I want crispy rabbit with alioli
The English want to watch football. The Spanish bullfighting. They scream and shout at each other. Hair is pulled. Somebody spits in another’s face.
The police arrive wearing their funny hats and, worrringly, with machine guns.
Such are the memories of some pretty dreadful tapas and raciones in Spain, Benidorm to be precise.
Much of the same rubbish has now come to Australia, although thankfully we don’t have to sit through the “Full English Breakfast” the morning after.
Ever since Movida became popular any bod who’s heard of Chorizo thinks they could open a tapas bar.
They can’t. Or at least if they do I often end up leaving the food and getting plastered on tinto, which is usually delicious despite coming from Alicante, up the road from Benidorm.
I’m banned from mentioning many of these places for undisclosed reasons but that needn’t get in the way of the rest of this story.
I want to tell you about one tapas place that is worth visiting, Anada on Gertrude Street.
The pedigree of the owners include Movida and Moro in London. If you haven’t heard of the Moro’s two Sams, what personality they lacked at last year’s Food festival their food makes up for. Their cookbooks - The Moro Cookbook and Casa Moro - are among the best I own, far better than The River Cafe (where one of Anada’s owner’s worked).
What Anada brings to Spanish food from the Moorish end of Spain, attention for detail and innovation.
The tapas - small plates as they are defined - are tiny but only cost from $2.50 for a crouton topped with Syrian lentils to $6 for some olives that are handpicked, no doubt by virgins.
I thought the boquerones, white anchovies, speared together with palm heart and pickled chilli was an especially refreshing innovation on a warm night and worth every one of the three single dollars it cost.
The raciones are cheaper than a starter in most restaurants. I dare not compare the $15 crisp fried rabbit with alioli (that’s Spanish for a sort of Aioli which in turn is French for a sort of garlic mayonaisse) to KFC. But it did remind the Martini Monster of goujons. It doesn’t actually matter because they were tasty and moist.
It is here the Moorish influences show. The slow roasted beetroots ($6.50) are served with Nigella seeds and labneh (strained yoghurt).
The kebabs, served with labneh, are very good although we thought the grilled lamb, although tasty, was a touch fatty.
I lost track of how many individual plates we ordered but it was pretty good value. For four or more you can order ten for $44.
Perhaps the best thing about Anada was recognising a friendly face.
“It’s the cheese guy,” the Martini Monster declares. That would be Ryan who we first met at The Commoner and is a cheese expert who takes her bawdy language in his stride.
Whenever he comes near our table “The monster” launches into what I pick as a dissertation on Chaucer, in particular the Nun’s Priest’s Tale. Her special interest is in Chauntecleer - a big cock that “fethered Pertelote twenty time”. At least that’s the story I’m sticking to.
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
I think these guys have done a great job. Its the closest thing I’ve seen to a real tapas joint. The only problem now is that it can be bloody hard to get into!
Dave, they have and it is great. It will probably get harder especially once the reviews start coming in.
Went there yesterday as a walk-in at 6.00pm. Told all tables booked but we could have stools. Went to leave and suddenly a table was available. All other walk-ins were given stools down the back. Left just before 8 with all their tables still empty. Food OK but not stunning. Coffee was appalling,expresso over filled and lacking proper crema.
Not professional, just think they are
well, anada’s an exact replica of movida, isn’t it? from the food right down to the plates they use. i found it quite disappointing, if i wanted to eat movida’s food why wouldn’t i just go to movida and save myself the bother of going to gertrude st?
that said, the food wasn’t bad, just completely unoriginal. the retaurant didn’t, and would never, have the buzz and the atmosphere that movida has, not until they at least attempt to stand on their own feet when it comes to menu writing time. oh, and more competent floor staff.
Warren,
They are not amateurs and the food is better than most places laying claim to tapas.
Scott, have you actually been to Movida? Movida has different food and is a lot more expensive. The reason for going to Anada is a well-priced local drop-in. But if you’ve the money to eat at Movida all the time then good for you.
