Casa Iberica

Address: 25 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Tel: 9419 4420

Casa Iberica isn't a restaurant per se, but it does supply exceptional produce and for that reason it is mentioned here. For anyone seeking Spanish ingredients / cookware, this should undoubtedly be your first stop. Upon entering the store, one's attention is immediately captured by the wagon wheel sized paella pans dominating the wall. Next to it hang legs of jamon and strings of chorizos. The smell of salt cod permeates the air, and the aisles are filled with paprika, olives, anchovies and other great food.

However without a doubt the most popular section of the store is the deli area located in the back of the store. If you come here on a weekend it is not uncommon for the store to be packed with crowds of locals doing their weekend shopping. Perhaps most heartening is the fact that Spanish can be heard to be spoken between the owners and the customers, surely a positive omen.

Food not to miss at this store include the jamon (Australian $50/kg, Spanish $70/kg, jamon iberico de bellota $230/kg). Pay the extra for the Spanish stuff...it's worth it! Much sweeter and with a more complex taste then the Australian jamon. Also I would suggest lightly frying the jamon, just a few seconds on either side on medium heat to bring out the flavour and aroma. Serve that with olive oil and a few slices of toast and there you have the makings of a very tasty but expensive breakfast.

Another recommendation are their Portuguese custard tarts (3 for $4.50) - the best in Melbourne. If you know of better, I would love to hear about it. These are far superior to their yum cha counterparts in that the pastry is not dry and crumbly, and also their filling is sweeter and more custardy.

Last but not least are their chorizos which are reputed to be the best in Melbourne. I find their small chorizos too fatty for my liking, however having said that the one's they use for sandwiches are magnificent and I would recommend you try putting one in a sandwich with green olives and cheese. It is also possible to put anything else they sell in the deli into a sandwich, however I have not, as yet had the pleasure of doing so.

Colmao Flamenco

Location: 60 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Tel: 9417 4131
Website: http://www.colmaoflamenco.com/
BYO Wine - Corkage $5

CHURROS FROM THE HEAVENS

Undoubtedly any Spanish restaurant in Melbourne will draw comparisons to Frank Camorra's Movida. Colmao does not disappoint.

The food is simple, honest Spanish fare - no tricked up foams or dry ice here. The menu is extensive, with numerous shared entrees, and mains including game, seafood and of course, paella. Hidden in the back of the menu is a list of attractively priced set menus. We ended up going with Set Menu III. Coming in at $43, it was more expensive than the tapas degustation at Movida, so expectations were high.

For this price we received 4 types of tapas, paella, and churros. The tapas was particularly noteworthy. Arriving in close succession were:
Chorizo sausages with aioli
Button mushrooms cooked in a claypot with white wine, garlic and rosemary
Fried spinach tossed with garlic, sultanas and lemon wedges
Potato wedges with a spicy salsa
Meatballs with a tomato based sauce

The chorizo sausages were particularly well done, with the juicy pieces of chorizo having just the right balance of saltiness and heat from the paprika. The creamy aioli complemented this dish nicely. As for the spinach, after a couple of tenative mouthfuls I found myself pleasantly surprized - and this is coming from someone that usually doesn't like spinach. The creaminess of the spinach matched well with the garlic, and the sultanas provided a great counterpoint to the savoury flavours. Don't forget to add a squeeze of lemon - the sweet, sour, salty combination really works for this dish.

Next up was a VERY generous serving of paella mixta. A wagon-wheel sized pan of paella studded with king prawns, mussels, calamari and chicken was placed in front of us. The serving size was for 4, but could easily have served 6. The paella itself was good, and I would have been happy to get it in any other restaurant. However, it did not live up to the standard of the tapas . The paella had a gummy consistency that suggested overcooking, and taste wise could have used a touch more salt.

Paella for 2 pictured below.


As for dessert, the churros were magnificent. Crisp golden twists of pastry that were still soft and fluffy on the inside. These doughnuts were served piping hot and dusted with cinnamon and served with a dark chocolate sauce. Sweet, but not too cloying. They were without a doubt the best churros I've ever had. An excellent finish to a great meal.

Rating: 15/20

It would have scored higher but for the slow service. In addition, the waiters, whilst well-meaning and polite were forgetful and sometimes inattentive. However, having said that the service did pick up towards the end of the meal.