Comida Ligera (西班牙市場) is a curious establishment. While it offers diners a perfectly respectable menu of Spanish appetizers, the interior decoration does not bear the slightest resemblance to a sunny cantina in Madrid, or a dimly lit tapas bar in Taipei. First-time patrons are likely to be surprised by the restaurant’s homely appearance and subdued ambiance.
But this less-than-appetizing environment hasn’t deterred food bloggers from putting in good words for the tapas bar, which was set up by seasoned chef Jackie Chou (周維德), who led the kitchen of the Hestia Tapas Bar’s (西班牙小酒館) a year ago and previously served as the executive chef at the Spring Park Urai Spa and Resort (春秋烏來).
Comida Ligera exudes the casualness of a local diner. The restaurant’s blog promises a display case full of the fresh tapas on offer, but on the Monday I visited, it was empty. There was only one young waitress serving three tables of diners, including us, a party of three, for the whole evening. She was helpful, but the hip-hop music she chose to play in the background didn’t mesh with my concept of a tapas bar.
Thankfully, the fare did not disappoint. I ordered eight dishes, which were more than enough.
One of my favorites was the dried coconut and dates with cream cheese (NT$120). Some would say stuffing cream cheese into dates doesn’t require any special culinary skill, but the snack was simply delicious.
The corn and minced chicken balls (NT$60) won unanimous approval with its fragrant sauce made of garlic, saffron and mayonnaise, while the squid salad with tomato and olives (NT$150) just passed muster.
The menu also features a section of stews that includes vegetable and lamb shank (NT$230) and red wine, cherry and bacon (NT$230) versions. The meats on both plates were succulent and bursting with flavor.
Other dishes range from squid and ink paella with grilled squid (NT$320), coca bread (NT$150), shellfish with herbs au gratin (NT$80) and assorted ham and chorizo (NT$380) to fried squid with aioli (NT$150) and potato and chorizo stew (NT$150).
We ordered the highly recommended sweet flan (NT$100), a vanilla egg custard topped with caramel sauce, to wrap up our satisfying meal.
By the time we had polished off a few glasses of sangria (NT$130 each), the restaurant didn’t look so shabby after all.
The drinks menu includes a limited selection of white, red and sparkling wines (NT$1,000 and NT$1,200 per bottle) as well as a decent variety of cocktails (NT$150 to NT$250).
For those who fancy a more formal dining experience, Chou recently opened Cocina de Jackie (傑克廚房), located opposite to Comida Ligera. The new establishment serves a more “creative” menu of Spanish cuisine, according to the restaurant’s blog.
Comida Ligera offers delicious food at wallet-friendly prices, and, luckily, appearances aren’t everything. Be prepared to spend some time locating the restaurant as it is hidden in a maze of alleys near Zhongshan Junior High School MRT Station (中山國中捷運站), where addresses aren’t easy to find.
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