If your staff cannot make coffee when you hire them and you do not train them to do so properly, you are not professional. Amazingly simple- basic skills. I was appalled, the working barrista I was dining with was appalled. Neither of else will be recommending the place. The best you can say about the food is that it is competent.
Warren, maybe they hired their barista from Tre Bicchieri. What specifically was wrong with the coffee? I’m sure they’l end up reading this and the feedback would be appreciated. I’m amazed how many restaurants forget the coffee and use run of the mill beans (I’m thinking Lavazza and Vittoria).
Sadly I too have suffered the bad coffee and rude service at Tre Bicchieri. but that was six months ago and I haven’t been back. That is the whole point. Professionals get all things right including floor service and the coffee and that turns walk-ins into regulars. We walked into an empty restaurant and were told only stools down the rear were available. We declined and suddenly a table was available. If you or your staff are in the habit of telling stupid lies to customers you are doomed.
In my experience professionals starting a new place always ensure their window tables are used first, because it is amazingly good advertising to the passing trade. Pointing all your early evening walk-ins to your stools down the back-moronic but common with amateurs because they ignore the bleddin’ obvious.
Coffee (2 expressos)was not made at optimum temp and consequently devoid of flavour and lacked a proper crema. As for a rich golden brown crema!! Also an expresso is not a short black despite what some of the people manning the machines think.
The current TV success of Gordon Ramsey and its Aussie clone is based is based on a very simple premise. It is easy to find restaurants run by amateurs who delude themselves that they know what they are doing.
Curious if either Warren or Scott have any connections with existing hospitality operators, either locally or in the city? Your criticisms seem rather harsh considering how long Anada’s been open, are there vested interests at work here?
All places make the odd f’up, even with the basics, no-one’s 100% perfect, despite best efforts. I think you could at least try for a second time (assuming your comments above relate to a first time visit?) and maybe reserve your blistering judgement until then? I think comments like “It is easy to find restaurants run by…” are completely unnecessary….so much so that I can’t even bring myself to quote it in full.
Good point Davy. I was wondering that myself.
Pardon? Someone disagrees with you and their motives must be suspect!. No I do not have any connection with “existing hospitality operators,either locally or in the city ”
Maybe you and Davy could adorn yourselves with some nice brown shirts, goose-step up and down outside Anada, and strictly punish any diner who diverges from the annointed party line.
Warren,
Funny response but it was a valid question. The vitriol seemed a little on the bitter side so I was trying to establish if the motive may have been more than just an (overly) critical punter. I still stand by my general view though and I don’t think my comment/query above was unreasonable. Knowing how hard it is to open and run a place (and being an actual “amateur”, unlike the guys running Anada)….of course there’s a place for criticism, constructive criticism but I still think you overstepped the mark.
Personally I’m far too unfit to be goose-stepping anywhere….although the mental image is quite amusing. Anyway I’m peddling restraint and reason, not fascism.
Warren, I think it was not just the vitriol but the fact we have no idea who you are. Click on Davy, Dave or Ed and it leads to our blogs/websites. You hit the nail on one thing at least, my fascist connections…
i do not have any connections with “existing hospitality operators, either locally or in the city” either. i’ve been to movida on a number of different occasions, and have recently been to anada. just noticed a few things that were exactly the same, worded slightly differently, on the menu.
it doesn’t even matter, i’m not trying to start a debate, just said what i thought.
Feel compelled to take up for warren- I would be willing to give anada another shot, but I was similarly unimpressed with my first visit:
Was greeted by a very fusty manager/waiter/owner (? don’t know which) who announced it would be 15 minutes before they could take our order. We were shown to a table, and then a waiter took our order immediately. Not bad service, per se, but bizarre nonetheless.
The food we had was pretty bad- the bread they served with our olives was burned black on two crusts. It was really pretty unpleasant, and kind of unbelievable that they would even serve it. The olives were fine.
