When talking about Spanish cuisine, the first thing most people think of, it's tapas. I cannot blame you, they are scrumptious, however Spanish cuisine goes far beyond tapas or pajella, so if you want to find out more about other tantalizing dishes come on in.
WELCOME TO EL SUR
El Sur in Spanish means the South and "El Sur" is also the name of the restaurant located at the Westin Mina Seyahi Hotel which focuses in Andalusian cuisine.
Andalusia is the most southern region in Spain, with famous cities like Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada to name but a few.
Andalusia is home to the purest breed of Spanish horses and gorgeous buildings reflecting a history linking the region with the Arab culture. In essence, it's a region oozing character from any angle, so the cuisine can only match the rest of the territory.
It's appropriate that El Sur named this menu Gastronomic Mondays because it takes you into a delightful gastronomic journey at the discovery of this rich region.
Andalusia is the most southern region in Spain, with famous cities like Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada to name but a few.
Andalusia is home to the purest breed of Spanish horses and gorgeous buildings reflecting a history linking the region with the Arab culture. In essence, it's a region oozing character from any angle, so the cuisine can only match the rest of the territory.
It's appropriate that El Sur named this menu Gastronomic Mondays because it takes you into a delightful gastronomic journey at the discovery of this rich region.
What's on my menu
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STARTER
Salmorejo Cordobes con Jamon Iberico y polvo helado de tomate |
SALAD
Ensalada Malaguena |
FIRST COURSE
Pargo a la Rotena
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SECOND COURSE
Ravioli de rabo de toro y boletus con espuma de patata
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DESSERT
Torrija caramelizada con helado de limon |
Cost 245 AED ($67) per person. Minimum 2 people.
Before actually getting to the starter, we got to try some olives and a selection of breads.
The breads were excellent, Spanish, like Italians and French have a great love affair with bread, but it's the olives that really caught my attention.
Although people always rave about Kalamata olives, and sure they are great olives, I prefer Spanish olives.
The breads were excellent, Spanish, like Italians and French have a great love affair with bread, but it's the olives that really caught my attention.
Although people always rave about Kalamata olives, and sure they are great olives, I prefer Spanish olives.
The olives that I tried at El Sur, are quite frankly the best olives I have tasted in a very long time. Most certainly the best since living in Dubai. I love olives, Mr Doozy doesn't and on this occasion it came really handy, no fighting!
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Salmorejo Cordobes con Jamon Iberico y polvo helado de tomate
That translates as: chilled creamy tomato soup with Iberian ham and iced tomato powder. This is a dish that's a more refined version of gazpacho and is served typically on special occasions like weddings and celebrations. I love tomato soup and the sweet creaminess of it went perfectly with the saltiness of the ham. Really a fresh start to the menu!
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Salmorejo Cordobes con Jamon Iberico y polvo helado de tomate
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Moving from Cordoba onto the Malaga's provice we encuntered the Ensalada Malaguena: a salad of cod fish with orange, potato, red onion and olives.
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Being on the coast, you are sure to get fresh fish and seafood in Malaga. This salad is a lush homage to both sea and land produce of the region. All the ingredients were fresh, you wouldn't think to mix potatoes and oranges but these red oranges worked really well and a slash of dill brought the final touch to blend them together. I enjoyed this very much!
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Pargo a la Rotena
Staying on the coast and moving onto the province of Cadiz, we find Rota a town famous for this dish called Pargo a la Rotena.
Pargo which is Snapper in English, is a popular fish in these waters and there's a particular type called Urta which is a kind of snapper local to the area. This dish is so loved that Rota has a festival every year running now for over 40 years where you can try Pargo a la Rotena, but in the mean time you can experience it atEl Sur in Dubai. The Snapper is cooked with potatoes, green and red peppers and onion. When I saw this and even better when I tasted it, it really felt like taking a bite of the Mediterranean. Mouthwatering!
Pargo which is Snapper in English, is a popular fish in these waters and there's a particular type called Urta which is a kind of snapper local to the area. This dish is so loved that Rota has a festival every year running now for over 40 years where you can try Pargo a la Rotena, but in the mean time you can experience it atEl Sur in Dubai. The Snapper is cooked with potatoes, green and red peppers and onion. When I saw this and even better when I tasted it, it really felt like taking a bite of the Mediterranean. Mouthwatering!
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If you feel like trying something from the land, then the Ravioli de rabo de toro y boletus con espuma de patata are your ticket!
Another specialty from Andalusia and something consumed on celebratory days are these beef oxtail ravioli served with potato foam and mustard sauce. |
Ravioli de rabo de toro y boletus con espuma de patata
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Definitely an interesting dish. The beef from oxtail is very tender and I loved the potato foam. Some people may not like the texture but I like anything that's smooth, creamy and foamy so it was a winner with me.
Torrija caramelizada con helado de limon
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The Torrija caramelizada con helado de limon aka caramelized brioche with lemon ice cream, is one of those desserts that you can easily have several servings of! It's that good!
Again, brioche is one of my favorite textures in desserts and being that is was caramelized it had a crunchy exterior with a soft interior. In Spain this will be served with a different type |
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of icecream, depending on where you get it from. I have seen it served with coffee flavored ice cream, strawberry, vanilla, you name it. It lends itself to any flavor beautifully.
I visited the restaurant on a Monday evening and I must say it was a busy night, which is always a great sign when you see a restaurant full! |
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The food is certainly a fabulous homage to Andalusia with this crafted menu full of authentic dishes and flavors and what I also appreciated, it's the fact that El Sur seems to understand the meaning of being a restaurateur.
There is a huge difference in a restaurant that's simply serving food and just worrying about filling up tables and a venue that is making an effort to be a restaurateur. In a city like Dubai, very few venues grasp the difference and El Sur is one of these rare restaurants.
Caring for details like having Spanish staff, not only on the floor but in the kitchen is extremely important to deliver an experience that is authentic.
When a venue focuses on these kind of details, the diners will notice and positive opinions will spread like a wildfire. The fact that on a Monday night, when most restaurants are quiet, El Sur was heaving with diners, it's proof that they are focusing on the important things.
Gastronomic Mondays are running for few more weeks, so if you wish to try fantastic contemporary Spanish cuisine, look no further.
To make a reservation please call
+971 (0)4-3997700 or +971 (0)50-9449440
or email reservations@elsurdubai.com
If you are feeling social, you can connect with El Sur on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
There is a huge difference in a restaurant that's simply serving food and just worrying about filling up tables and a venue that is making an effort to be a restaurateur. In a city like Dubai, very few venues grasp the difference and El Sur is one of these rare restaurants.
Caring for details like having Spanish staff, not only on the floor but in the kitchen is extremely important to deliver an experience that is authentic.
When a venue focuses on these kind of details, the diners will notice and positive opinions will spread like a wildfire. The fact that on a Monday night, when most restaurants are quiet, El Sur was heaving with diners, it's proof that they are focusing on the important things.
Gastronomic Mondays are running for few more weeks, so if you wish to try fantastic contemporary Spanish cuisine, look no further.
To make a reservation please call
+971 (0)4-3997700 or +971 (0)50-9449440
or email reservations@elsurdubai.com
If you are feeling social, you can connect with El Sur on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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