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With a Spanish accent

Aqua at The Park offers its customers a melange of Mediterranean cuisine, with emphasis on Spanish cooking

PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.

FOR LAZY SUNDAYS The restaurant offers live barbecue, salad and pasta counters during its elaborate brunches

As much as we Bangaloreans like to grumble about the weather, there's little doubt that we still live in one of fairest cities in the country. And what better way to enjoy that than a lazy brunch or a comfortably informal lunch by the poolside? If your mind is already seeing things in a deep, luxurious aquamarine, then The Park has just the setting for your next meal — its poolside restaurant Aqua.

The restaurant offers its customers a melange of Mediterranean cuisine, with emphasis on Spanish cooking. "The cuisine is modern European, a modern interpretation of traditional cuisine of Spain, Italy, Southern France and Greece," says Chef Abhijit Saha. "But Spain is the mainstay of the menu because current trends indicate that Spanish cuisine is the cuisine of the future. Every period belongs to a particular international cuisine, and now is the time for Spanish food."

Finger foods

Thus, the menu prominently features tapas or finger foods popularised by the Spanish. One would do well to try out a combination of these dishes.

For our part, we went with the trio of crisp calamari rings with lemon, juicy lamb albondigas and pan-fried chicken with hot paprika and white wine, a wonderful spectrum of varying tastes and textures. The albondigas are served with a delicious tomato sauce and form the slightly sweetened lower threshold, while the juicy, lemony calamari form the mild middle and the pan-fried chicken forms the zesty higher end of the spectrum. Among the vegetarian tapas, the piquant bravas baby potato skewers are definitely worth a try, with a warm, earthy feel to them. The soft, melting creamy mushroom croquettes are also a good option. Other choices include crumb-fried soft shell crab with romesco, tiger prawns with garlic chilli and extra virgin olive oil or serrano ham and tomato salsa on crusty Catalan bread for the non-vegetarians and batter fried asparagus and artichoke or roasted pepper and marinated olive sticks for the vegetarians.

As we move on to the main course, Saha explains that a characteristic feature of Spanish cuisine, and particularly of Spanish barbecues, is the consistent use of herbs instead of spices. "The taste is very sophisticated, and not-in-your-face."

When we try the panini and the barbecue options that follow, that difference becomes immediately clear. Both the chicken, sun dried tomato and fontina panini and the tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil panini are subtle, understated delicacies, best enjoyed in slow, luxuriant bites over a long, undulating conversation. The New Zealand lamb chops from the barbecue section are similarly enchanting, with choice cuts of surprisingly tender meat, offering a spicy but smooth mix of flavours. The tofu and broccoli skewers with tomato salsa have a slightly stronger taste, for those looking for something with punch.

The restaurant offers live barbecue, salad and pasta counters during its elaborate Sunday brunches so you can choose the kind of meal you'd like to eat.

For dessert, you could try out the chocolate fondue or the Spanish flan. The flan is an especially delicious ending to a great meal. With just the right level of sweetness and consistency, it melts perfectly in your mouth.

What makes the selection at Aqua special, though, is its range of cocktails. The restaurant has an impressive list of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options including vodka martinis, sangrias, cognac mixes and wines from Europe, South America, New Zealand and India. The sangrias, in particular, are nicely done — potent but well disguised.

Aqua, the poolside restaurant at The Park on M.G. Road, can be contacted on 25594666.

Ambience: Outdoor, relaxed

Service: Satisfactory

Speciality: Tapas, anini

Wallet factor: Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000

RAKESH MEHAR

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