The “chorizo” they served was an ok sausage, but it was not chorizo. I’ve had good quality dry and fresh chorizo from a range of restaurants and delis, and this was more like the “chorizo flavoured” sausages they sell at coles. The octopus and potato dish was fine, but it was really expensive considering how small it was. I mean we’re talking OCTOPUS and POTATOES. It’s not exactly haute cuisine and I understand its a more casual place, but given that, I think the serve could’ve been a bit less stingy.
So yeah, maybe they had a bad night- very valid- there’s plenty of stuff on the menu I would like to try and I would be willing to give them another go, but what I had was not very encouraging.
BTW- I am neither a blogger, nor someone who is connected to the industry in any way- I don’t quite understand why that’s relevant, but I thought I would declare myself to avoid similar insinuations!! I feel compelled to remind that a blog on the internet is not exactly a private space, and that the whole point is that people (strangers!! who don’t have blogs!!) can read and react to them at will.
Coincidence is a strange thing. Stephen Downes asked me to review Anada with him tonight. They were busy and by the end it was noisy. The coffee was fine. All the dishes were fine, some excellent. I can’t give away too much but certainly there weren’t any of the problems described.
Jessie the dishes are meant to be small and they do seem good value - not cheap eats - but good value although the Octo was a little underseasoned. There are many versions of chorizo too from the hard dry cured to the more sausage you cook type. I wonder if it was a different version to what you are used to.
Jessie I don’t question where you come from as your complaints seem a bit more balanced.
There will be a review in the Herald Sun and John Lethlean has visited several times so no doubt in The Age soon too.
Yeah, like I said- I would be willing to give it another shot. But I won’t be getting chorizo- yes the sausage at Anada was different to what I’m used to, as in- it was not as good!!! Know what you’re saying about fresh vs dry chorizo, but I do know the difference, I usually get fresh chorizo from a deli in ascot vale- it is meaty, red and redolent of smoky paprika. Anada’s was grey-brown and the texture of coles foam-tray “gourmet” (over minced under-flavoured). Maybe I have an over-exercised palate and need to be clubbed over the head with the flavour, but I found it a wee bit bland. I would expect them to get that right, but then again - perhaps its like going to Hako and judging it on the quality of the gyoza.
Have got to congratulate you Ed. You have raised name dropping to an artform! John Lethlean and Stephen Downes mentioned in the same post, sort of inferring that the experts are of one mind and the common people should just shut up and eat.
As Jessie points out you dont seem to understand the true nature of a blog-this is not your private space where we come to genuflect at the wisdom of your deliberations.Every post should be judged on their comments and not have their motives queried or their chorizo knowledge denigrated. You might actually end up with a vibrant community discussing food.
Jessie, Fair enough. I haven’t been to Hako yet but I’ll avoid the gyoza.
Warren,
the only reason I went there last night is because Stephen, who is a friend and colleague, asked me as he needed a partner and all newspaper reviews are accompanied. The guys at Anada said John had been in several times. And in the postmodern world (now I’m getting really wanky) we live in the people who write the stories are often part of the story itself. And the more opinions the better which is the whole idea of “The wisdom of Crowds”. I have no idea what Lethlean’s review will be like; it could be very bad. I wasn’t denigrating Jessie’s chorizo knowledge but just pointing it out as the chorizo I ate there was pretty good by my book and certainly not like she described. I’m only questioning the negatives as one of the big issues out there is anonymous people or people who don’t use their full names leaving negative (or postive in some instances) comments on forums and blogs. It was a major concern for most of the overseas chefs who visited the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival recently. You should check out this story from yesterday’s media section of the Australian by Simon Canning Nameless blogger bile hurts about the local blog run by Michael Lynch called Campaign Brief. It’s all about anonymous comments and a suicide in the US. My policy is to keep all comments (apart from spam obviously) up and not edit them unlike the overmoderated mainstream media companies. I simply reserve the right to put across my opinion in addition to yours on a my personal blog. Let’s face it is is good to debate and have diverse opinions. Can we agree on that?
some interesting points here, however, as a chef and a lover of eating out, food discussion and generally tasty stuff, can people not agree to just having differing opinions. so your favourite chorizo is a not like someone else’s favourite kind of chorizo.? honestly, who gives the slightest fuck???? My crema wasn’t great? grow up and start caring about stuff that actually has an impact on our lives bigger than my coffee wasn’t at the optimum serving temperature. and as for the name dropping…………….who fucking cares……..
