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| - We came, we ate, we conquered Charlotte's Spanish tapas scene at Malabar... and likely won't come back. I'm giving our experience three stars because it's deserving of an "A-OK" description, but we aren't lining up our next trip any time soon.
First and foremost, our seat was in the very back corner of the small, one-room restaurant. Normally I think a smaller restaurant can give off a very intimate feel, but this was a little TOO intimate. I had to stand on my tip-toes to squeeze through to my seat in the corner booth, muttering an apology to the couple next to us as my rear end hovered likely much-to-close to their appetizer (oops, so sorry, that's not very appetizing).
We visited during Queen's Feast so had a more limited menu, and I really wasn't impressed or even intrigued by many of the first course options. We ended up choosing the lentils, which tasted as I had imagined my lentils would taste (and would typically not be a preference for an app), but they were nicely balanced with delicious ham and chicken croquettes (HIGHLY recommend these as a starter!).
My husband ordered the lomo de cerdo asado (i.e. the pork loin) for his main course, later admitting that the pork was dry without a sauce and the vegetables on the side were cold. Pretty disappointing.
I, on the other hand, had a fantastic main course. I chose the Zarzuela (i.e. the Spanish-style fish stew), and it was filled to the brim with delicious seafood. The side of fried yuka was pretty awful (tasted like freezer-burnt french fries), but again, the Zarzuela literally saved my entire dining experience. SO GOOD.
For dessert, my husband chose the flan, and I had the Tres Leches, which was mouth-wateringly tasty.
One last recommendation if you choose Malabar for your dining experience - go for the red wine sangria. It was very flavorful, a decent-sized pour, and helps you look past some not-so-palatable moments.
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