Tapping tapas

Tapas,is essentially a style of eating rather than a form of cooking. “It is simply a snack or appetiser taken with a drink or two at lunch or supper. It’s said that the first tapa,which literally means a lid or cover,was simply a chunk of bread placed on top of a drink to keep the flies out. Here at Zara,these ‘little dishes’ give you a tasty mouthful of Spain,” says Sebastian Galvez Bunge,general manager of the stand alone joint located in Viman Nagar.

In the beginning,tapas consisted of a simple olive or almonds frined in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and served while still hot. These were the original tapas and the simplest of all. As the tradition took roots,tapas became more elaborate,with each region in Spain developing its own version of the dish. At Zara,connoisseurs can take their pick from Pasta Y Langonstinos (Prawn and Pasta Salad),Salchichas de pollo picantes (Spicy chicken sausages),Alas de pollo con pure de patatas (Chicken winglets and mash potato),among a whole range of tapas. For the vegetarians,there’s quite a few on offer,including Xampinyones al ajillo con vino tinto (Mushrooms in red wine and garlic),Croquetas de espinacas (Spinach croquettes) and Berenjenas gratinadas (Baked aubergine).

“The USP of the menu at Zara is that you can get an idea of the type of food you are going to order by just having a glance through the menu card,which contains pictorial descriptions of all the tapas we have on offer,” says Chef Aji Joesph,executive chef,Zara. “I recommend Pollo con vino blanco (Chicken with garlic and white wine) and Pollo a la milanesa (Breaded chicken supreme),” he adds.

Coupled with a main course which consists of pasta and rice dishes,and an elaborate dessert and coffee menu,the foodie in you will rejoice at the thought of all the mouthwatering treats here. The bar menu at Zara,with quite a few innovative mocktails and cocktails,is another must-mentionable. However,the size of the portions is hardly sufficient to satisfy your tapa cravings and some of the dishes are hardly a mouthful. In an otherwise wholesome dining experience,this was the only sour note.