When I asked Adrian if I could see the menu, he handed me an airmail envelope. Caught in the headlights, I obviously looked a touch stunned. He smiled and explained that in Spanish, ‘menu’ is carta – the same as the word for ‘letter’ – so they decided to do a double innuendo and deliver the choices in that format. And a good idea it was, too, because the offerings change daily to reflect what is available at the market. What is on offer on Tuesday may not be there on Wednesday, so never worry about same-same at Quitapenas (pronounced key-ta-pa-nes, it translates as ‘take away your sorrows’).
The modus operandi? Wake up early, go to Central Market to get the freshest of the fresh, figure out which dishes to offer, print the menu at 4pm and open the doors. The menu is short and snappy and – like a good letter – never more than a page and a half.
Fortunately, Joaquin – the master chef behind it all – has identified some signature dishes you can count on. Leading the list are the goat-cheese balls with caramelised onion that I raved about for days after the opening. Okay, okay so I confess to stalking the waiters carrying trays with large white spoons. Also included in this select niche of constants is the pisto manchego with hiroshima oysters, codfish in raspberry aioli and the American beef tenderloin with fresh Roquefort and oxtail sauce. Insider tip: ask for a bit of bread to soak up the sauce drizzled across the plate of duck liver with port sauce. It was enough to make me revert to sucking my thumb.
Moving on from the menu obsession, the bigger picture at Quitapenas is tapas, wine and the lounge. Tapas – the only choice – are small dishes that beg to be shared and they range from $5 to $10. Depending on how hungry you are, expect to pay roughly $10 to $20 per person or $20 to $30 if you opt to imbibe some accompanying wine. On the topic of wine, Adrian notes: “We have wines from around the world, not just Spain, but Australia, New Zealand, America and France. If you are looking for a versatile choice I would recommend Canepa Reserva Privada Sangiovese-Carmenere at $26 a bottle.”
When you finish eating, go upstairs to the lounge to digest and relax. A cut-and-paste of private spaces, each of the three rooms opens onto the balcony. Sit back and enjoy the DJ and the vinyl music. Yes, that’s right. Real records. The type that were around before MP3s, cassettes and even 8-tracks. Classic.
Final comment: this food may not be organic, but it is close to orgasmic.
Quitapenas, #14b Street 264 (corner of Street 19); 088 8222880.
Loved the beef in foie gras sauce!