|
Iberia: Fine Spanish Food in Menlo Park
By Jason Hom
Editor
I have never lived in San Francisco during
the summer, but I've already heard an earful about what to expect. If what
I have heard from veteran San Franciscans and older classmates is true, the
city is cold and foggy during the summer months, devoid of the regular sunshine
and blue skies that grace other locales. Fortunately, if I want to escape to
pleasant weather that is more conducive to picnics, sunbathing, frisbee games
and other outdoor activities, I can simply head down to the Pennisula. If you
too tire of cold and overcast weather, this is a pretty good day trip.
If
you decide to go down south to soak up the sun while engaging in your favorite
activity, you might get hungry and be looking for a place to eat. If so, you
should certainly consider going to Iberia, a Spanish restaurant located in
Menlo Park. Conveniently, the restaurant is situated just across the
street from the Caltrain station.
We went to Iberia for dinner. First, let
me get one thing straight: Iberia is not a place you would go to regularly
on a student budget. After tax and the mandatory 19 percent service charge,
our bill for an appetizer and our entrees was $80. Of course, at this price,
we had relatively high expectations. Fortunately, Iberia was good, and
I would recommend having dinner there if you're in the mood to splurge or are
looking to celebrate a special occasion.
We were given a choice between indoor
and outdoor seating, and we decided to sit at a nice corner table inside. The
restaurant has a very nice ambiance, with paintings on the walls, mahogany
throughout and an intimate feel. We were presented with a carafe of water,
marinated olives, almonds and two types of bread while we were deciding what
to order. The marinated olives were some of the best I've ever had; the olives
were not overly salty or soft like some I have had. One of the types of bread
was a soft, buttery miniature roll with a delicate texture; it complemented
the olives well.
We decided to order the canelon a la catalana
appetizer ($8.75), which was described as a traditional favorite in Barcelona.
We ordered the paella tipica for our main course, in part because it was advertised
as the most popular dish at the restaurant. The paella tipica ($26.50 per person)
is prepared only for two or more.
The canelon a la catalana appetizer was
a single large pasta tube stuffed with "chicken, veal, and pork and topped
with bechamel" (bechamel is a white sauce prepared with butter and cream). The appetizer was quite good. We attributed its nuanced, unique flavor to the
fine mixture of ingredients. Notably, the appetizer was extremely small — sufficient
only for two bites per person. Not surprisingly, the appetizer left us still
very hungry — hungry enough to meticulously scoop up all the remaining
bechamel and eat it by itself. Fortunately, the paella tipica arrived soon
in a very large portion size. The paella tipica was served as a layer of saffron
rice interspersed with generous helpings of chicken, bay shrimp, prawns, scallops,
mussels and squid. The dish was delicious and hearty. The rice had a satisfying
texture that was neither too hard nor too mushy, and it was clear that all
the seafood ingredients were fresh. After our dinner ended, we had enough of
the paella tipica leftover for a sizable midnight snack for two.
Overall, our experience at Iberia was
quite positive. The service was professional and friendly, and the food was
authentic and high quality. If you want to experience Iberia but are hesitant
about the price of dinner, consider going there for lunch, when you can get
table service for a variety of tapas (during the evening, you can order tapas,
but only at the bar). The tapas prices are more affordable, ranging from
$1.90 for empanadilla de pollo, a chicken and sweet pepper turnover, to $4.95
for pulpo a la gallega, which is octopus with olive oil and hot dry peppers.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Iberia Restaurant
1026 Alma Street
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Tel: (650) 325-8981 (Call for hours)
Jason Hom is a second-year medical student.
|
