Spanish home cooking is now just an MRT and bus ride away. El Patio de Mi Casa, located in an alley near Nanjing East (南京東) and Songjiang (松江) roads, is run by Luis Miguel Hernando and Ramses del Cura Nogal, two thirtysomething Spanish expats.
Before moving to their current locale last December, the pair had operated out of a residential apartment on Jilin Road (吉林路) for two years, serving dinners by reservation for around a dozen people five nights a week.
Word spread quickly about Hernando’s culinary skills and his family recipes, as well as the after-meal entertainment — both Hernando and Nogal are musicians. The two often found themselves turning down customers, and after getting sick of dealing with neighbors complaining about the noise, they finally decided to open a proper restaurant.
Step into their cozy cafe, which seats around 25 people, and the first thing that hits you is a savory aroma from the kitchen.
My dining companions thought it was freshly baked bread, which the restaurant doesn’t serve, but the smell could have been the costillas a la miel (香料白酒蜂蜜肋排, NT$350) — spare ribs with a honey glaze topped with stewed onions and tomatoes.
Hernando says the ribs are marinated ahead of time and slow-roasted for several hours. Aside from the borderline-overwhelming sweetness, this dish was heavenly for its succulent meat, which slid right off the bone.
One basic characteristic of Spanish food is that it’s “cooked slow,” says Hernando. But this probably doesn’t apply to another must-try dish, sepia de la plancha (香煎花枝, NT$200), or pan-seared calamari slices, which were perfectly tender and not in the least bit chewy. And as if its buttery texture weren’t enough, the calamari gets coated with garlic mayonnaise, which is made fresh every day.
For something simple and wholly satisfying, go for the revuelto jardinero (花園炒蛋, NT$220), Spanish-style fried eggs with mushrooms and asparagus. Despite the familiar ingredients, this concoction is a pleasing discovery. The eggs are constantly mixed while in the pan, according to Hernando, which produces a soft and creamy texture.
Hernando describes the tortilla espanola (NT$120 for one serving or NT$600 for a whole pie) as a staple food made of staple ingredients: eggs, potatoes and olive oil. We didn’t order this, but the cake-shaped dish appeared to be a popular choice, judging by a glance at neighboring tables.
The menu, which is in Spanish and Chinese, also lists tapas-style dishes such as datil con jamon iberico (伊比利火腿椰棗, Iberian cured ham with dates, NT$100). We enjoyed both the setas y champis a la plancha (乾煎蘑菇香菇, pan-fried shitake and white button mushrooms cooked with white wine, NT$180) and tomato asado (鐵烤番茄, roasted tomatoes stuffed with pork, NT$100).
The restaurant also honors off-menu requests made in advance, including gazpacho and cocido madrileno, a traditional Spanish stew.
Smaller parties are at a disadvantage, only because they can sample fewer dishes. And they might miss out on trying the seafood paella (NT$1,000 per serving), which is only served for at least four persons. Sangria is available by the pot for NT$800, as well as Spanish wines (NT$200 to NT$300 per glass, NT$1,000 to NT$2,500 per bottle).
The wait staff seemed hurried, but the service was very efficient. Our food arrived quickly and with little lag time between dishes.
Hernando and Nogal say their loyal customers have followed them to their new locale. But they admit they can’t help but miss the intimacy of working out of a private apartment, where guests could mingle in the kitchen and watch them cook.
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