MoVida Aqui

25th July 2011
Para número veinticinco (25) we are headed back to Spain with a trip to MoVida Aqui the second of the Movida franchise in the Good Food Guide with this being the one hat variety. Substantially bigger with a more open air and less clubby feel, it still had the MoVida bustling busy vibe (even on a Monday night) with seats at the bar and an open kitchen . However this kitchen was much bigger and therefore able to offer a greater variety of cuisine and able to offer the Spanish classic paella and a host of daily specials.

However as i had headed in on my own to do a bit of reading and get some work done, i was advised that the paella would be too big (and i wanted to try a greater variety of dishes).

I choose 3 tapa and one raciones from the specials menu.

The first tapa to come out was the grilled calamari sandwich. Crumbed calamari pieces held in a soft bread roll combined with a peppers and a spicy sauce. It was a great start as the calamari was cooked exquisitely and the flavours matched beautifully.

Next was the sardine on toast a tomato, spring onion and herb salsa on top. Good flavours and a good combo but lacked any kind of wow factor to take it to the next level.

The final tapa was the Bomba. Having had this at Movida next door i was intrigued to compare the two. This one had slightly more potato and less chroizo filling and a little bit less spiciness. I preferred the previous attempt but still very good.

The raciones was the cured pork loin (shaved into thin slices), truffle salami (also thin slices) and chicken liver morcela (blood sausage) accompanied by pickled peppers. Easily may favourite was the chicken liver morcela with a good mix of strong flavours combining for a rich bold flavour that delighted. The truffle salami was also good but the cured pork loin was a bit disappointing.

For desert, having already dined at Movida and Movida next door i noted that all three had very similar desert menus with only subtle variations on each, including an amazing looking desert tasting plate here (people sitting next to me had it for 3 to share.) Having had the churros and ganacha, i went for another Spanish classic - Flan. Amazingly rich and creamy it was the best Flan i have had (including in Barcelona).

Accompanied by a glass of Moritz beer and great service from the bar and serving staff it was a excellent meal that took less than an hour from start to finish without it feeling rushed. However despite some of the benefits (more variety, larger space) the quality of the food was not quite on par with the original and the difference of the chefs hat was noticeable. However it was a great meal and worth trying another movida experience.