| rev:text
| - I wanted SO badly to love Jaleo. But it was just one disappointment after another.
The best way I can describe the food is that it's like a KICK to face with intense flavor. Many people would think that's great. Personally, I don't like getting kicked in the face.
The service was ok. Friendly, but not the kind of care you'd hope for with a tasting. No explanations, no recommendations, just plates dropped off one after another.
Here's the good:
Pan Con Chocolate - A dessert on the regular menu (not the restaurant week menu) that our server so kindly gave as a replacement for the sangria ice. This dessert is what I had hoped the entire tasting was going to be like. Beautifully plated, subtle yet complex flavors, perfectly balanced. I would return just for this dessert. I'm not one to ever order chocolate dessert after dinner, but this was one of my favorite chocolate desserts ever.
Tomate Verde Frito Con Valdeon - Fried green tomatoes with PX reduction and Valdeon cheese. Very good. Not amazing. The cheese really made this dish.
Carne Con Piquillo - Hangar steak, grilled perfectly. Simply seasoned. Great!
Ensalada Verde - Lovely flavor, but very intense. Could only take one bite, but it was an enjoyable bite.
Vieras Con Mojo Rojo - Seared scallop with romesco. Delicious but extremely salty. And 3 of the dishes had the same romesco. Overkill.
The NOT so good:
Paella - Trainwreck. Half of the rice was severely undercooked, the other was over-cooked. Crunchy mush. Couldn't eat it.
Gazpacho - I watched a table of 6 behind us chug their glasses of gazpacho and it blew my mind. I took one sip and first it was delightful. But second sip I realized the intensity of the flavor. I felt like I was trying to drink bottle of salad dressing.
Pan de Crystal Con Tomate Fresco - The bread was described as "ethereal" on the menu, and it was. It was light, airy, crispy, and drizzled with a wonderful olive oil, and completely covered in the fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes were good, but I found it surprising that it was served the way it was. Had the tomatoes been served on the side allowing the ability to scoop it on before every bite, it would have been a fabulous dish. But instead it was a soggy, soupy mess.
Everything else was okay.
To drink, I ordered their Shirley Temple made with house-made grenadine. It was lovely, but strange. I was expecting an amaretto or cherry flavor but it was spicy, like cinnamon or nutmeg. For $6 it was a better deal than the other 8oz bottled sodas for the same price. As I'm currently "off the sauce" I cannot review their cocktails or wine selection. However, the cocktail list and wine menu looked extensive. The sommelier assisting the table next to us was quite knowledgeable. And the different cocktails and made-at-the-table sangrias everywhere all looked delicious.
In the end, $50 for the restaurant week menu was of good value. Jaleo is one of the few restaurants to offer an actual multi-course tasting. If you're into intense, in-your-face, overkill flavor you should give this place a shot. This is a great spot for groups and social gatherings, too, with its hopping, energetic ambiance. But if you're hoping for those subtle flavors that are new and out of this world, maybe skip this one. Or just go for dessert.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)