A small taste of big flavour

27 January 2016 - 02:32 By Siphiliselwe Makhanya

Umhlanga's young Pintxada tapas bar and restaurant is earning itself a well-deserved name as a house of festive communal eating. Situated close to popular sister restaurant Little Havana, the Umhlanga Village eatery is using well-made food served Spanish tapas-style to tempt hungry patrons into its mid-century, modern-styled embrace.Pintxos, explains its menu, is a term specific to the Basque region of Spain to refer to food served in morsels which have been speared together with a toothpick. It's another word for tapas, the Spanish range of varied small savoury dishes.Looking around the restaurant on my arrival with a companion, I wished I were a beer-drinker, if only to try out the tapas-style boards of craft beer in miniature tumblers that a fun-seeking group of diners near us had opted for.To start off our own order was a shared charcuterie platter (R120), the stars of which were a trio of cured meats: thin discs of South African and Spanish salami piled delicately with slivers of serrano ham.The latter is specially flown in, our waitress tells us, from a small town in Spain after curing for a year.The moist, peppery local sausage holds its own - not too salty, its heat subtle. Its fattier Spanish counterpart has a noticeably earthier undertone.Crisp, toasted slices of panini is a change in texture, the mild flavour neutralising the lingering taste of the sausage.There are olives - not a fan - and pickled gherkins to balance the salt.My companion's order of gorgeously tender beef medallions and skewered mushrooms arrives drenched in peppercorn sauce (R50).He lets me sample a mouthful and not a morsel more. I t's not as rich as it looks. I should order my own, but no, let's try something different.Tumelo, the manager, is here, there, everywhere. He pauses at our table to press us into trying out one of Michelin-starred chef Dave's signature offerings.Chicken St John (R50) - chicken fillet, shrimp and prawns in a soulful, creamy heart-poundingly rich baba ganoush sauce. A layer of salsa completes it. It is tasty, warming , but intense for a dish following a salty, fatty starter.If ever you plan to go for it, learn from my mistake and buffer it with a lighter starter.To round the evening off there are churros, (R37) a type of small doughnut. Fresh, hot out of the kitchen. Twisty little fingers of golden fried dough plated with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and a ramekin of dipping chocolate.Need to knowWhen to go:When you're in the mood to bond over good food with family or friends.What to drink:Sangria (R45 a glass or R95 for a 1litre jug) to complete the Spanish experience, cocktails (R25-R55) if you're feeling fancy or the aforementioned craft beer samplers (R50 for a tasting paddle of four 50ml beers).How much do you need:R120 to R180 if you're planning to order from the rotisserie menu, which offers chicken, fish, lamb, pork and venison; individual tapas portions - there are many - range from R23 to R70 each bar the charcuterie platter; desserts range from R37 to R60.Whatever you do:Take someone with you. Better yet, several people. Tapas-style eating is an experience that doesn't lend itself to lone dining.Where:Granada Square, 16 Chartwell Drive, Umhlanga. Contact 082-688-1310. The restaurant is open daily from 11am to 11pm...

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