its bright color and slightly sweet flavor. It’s creamy, filling, and warm, suggesting an excellent hangover cure.

For dessert we opted for the Lucuma Mousse with Chocolate Cake ($10). A native South American fruit, the lucuma gave the mousse a creamy citrus flavor with subtle hints of maple, complementing the cake’s sweetness.