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Restaurants: Tomatina

By Gavin Phipps
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Nov 14, 2003, Page 19

For a taste of Spain, try Tomatina. PHOTO: VICO LEE, TAIPEI TIMES

OK, it's impossible to look out of the windows of the Imperial Hotel's OK, it's OK, it's impossible to look out of the windows of the Imperial Hotel's Tomatina restaurant and stare lazily at either the Guadalquivir River or the minaret of La Giralda. And it's hard, very hard, in fact, to picture oneself sitting in a bar somewhere, anywhere, in Andalucia rather than in a hotel located in one of Taipei's least picturesque districts.

That said the hotel restaurant's recent shift towards a Spanish tapas-styled joint does give Taipei residents fed up to the back teeth with faux-Italian or quasi-French chow the chance to savor something a wee bit different, especially in Taipei, where Iberian-themed eateries are scarce.

Since late last month the hotel's popular second floor restaurant -- that in previous incarnations has been an Italian, French and buffet joint -- has been serving up a selection of some of the most genuine, if not the only tapas to be found in Taipei.

For those looking for a light snack, Tomatina offers patrons a cold tapas buffet. Featuring various types of cold dishes such as Juan dory with Basque dressing, marinated mushrooms salsa, ensalada de pollo and octopus la bodego, the buffet costs NT$390 and includes dessert, soup and a beverage.

It is the a la carte hot tapas, however, which are proving to be the joint's most popular draw. Reasonably priced and ranging in price from NT$150 to NT$290, the hot tapas menu includes spicy sausages (NT$190), sauteed mushrooms (NT$200), braised monkfish (NT$280) and rosemary stewed lamb shanks (NT$280).

More hearty and warming dishes include seafood, chicken, sausage and vegetarian paellas (NT$180 to NT$220), which taste exceptional, a fantastic spicy and warming bean, blood pudding and sausage stew (NT$160) and a hefty potato, seafood and garlic mash casserole (NT$250).

To ensure that all the food served up is as authentic as possible, the restaurant imports all of the spices, the special paella rice and the sausages it uses in its tapas.

While the restaurant only "officially" sells sangria by the glass (NT$170), customers who wish to sit back and enjoy a pitcher, or possibly two, of the fashionable Spanish plonk can do so on request. Sadly the wine list has yet to catch up with the rest of the place and the only wine currently available is Chilean (NT$250 to NT$350 per glass or NT$1,200 to NT$1,500 a bottle).

An added bonus of the Imperial's tapas offerings is that because the restaurant is located in a hotel, if you fancy sitting in the hotel's lobby bar, where a wider selection of libations are available, all you need do is ask.
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