Tapas and Other Good Munchies

A few days ago, I discovered an amazing tapas restaurant at the Village (section of the foreign district devoted to western shopping and restaurants). The tapas place serves incredible goat cheese bruschetta with fruit and nuts, which makes for a rich and decadent way to start or end your meal. I also tried the Spanish tortilla (egg and potato). It was delicious, but there was some small element lacking to give it a final oomph factor. But it is great with a Perrier lime.

I had to return for a second tasting. This last time I had a wonderful wild mushroom risotto, which is so filling and hearty, it stands as practically a meal all by itself. However, since I love to have variety, I also ordered a small dish of Spanish ciabatta, consisting of a small square of ciabatta bread with super garlicy tomato spread. It isn’t the cheapest restaurant, but still affordable. Each dish averages around 35 yuan, but my risotto was 52. Pricey, but worth it.

The decor of this tapas restaurant is what really impresses me, especially in China. It is very clean, but has a style of decorating that is both comfortable and inviting. You have the option of sitting in lengthy, dark purple couches with colorful cushions before earthy-looking tiled mosaic tables with IKEA brand dishware (yes, I looked at the labels under the plates). The large artwork on the walls are attention-grabbing. I love large canvas pieces. These are all done by the same artist, most of them with a dark red background, some of them with only a large pair of dark eyes peering through the red, or a single large leaf, like an etching in blood. Very cool.

On the other side of the Village is a Mexican restaurant, where I plan to sample a few dishes some time soon. There is also a Turkish place just around the corner that I’m interested in trying. I can’t say that I have ever had Turkish food, but as long as they have several vegetarian options, I should be good with it.