Its been a while since our last date. The husband and I mutually agreed some years back to forego dates in favor of travel. After all, the cost of going out nowadays is nothing to sneeze at especially if you do it every Friday or at least twice a month regularly for a year. You will be shocked at the figure you come up with haha But we realized we missed our “us” time and enjoying new food adventures together. So we decided to resume our dating again . It will be a modest step like one new restaurant a month. Last night, the selection of the restaurant was based on location , convenience of parking and good food. I checked out Rambla in Zomato app and was quite excited it had a high rating there. The hubby and I love Spanish food especially tapas so Rambla is perfect for us.
RAMBLA?
Whenever I visit a new restaurant for the first time, my first question is always, “What’s in the name…?”
Turned out Rambla is not a Spanish verb. It is a noun. It is a name of a street in Spain and owned by 3 handsome Spanish gentlemen along with Las Flores, Tomatito, Rico Rico and La Lola Churreria.
Their very first restaurant in the Philippines though was Barcino which is now owned by another group
A Taste of Rambla
So last night clueless as to the progeny of Rambla and just armed with reviews from Zomato, we visited Rambla for the first time.
Rambla is located at the ground floor at JOYA Tower along with the likes of Pancake House and Santi. Rambla is on the other side though beside Refinery.
Upon entering , I immediately fell in love with the interior of the restaurant. That high ceiling coupled with hardwood floors, black and white tiles and an open kitchen and bar right smack in the center, amalgamated resulting in one cozy albeit posh vibe.
The restaurant was fully booked. Its a good thing I was able to reserve ahead. We sat on the bar initially for some glasses of wine and tapas watching the live action on the kitchen while sipping our vino and munching on our tuna cone…ahh so good. This is the life.
I immediately felt a tinge of sadness when our server announced that our table was ready. Such was my enjoyment where I was perched at the bar that I almost requested the hubby if we can just stay were we where. But then I found myself following our server to our table.
Oh well… Anyway, our table afforded us our very own private space where the hubby and I can whisper sweet nothings hehe. So everything turned out for the better.
The most important question of the night was… what to order.
But then we had the same epiphany. We both enjoyed the TARTAR ATUN so much we were eager to try more items of the same kind in the menu.
So Tapas night, it was…
Complimentary Chips
Manchego Cheese with Mango Jam
walnuts and grapes
P375
It paired perfectly with our wine. We are cheese fiends to begin with so slices of this dairy is enough to make us happy. Loved the biscuits, walnuts and some grapes that went with it. The mango jam served to provide contrast to the full bodied flavor of the manchego.
Tartar de Atun con Mayonesa de Wasabi
Cones of Tuna Tartar with wasabi mayo
P380
This was the starter that made the hubby and I decide that it was going to be a tapas night. Visualize a generous dollop of fresh tuna tartar with wasabe mayo wrapped in a very light and crisp cone (filo pastry?). They look like miniscule ice cream cones presented in what looked like a bowling ball with lots of holes. What fun!
It was so hard to take a good photo when you are of two minds whether to dive in and just devour those adorable cones or to take photos ( at least a dozen from all angles haha) that will do justice to the dish. It does not help that the handsome hubby’s impatience is palpable as well
Omg, that first bite…
I tasted the fresh tuna , the hint of heat from the wasabe mayo and the sweetness of the cone. The silky texture of the tuna tartar enhanced by the wasabe mayo contrasted beautifully with the crispness of the “ice cream cone “. This was one savory “ice cream” and surprisingly filling considering its diminutive size.
Pulpo A Feira, Rambla style with Ajillo
P495
This dish was reminiscent of the Pulpo I tasted at Gallery by Chele. The handsome hubby was amazed at how tender the octopus was. The dish had a little heat from the paprika. I quite enjoyed how the roasted sweetness of the garlic rounded up the different elements of the dish. I can not make heads or tails of the puree underneath but it was scrumptious. The husband kept on spooning that yellow creamy concoction (sweet potato?) until the plate was wiped clean
Salmon & Brie Pillows with Truffle Honey
P550
A delicate dish that was beautiful to look at. We took it in one mouthful and enjoyed the burst of flavors that followed. I tasted the crunchiness of the pillows vs the soft silkiness of the brie. I tasted the sea from the salmon, the sweetness form the honey and the richness of brie
Im sorry I was not able to get the names of the wines we ordered. You have the option though of getting it by the bottle or by the glass.
Overall..
It was a lovely date night with the hubby. The food, ambiance and service were topnotch. Kudos to our server who knows her stuff and was generous and patient in answering our questions. Yes its pricey but worth every peso. Date the wife or the significant other here. Im pretty sure she or he will enjoy Rambla. The experience revived our desire to visit Espana soon. In the meantime, it is safe to say that we will be regular patrons from hereon…. 🙂
RAMBLA is located at the ground floor of Joya Building in Rockwell Makati. Do call first to reserve a table or book via Zomato app