Bodega On Main: My first go at Spanish Tapas

I've passed by Bodega many times but I didn't know what type of restaurant it was until recently. I am not familiar with Spanish tapas but I love the concept of sharing small dishes with others (i.e. Japanese izakaya). Similar to Korean cuisine, the smaller dishes are shared with everyone and this way, you not only get to try various dishes but also share a moment with those at the table.

The restaurant was nicely designed with unique posters on one wall, a beautiful bar on one side and rest were kept quite minimalistic.

The table set up was simple and I really liked how their menu was a folded piece of paper. My friend and I ordered wine (because it was a Friday and because I could) and several dishes to start with. We ended up ordering all meat dishes: prawns, rabbit, mussels and beef tongue. As for drinks, I got the vina esmeralda, muscat/ guwurtzaminer, penedes 2013 $7 which was the sweetest white wine on the menu.

Gambas al ajillo $8 (sauteed prawns in garlic and chilies with sherry)

The prawns were plump and perfectly cooked. The flavours were good and it was a great light dish to start off. 

Mejillones picantes $7 (Mussels in a piquant sauce with diced hard boiled egg)

This was the first time trying cold mussels. It tasted good with the hard boiled egg adding a creaminess to the dish but I wasn't big fan of eating mussels cold. I would prefer eating warm  mussels in a soup. This dish was extremely tiny and I wish there were more.  

Lengua Estofada $8 (beef tongue, tomato, onion and capers)

This was probably one of my favourite out of all four. The tongue was cooked beautifully. I wasn't too sold on the sauce though. It was plain with nothing too special about it. 

Conejo Riojana $16 (slow cooked rabbit, tomato and wine sauce)

The rabbit was cooked well and it came with potato bits  and vegetables. I was quite disappointed because it tasted very similar to the beef tongue dish except for the type of protein we were given. I wish the waitress pointed out to us so we could've tried another dish. This cost $16 which was quite a bit for a small tapa. I would not order this again.

Of course we weren't even close to being full after the 4 tapas so we decided to order more. We ordered the tabla de quesos y embutidos $19  with charcuterie grilled country bread with tomato and olive oil $4 (mixed Spanish cheeses and meats and olives) and this was probably the best decision we made all night. The cheeses were savoury and sweet at the same time and it was just nice to nibble on while we finished our wine. One type of cheese came with fruit jam (?) on top and that was my favourite.

Bombon de higos $6 (figs filled with almonds, mascarpone, and dipped in chocolate)

Before I came to the restaurant, my friend recommended these fig desserts so we decided to try them. It wasn't presented in the nicest way but it was yummy. Chocolate and figs added a sweet flavour while the almonds and mascarpone gave it texture and nuttiness. We picked it up with our fingers and bit into them. It wasn't too sweet which I also appreciated. If I knew how to make these at home, I would make them for potlucks so people can easily grab one and pop them in their mouths.

I enjoyed my evening because I had a great company but I wasn't too impressed by the food. The ambiance of the restaurant is great with perfect lighting and great decor but the food just wasn't worth it. If you plan on being eating delicious food and being somewhat full after spending $50, I don't recommend Bodega on Main. If you would like to enjoy a light dish with some wine/cocktail on the
side, it is a great place to be.

 

Rei