Endless deliveries of bite-sized beauties alongside an abundance of the amber nectar. The Sharing Platter was born due to my love of tapas, and last week at Ember Yard I was reminded why.
Sister restaurant to Salt Yard on Charlotte Street, Berwick Street's Ember Yard is a newbie, demonstrated by the potent smell of fresh paint when we were led downstairs to our table. Granted we were there for an early lunch so the chef clearly hadn't fired up the grill yet, but the whiff of paint isn't the most inviting welcome gift! However, I was willing to forget, and that I did when the gentle hiss of the grill was heard from the kitchen, followed closely by the comforting aroma of smouldering embers.
Sister restaurant to Salt Yard on Charlotte Street, Berwick Street's Ember Yard is a newbie, demonstrated by the potent smell of fresh paint when we were led downstairs to our table. Granted we were there for an early lunch so the chef clearly hadn't fired up the grill yet, but the whiff of paint isn't the most inviting welcome gift! However, I was willing to forget, and that I did when the gentle hiss of the grill was heard from the kitchen, followed closely by the comforting aroma of smouldering embers.
The menu itself is extensive without being too complex; On the one side you have the charcuterie and on the other you have the tapas. Naturally, we dabbled in both sides of the menu, helpfully assisted with some translation and guidance from the charming Spanish waitress. She made it known pretty early on in the sitting that it was her first day, adding a certain amount of comedy to proceedings.
We kicked things off with some Spanish cheese (apparently they start with cheese over there) which didn't blow us away. I found it too soft, sour and generally unsubstantial. An unfortunate slip-up at the first hurdle, but from then on we leaped and bounded our way to the finish line.
Next the waitress bought out... Actually, hang on. I'm fed up of saying 'the waitress'. Let's call her Elena. In honour of Penelope Cruz's character in The Mask of Zorro. Mainly cause she looked kinda like her...
...Next Elena bought us some flatbread topped with honey, thyme and smoked butter. In all honesty it took me by surprise initially as I thought it was garlic bread. But after the initial shock I found it to be literally the most pleasantly surprising thing I had tasted in a long time. The smokiness of the butter, the sweetness of the honey and the freshness of the thyme was an exceptional combination. I don't know whether this is a staple dish on a tapas menu, but sign me up. Every time.
Elena was then so kind as to bring us some chorizo skewers with a mustard dip alongside the the board of Iberico Ham. Now we were getting into it. Spicy, greasy, juicy chorizo followed by some wafer thin Iberico Ham would be a vegetarians nightmare. Confirmation that we were certainly not vegans came through the demolition of the two boards. At this stage I had a slight hint of starting to feel a bit full, what could possibly come next?
Any over-fulfilment was erased when the sliders were bought out...
...Followed closely by some deliciously tender smoked mackerel...
...Which was then tail-gated by something pretty special. I'm a massive pork lover, and these Iberico Presa delights really sealed the deal. No room for these wet flannels who believe that pork should not be pink. Make your stomach work double-time so your jaws can relax and glide through the meat!
Wow. Now for me to wipe the sweat off my brow and to summarise what was a very special meal.
Simple food done very well was the order of the day here. Good company, great service, and delicious food.
You see for me, tapas isn't just about that fantastic array of food that is laid out. It's about exploration in trying something new and encouraging others to do the same.
I could live here. Elena can join me. We'll lie for eternity on a bed of Iberico Pork Ribs.
We kicked things off with some Spanish cheese (apparently they start with cheese over there) which didn't blow us away. I found it too soft, sour and generally unsubstantial. An unfortunate slip-up at the first hurdle, but from then on we leaped and bounded our way to the finish line.
...Next Elena bought us some flatbread topped with honey, thyme and smoked butter. In all honesty it took me by surprise initially as I thought it was garlic bread. But after the initial shock I found it to be literally the most pleasantly surprising thing I had tasted in a long time. The smokiness of the butter, the sweetness of the honey and the freshness of the thyme was an exceptional combination. I don't know whether this is a staple dish on a tapas menu, but sign me up. Every time.
Elena was then so kind as to bring us some chorizo skewers with a mustard dip alongside the the board of Iberico Ham. Now we were getting into it. Spicy, greasy, juicy chorizo followed by some wafer thin Iberico Ham would be a vegetarians nightmare. Confirmation that we were certainly not vegans came through the demolition of the two boards. At this stage I had a slight hint of starting to feel a bit full, what could possibly come next?
Any over-fulfilment was erased when the sliders were bought out...
...Followed closely by some deliciously tender smoked mackerel...
So we are all aware of the 'Oh you've gotta try this dish' right? The one dish that everyone talks about. The one that is plastered all over their website, the one which is Instagramed, Tweeted, Facebooked, the one which bloggers go bananas over and spray hyperboles about all over the place.
Well this is the one. The main event. The crème de la crème. The goddam Oscar winner. The greasy, smoky, bubbly, ember-stained champion. The roasted and chargrilled Iberico pork ribs ladies and gentlemen! #nofilter :)
Wow. Now for me to wipe the sweat off my brow and to summarise what was a very special meal.
Simple food done very well was the order of the day here. Good company, great service, and delicious food.
You see for me, tapas isn't just about that fantastic array of food that is laid out. It's about exploration in trying something new and encouraging others to do the same.
I could live here. Elena can join me. We'll lie for eternity on a bed of Iberico Pork Ribs.
