Spanish sojourn

There is nothing ordinary about Zara. Not the ambience, not the staff, not the music, not the drinks…and most definitely, not the food. Food, did you hear? Yes, you heard right. While the popular restobar in the city has the crowd ooh-ing and aahing about their delectable, yet affordable cocktails, one service that hasn’t got its due is their delightful food.

Armed with an appetite and a determination to discover more, my colleague and I set off one sunny afternoon to try out the tapas and more at Zara. It’s my friend’s first time here (yes, I know shocking!) and needless to say, she is charmed. “Reminds me of the pubs I used to haunt in the UK,” she quips. I somberly remind her that my club experiences have been limited to the Indian map, but if this is what UK pubs are like…then I’m sure, I will like!

Not wasting any time, we decide to tackle their lunch combos. We pick the sangria as our weapon of choice, a refreshing white one for me and a heady, sweet, red one for her. With crisp, juicy chunks of tropical fruit, the sangria not only soothes my frazzled nerves, but is a revitalising start to the meal. For the starters, our pick is the crumb fried cottage cheese fingers, the Mexican fried spicy chicken wings and the chicken sausages tossed with soy and ginger. While the cheese sticks were simple and subtly flavoured, the sausages were zingy, spicy and complemented our drinks very well. The dipping sauces come in the form of salsa, an interesting spicy mayonnaise and a smooth and piquant tomato sauce.

Slightly stuffed but in the mood for more, the main course brings us to a plethora of choices, but mostly of the Mexican, Spanish, Italian lineage. While the garbanzo beans and mixed vegetables cooked in spicy tomato gravy, reminds me of our very own chhole, the vegetable and bean burrito, passes muster. However, the curried cottage cheese with Alfredo sauce and cheese was a mouth-watering treat, as was the batter fried fish, topped with creamed spinach and cheese.

With no place in our stomachs for even a single morsel more, my friend and I decide to take a rain check on the desserts. However, the next time around, the crepes with orange glaze and ice cream is surely going to be a must have on my list.

The food choices at Zara keeps changing once a month, so as to ensure that the menu is always fresh and updated; something we rarely find at restaurants nowadays. The very healthy portions and affordable prices do not compromise on the quality of the food and this is where the Tapas bar scores way above its counterparts. Salud!