David, nice point. I just felt I should defend something that i thought was quite good and nearer a genuine tapas bar than anything I’ve found in Australia.
Post script
- wasn’t casting aspersions on Hako’s gyoza- just saying that you wouldn’t go there for the gyoza, you’d order off the specials menu- perhaps I shouldn’t judge anada on their chorizo alone.
- David- I don’t have a problem agreeing to disagree- a forum is just that- a place to air opinions, or if you like- share them. It doesn’t need to be personal and I didn’t take offence at Ed’s chorizo comment (although I chuckled at Warren’s reply to it)and my reply wasn’t intended to be defensive.
- if there’s any place a person should feel comfortable anally dissecting the quality of the crema on their espresso- surely its on a food blog? Get off the high horse.
Jessie, I will try the gyoza then. If David wants to discuss something worthy perhaps he should go over to the “Make Poverty History” or Earthhour blog. I’ll be interested to hear what you think if you revisit. Cheers
Ed, how does Anada compare to Lola’s Tapas in St Kilda?
Ted, Better I think but I haven’t been to Lola’s for a long time. I went a few times after it opened but had a greasy meal with poor service so never went back.
Ed, thanks, I was going to book but I’ve heard that the service standards at Lola’s have dropped recently as well.
What would you recommend for a Sat night dinner for 12, about $25 per person? Preferably around the city or St Kilda.
Ted, that’s a tough one $25 - is that including drinks? Check out the new group blog http://www.verycheapeats.com where the rule is amealof two courses and a drink should be under $20. If you fancy joining send me a line and get you signed-up.
Perhaps Claypots plus drinks depending on what you eat.
$25 excluding drinks (inc would be asking too much me thinks). I had a look at the blog you recommended but nothing piqued my interest. Well, PekoPeko did, but the plan is to go for drinks later without having to drive (hence the preference for a city ot St Kilda location).
Ted, Very Cheap Eats is still very young - it’ll get better. Off th etop of my head locally, cheap are The Espy Kitchen or (on Fitzroy) A Taglio (Good pizza), Mikoshi and if you do Yum Cha,Mahjong. I’ve just remembered the place next to Pizza e Birra is cheap. I can’t remember its name though it also does pizza.
Why do I never get this kind of debate on my site… I need to swear more… fuck it.
As for the actual criticisms, anyone who spells espresso with a ‘x’ immediately gets discredited in my book (unless of course that’s how they spell it on the menu, which would be unforgivable). Even if they are dining with a “working barista”. Any coffee drinker worth their salt would not be ordering espresso in a tapas restaurant… It’s just not worth the risk.
It’s one of my biggest complaints as a coffee lover is that restaurant coffee is rubbish… but I appreciate the food and the wine, then go home and make one myself.
Nice one Matt. Amazing how even Italian restaurants can get it wrong. Shame the coffee guides only really rank cafes.
Talking about Spanish food, I came across the Melbourne Writer’s Festival 2008 program recently, and there are a few events that I thought would interest other foodies like me. For instance, there is a lunch at MoVida with Chef Camorra who is going to be talking about his new book ‘MoVida: Spanish Culinary Adventures. ‘Here are some others which caught my eye:
Dramatic Readings and a 3 course meal at Bottega Restaurant
4 course dinner, fine cheeses and wine at the Press Club (during which Chef George Calombaris is presenting his book ‘The Press Club: Modern Greek Cookery’)
Lunch at Seamstress as author Janet de Neef talks about Balinese food
Wine at Beer Deluxe with award-winning wine writer Campbell Mattinson, author of ‘The Big Red Wine Book’
But i’m sure there’s other stuff. Check out mwf.com to see if there are anything else that takes your fancy.
Sorry to dig up an old thread… but I couldnt resist.
Warren, to quote Google, “Did you mean: espresso ” when complaining about Anadas coffee? I’m not sure what expresso is. You’re not from Sydney are you?
