(SPOT.ph) Have you ever wanted to tour the Iberian Peninsula, just wining and dining your way through the Mediterranean coast while being serenaded with romantic songs? Eating tapas and other Spanish cuisine while pairing it with good full-bodied wine as the summer wind blows through your hair. Isn't that just the dream? Well, if you’re like us and a Mediterranean dream vacation just isn’t in the books—because of the pandemic or maybe because it 's out of your budget—then a Spanish themed wine and dine night might be the perfect compromise.
Lucky for us our friends at The City Club’s Costa Del Sol restaurant hosted a Wine and Dinner night featuring authentic Spanish cuisine prepared by Chef Emmanuel Delfin paired with wine handpicked by Level 3 Sommelier Damien Planchenault on Thursday, July 28.
Also read:
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What to Expect at The City Club's Spanish Cuisine Wine and Dine Night
In true Spanish fashion, dinner started with hand-made, bite-sized tapas, Crostini con Jamon Serrano y Aceituna, Tortilla Española (Spanish omelet with concassé), Camarones y Queso de Cabra (Shrimp and goat cheese on sliced potatoes), and Queso Manchego en Tapenade de Aceitunas (Manchego with black olive tapenade). All the dishes paired well with the Franck Massard Mas Sardana Cava Brut, a wine from Penedès, Spain known for its fresh and fruity and citrusy flavors with a hint of hazelnut. When asked why these tapas were chosen to be served as appetizers, Chef Manny promptly replied saying that these tapas are the quintessential menu items that come up when you search for Spanish starters and that these would be the most authentic way to begin the night.
What’s an Iberian summer without a salad course? A Spanish Summer Salad was served—also known as Pipirrana—it was served with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and garlic tossed in olive oil and vinegar. The star of this course was served at the center of the plate, a Galician-style octopus with halved quailed eggs. This well-cooked octopus lent a chewy but not tough texture to the dish as well as a creamy briny flavor that was cut by the acidity of the olive oil and vinegar dressing. This combination was a light and refreshing opening to dishes that would follow. Paired with this course and specifically with the Galician octopus is the earthy but fruity pear and lemongrass-tasting Cantalapiedra Viticultores Cantayano La Seca 2019, a white wine grown from Verdejo grapes in Ruedo, Spain.
Following the salad, four main tapas were served: the Almejas a la Diabla (Baked spicy clams with concassé and cheese), the Albóndigas con Almendras y Pimiento de Padrón (Beef and almond meatballs in tomato sauce and fried green chilis in olive oil and garlic), and City Club member-favorite Cochinillo served two ways and the highlight of the dinner, Lubina al Horno en Costra de Sal (Salt-crusted sea bass). The baked clams, and the beef and almond meatballs had very similar flavor profiles such that they were surprisingly fresh-tasting and herby palate cleansers with mild heat. They were ideal breaks between the intense and flavorful Conchinillo and sea bass. Truly the star of the night was the sea bass in both taste and in presentation. Served and flambéed tableside, it does not hold back with the flair. In terms of taste, as it is, it leaves a lot to the imagination but with the help of the accompanying lemon butter sauce it transforms into a dish that is creamy and tangy with a burst of citrus flavor in every bite.
The main tapas were paired with Can Sumoi Sumoll-Garnatxa 2019 and Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz 2018. Can Sumoi Sumoll-Garnatxa featured a distinct fruity scent and flavor with a hint of acidity while the full-bodied Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz registered notes of plum, vanilla, and spice on the palate.
For the final course of the night, Brazo de Gitano, a delicately rolled textured meringue was served. This was a sugary sweet dessert with a melt in your mouth feel. There was practically no need to chew. The creamy dulce de leche center perfectly masks and washes away the flavors of the previous courses along with the flavor profiles of the wines served before without being overbearingly sweet. The course was paired with a Niepoort White Port, a dessert wine with fresh, nutty, and fruity aromas, and medium sweetness. The marriage of the wine and the meringue in the final course ties together the night by ending everything on a sweet note.
Truly the night was one to remember. From the bite-sized tapas to the dessert, to the ambiance and soulful serenade of the band, it truly felt like being transported to the Iberian summer of your dreams. A great wine and dine experience best shared with friends to reminisce and catch-up or even to make new acquaintances throughout the night. Here’s to hoping for more wine and dine experiences in the metro and possibly a wine and dine experience from another European country?
The City Club, located in the heart of Makati’s Central Business District, is a premier membership club with over 50 lifestyle amenities, including nine acclaimed specialty restaurants—the same restaurants found in its sister club, Balesin Island Club.
For more information, visit The City Club's Facebook page.