Tapas Club Malaysia, Pavilion KL: Authentic Spanish Flavours

When I think of Spanish food, paella, gambas, chorizo, churros and Sangria come to mind. Tapas Club which debuted in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur in July this year brings all my favourites to KL and much more.

Founded by world-acclaimed chefs Jose Angel Alonso and Manuel Berganza, Tapas Club promises to bring the finest Spain classics to Malaysia. Chef Alonso is the Executive Chef at Singapore's Binomio and was hosting chef at the World Gourmet Summit 2016. He has also previously worked with many celebrity chefs, including Michelin award-winning Sergi Arola, Francis Paniego and Spain's most celebrated chef, Santi Santamaria.

On the other hand, Chef Berganza is the first Spanish chef to receive a Michelin star in United States through his restaurant Andananda in New York. He also won acclaim as chef at Sergi Arola's Gastro and La Broche in Madrid.

"We want to bring you to Spain, and to bring Spain to Malaysia. We believe we can achieve this by combining the best ingredients with the best talents," said Tan Kai Young, owner of Tapas Club Malaysia.

Be transported to Spain as soon as you step into Tapas Club. The luxurious, elegant interior, by Spanish designers, Madrid in Love is striking with rich red tones and reflects a classic Spanish restaurant. Andalusian motives are brought to life with a combination of vintage porcelain and steel, along with rustic textures and linear arrangements. The centrepiece is the bar area; look up to see an inverted bullring, where the iconic Spanish bullfighting takes place.

Helming the kitchen here is Head Chef Gabriel Bonnin Roig, who hails from Mallorca in Spain. He works closely with Chef Alonso and Chef Berganza to create the menu that you see in Pavilion KL. To achieve the authentic flavours of Spanish cuisine, most of the key ingredients, including spices and the finest Iberico pork are flown in from Spain. Furthermore, the beer and wine selection are also directly sourced from Spain.

The Sangria here is really good!

Spanish gin (Xoriguer) and tonic

Owner, Tan Kai Young

The menu features cold cuts, tapas, tapas+ (main courses), paella and desserts. I like their picture menu as it gives me an idea of what to expect, but if you're still confused as to what to order, you can always ask for recommendations from the staff or choose from their 6, 8 or 10-course degustation menu (RM168, RM288, RM399).

Come in larger groups, like we did and you can sample more of their tapas offerings.The Mushroom Croquettes (RM21) are crisp on the outside, with a creamy filling made with button mushrooms and butter.

The bestselling tapas here is the Gambas Alajillo (RM26); with plump, juicy garlicky prawns served with homemade bread, it's no wonder this is a favorite with diners.

Another signature dish here is the Tortilla de Patatas (RM19), a delicious Spanish omelette made with eggs and potatoes.

We loved the Calamares con Chorizo (RM29), which is made using locally sourced fresh squid, stuffed with Spanish chorizo. The squid is perfectly cooked, hence texture is tender and is balanced nicely by the spicy, savory chorizo.

The Deep fried suckling pig with spinach Catalan-style (RM27) is the ideal snack to go with a glass of light, refreshing Ambar beer. The whole suckling pig is first marinated, then slow cooked overnight and then deep fried before serving, for that lovely crunch.

The Spanish Ambar Beer

When asked what his favorite dishes here are, Tan replies the "Huevo, Patata y Jamon" (RM29) as well as the "Roasted pumpkin with Iberico chorizo"(RM29). The former features diced potatoes, Iberico ham and sous vide egg, for a more refined version.

Tapas Club also introduced three new tapas dishes on 9 October, to commemorate Spain's National Day in October. The Eggplant chips (Berenjena Frita - RM19), drizzled with some honey were crispy and very addictive. The Pincho Moruno (RM25), Iberico pork skewers were marinated in a mix of spices such as paprika, cumin, cinnamon and coriander and grilled - tender, juicy and flavorful. There is also the Pimientos de Piquillo Rellenos (RM27), stuffed Piquillo peppers with minced meat.

My favorite dish here at Tapas Club is the Arroz Negro (RM78), the squid ink paella with clams, fish and squid. The paella here is literally perfection; made with bomba rice, lovingly stirred with seafood stock for 20 minutes and a final blast of heat to create the essential soccarat (ie crust) at the bottom of the pan that a good paella must possess.

There are a total of five different paellas to choose from; vegetarian, chorizo, chicken & seafood and squid ink noodles (fideua negra).

Paella Mixta (RM78) - chicken and seafood paella

For dessert, why not have both the Traditional churros with hot chocolate sauce (RM20) AND the Tapas Club deconstructed cheesecake (RM28) - they're both equally good and will guarantee a sweet end to your meal.

Chef Bonnin with Tan

Tapas Club is currently running a 1-for-1 Tapas promotion on weekdays for lunch (12pm -3pm).

For the full menu, click here.

Opening times: Mon - Sun 12pm - 11pm.

Location: Tapas Club Malaysia,Level 7, Dining Loft, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2110 2718

Website: https://www.facebook.com/tapasclubmsia/


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