If Movida didn’t exist, Anada would seem ok- but when you are serving up second rate replications of some of the best and most consistent dishes in Melbourne, you make yourself look foolish and your restaurant sub-standard. And yes, the menu layout is the same- as is the wine list. To me, Anada has crossed that line between influence and imitation. But it’s not all croqueta for croqueta- one of the dishes that I didn’t recognize from the Movida textbook was lovely- sliced smoked swordfish with some kind of almondy sauce and fresh broad beans. And I’d be just as blissful knowing that the dish had an identical twin on some table in a London restaurant that I’ll probably never get to visit anyway- I just don’t want my deja vu served two kilometres up the road. Boycott gastronomic plagiarism and support kitchen originality. Don’t go for the cheap imitation- go for the real thing at Movida.
Oink,
And where do you think Movida got its influences from? I can’t recall eating a single dish at Anada that I ate at Movida. Maybe some similar dishes but I’ve eaten similar dishes in Europe too.
Sure Ed, we all have influences in life. I might just kick start my painting career with a portrait of a round faced girl with a half smile who’s looking sideways with her hands crossed in her lap. Never had a single ‘Movida’ dish at Anada hey? Hmmm let’s see… Last night last night we had a baked scallop with Jamon- overcooked to the point where the scallop almost disappeared under the garnish of chopped of parsley- Crumbed piquillo pepper stuffed with surf clam and coriander- totally devoid of any hint of surf clam- just stodge- weird. We also ate beef cheek in oloroso on white bean puree- ok but bland in comparison to Movidas ox cheek which the dish was obviously modelled on. None of them sound familiar? I’m sure fellow Movida fans will have bells ringing. Maybe you just went to the wrong Movida. As for having eaten similar dishes in Europe? BRING IT ON! I want to eat in a different part of the world every night of the week- that’s my Melbourne food fantasy!
Oink,
Mate, these things aren’t unique. Does this sound familiar: beef cheeks braised in Pedro Ximenez sherry wine, served with chick pea purée. It’s from a restaurant in Bratislava from a Google search. Scallops with Jamon - it’s a no brainer and people have been putting pig and scallop together for years. Go and eat in other restaurants with your eyes open and you’ll see almost every chef has influences from other restaurants and sometimes make exact copies of dishes. It just so happens that Robin Wickens is the only person to have copped shit for it from The Age a few years ago. You’re lucky that you are inMelbourne and you can eat something copied from elsewhere in the world every week.
Ed,
Mate, can you seriously not see the difference between copying a dish from 2 kilometers away to copying a dish from 2000 miles away? Maybe YOU need to open your eyes. Hey, and if you’re going to copy someone’s signature dishes- at least get it right!
No difference at all. Copying is copying if it’s local or 2000km away.
had pulpo a la gallega at anada, exactly the same as movida’s, plate and all. patatas a la pobre, same again. baked chocolate pudding? anyway, anada seems to have hit the right chord with the critics, emperor’s new clothes, anyone?
Pulpo a la gallega isn’t unique to Movida. It is a very famous Spanish dish from Galecia. Patatas a la pobre is a very traditional Spanish dish. Nobody has exclsuive rights to them.All i can say is thank god we have another Spanish place that isn’t serving the usual greasy bilge that most tapas places serve in Melbourne.
Copying is copying hey? Well I guess it’s just stiff shit for Anada then that nobody here seems to mind Movida copying their menu from some restaurant in Slovakia.
Oink, you need to travel more Try Spain perhaps where none of these things are unique. BTW What’s your problem??? Nice to hear a truthful answer.
That’s my problem right there. How f***ing arrogant of you to presume I haven’t been to Spain. Madrid was lovely thanks. Do you just assume none of your readers know anything about food and haven’t travelled anywhere? And how about the truth from you mr. journalist? An admission that dining at Anada means you will most likely encounter at least a few dishes that you will immediately recognize from Movida. That’s all I’m after.
Sorry, forgot to mention- Tapas in Madrid? Awesome! Mind blowing!
