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Tapas temptations

Originally, tapas were meant to be eaten as an accompaniment to drinks, and were generally made of slices of meat like chorizo (sausage) and ham with slices of bread.

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Fancy some Spanish snacks, appetisers or finger food? Now, you don’t need to undertake a culinary trip to Spain to enjoy these delicious morsels or tapas as they’re popularly called. These bite sized heavenly dishes can be enjoyed right here in the city.

Valhalla, south Mumbai’s newest happening address, is a business lounge by day and doubles up as a tapas bar at night, offering gourmands a taste of the traditional Spanish cuisine.

“We are trying to introduce a new and relatively unknown eating concept in the city. Tapas style eating is a tasting experience and is all about sharing one’s food with family and friends,” says Tricia Batliwalla, who opened Valhalla in June this year along with her husband and two friends.

It is a concept that has taken the city by storm, if the full house every evening is any indication. “The tapas bar attracts a lot of attention. Once people start ordering, they just keep asking for more,” says Batliwalla, adding that usually people come here to have a chilled out and an informal dining experience.

Walk into Valhalla and the first thing that catches one’s attention is a majestic throne at the far corner. The throne dedicated to Odin, the Nordic god of food and wine, is meant to be a conversation starter. Valhalla (in Norse mythology, it means a majestic hall ruled over by Odin) pays tribute to Odin by serving widespread world cuisine by day and tapas at night.

Originally, tapas were meant to be eaten as an accompaniment to drinks, and were generally made of slices of meat like chorizo (sausage) and ham with slices of bread. “You can eat them with your hands, and one order can be shared by atleast three people,” adds Batliwalla.

Valhalla has over 30 varieties of tapas, divided into vegetarian, seafood and meat sections. Each platter comes with accompaniments of cheese, tomato sauce, water chestnuts, garlic rolls, chilli tomato jam, yoghurt and cucumber dips and aioli (garlic and olive oil sauce). Shantanu Gupte, executive chef, has tried and tested the tapas varieties for over three months.

Popular sellers are the feta and risotto dumplings, Patata bravas — Spanish baby potatoes served with aioli and romesco sauce; Beet root and goat cheese ravioli — roasted beetroot and goat cheese with pine nuts, Ciabatta and a sherry maple dressing; Jamon Serrano — Spanish ham served with aragula, manchego cheese flakes and warm ciabatta; Spiced chicken wings — oven roasted chicken wings marinated in Spanish spices and served with blue cheese dip and chilli tomato jam; Squids stuffed with shrimps; Crab cakes — lemon grass and kaffir lime scented crab-potato cakes served with wasabi cream and teriyaki glaze.

“We serve tapas only in the evenings from 6.30pm onwards. Since there is a demand for it during the day too, we have turned some of them into starters,” adds Gupte. The couscous crumbed Bombay duck, Cajun charcoal grilled prawns, Cajun crusted cottage cheese can be eaten as starters during the day. Sangria or Spanish wines are the preferred accompaniments to the tapas, which can also be enjoyed with juices and non alcoholic fare. Tapas are eaten as starters and go well with purple cabbage cole slaw, potato and cheddar mash or potato chips.

Food at Valhalla has a strong Spanish influence. “It is one cuisine that has been underplayed but is very similar to Indian cuisine, since it’s spicy,” adds Batliwalla. The tapas are true to their authentic Spanish roots with a few variations thrown in, like the dips and the ingredients used. So, head to Valhalla, to enjoy small platters of food fit for the gods.
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