My point is that all the dishes you mention are really really common in Spanish cooking as is cooking in Sherry. I don’t know this because I’m an arrogant journalist but because my mum comes from Spain.
So the beef cheek is the same, both dishes were cooked in sherry - one PX another Olorosso - and ones uses cauliflower and the other chickpeas. Almost exactly the same. I think not.
I was just wondering what your agenda was and why so many people are knocking Anada in this way and not other restaurants. Frank Comorra is a good chef but he didn’t invent Spanish food.
You’ll also find some influences - not identical copies - from Moro in London on the menu too.
surely if you are influenced by spanish food and culture you’d find something more unique than pulpo a la gallega and patatas a la pobre to put on the menu? why would they do that when movida’s already doing it? why the same plates? why the same almost everything? and why is it that every single article anada was featured in always mentions that the chef trained under frank camourra?
I’ve never heard any suggestion that Frank invented Spanish food. However- wherever he learnt it, cooked it, ate it, read about it or developed it, he has raised Spanish food to a new level in Melbourne. Movida will go down in history as one of Melbourne’s greatest restaurants. If you Ed, as a food journo cannot see for yourself why so many people are bagging Anada for its likeness to Movida there’s nothing else that can be said to you. I can’t recall off the top of my head another example of a chef who has modeled their own venture so closely on the last place they’d worked. Blatant copying shows a lack of creativity and respect for the people you have worked for and also the people who come to your restaurant expecting at the least, your take on a similar style of food. With minimal effort I’m sure a lot less people would be pissed off- format your menu differently from Movida’s- take slight detours from Movida staples- like serve your ox-cheek with something other than a pale coloured mash- stuff your piquillo peppers with something other than shellfish etc.
Anada has a lot going for it- good space, good service, good value and as a tapas loving Fitzroy local I would like to be able to stumble home after a couple too many Temepranillos on a fairly regular basis but I won’t go back on principal unless they make some effort to be a bit more original. But then again, if John Lethlean thinks the sun shines out of your culo and you’ve got your pic in glossy mags- who gives a f##k what I think, I’m just a customer and you’ll have no shortage of them while the wonderful publicity keeps up.
Morticia, it’s just Spanish peasant food and not sure Anada pretends to offer any more than that.
Oink, Comorra has done precisely that and he has to be the most influential Spanish chef in Australia. I think Anada is trying to do something different to the quite elaborate and innovative offerings of Movida. Both places are packed and both seem to have found a niche. True therearea couple of dishes that are similar but my point is that the beef cheek isn’t blatent copying, the only common ingredient being the cheek. I’ll admit Lethlean’s praise is over the top for a drop in midwek place for a few nibbles and a tinto. But my original point in the blog post was that this is better than the other tapas offerings out there which, with the exception of Movida and Movida Next Door, it is.
Funny how tapas style dining has come back in a big way after being seen as a bit uncool for such a long time- I guess I’ll be dusting off my Gypsy Kings cd next.
If you can’t find it i’ll burn one for you as a goodwill gesture. Also I meant to say we shouldn’t forget Bar Lourhina in all this.
And what are your thoughts on Bar Lourhina in the scheme of things Ed?
I recently met Matt from Abstract Gourmet there and it was great - in fact I went back a week or so later I so enjoyed it. A little crowded perhaps but the food is good with the Portuguese/Spanish vibe and small plates for sharing. Different to the food served at Movida and Anada. And it has interesting wines. You can’t book but I’ve always found the turnover quite high so you never have to wait to long for a table - you just may have to move around a bit. I’d mark it higher than Anada if I scored. Yourself?
Do the walk from Anada to BL to Movida (and a few watering hole pit-stops in between) with a few courses at each… definitely the way to go… we do it often when inter-staters are in town… no beating it… each offer something a wee different…
(not Spanish but we mostly always finish off at Maha for the dessert course as they are open late)
Charcoal grilled chicken liver skewers were our introduction to Movida Cantina (or Mov nxt door) this last Friday… another great addition… if not too cramped…