El Toro Loco Tapas Bar, Fraser Place, KL

Every now and again, we dine in a new restaurant and the food totally blows us away. Located in Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur, El Toro Loco, which opened its doors in January this year, is one of the newest tapas bars in KL and the food here sure is impressive.

Helmed by Chef Pau who hails from Barcelona, this cosy eatery showcases authentic tapas and Spanish cuisine. El Toro Loco is testament that you don't need fancy plating nor flowers for a good dining experience; just honest, real and delicious food is all you need. The key ingredients such as Jamon Iberico, cheeses and piparra (pickled green chilli) are imported from Spain to provide diners with the most authentic experience.

On the menu, you will find pinchos, a small snack traditionally eaten in northern Spain in bars and taverns. They are usually served on a slice of bread and is spiked with a skewer (in Spain, the skewers are used to keep track of how many items the customer has eaten, and the restaurant / bar counts the number of skewers at the end and you pay based on that).

To start, we had the De Txaka (RM15), Spanish crab salad with piquillo pepper and piparra. A well-balanced bite, with a light crab salad on a pillowy soft, yet crusty baguette.

The De Champinon Iberico (RM24) was one of the best things I ate here - grilled confit button mushroom sits atop lightly toasted German sourdough bread with a slice of the finest Jamon Iberico. Loved the presentation and how this small bite was bursting with big flavours. Simply phenomenal.

Sangria (RM26) - perfectly fruity and easy to drink

Tapas, or small plates, are also a highlight here at El Toro Loco. We loved the Croquetas de Jamon (RM15), ham croquettes filled with creamy bechamel and Jamon Serrano. Light as air, with a beautiful crisp exterior.

Gambas Al Ajillo (RM33), from the south of Spain is beautifully done here, with large, plump prawns cooked in olive oil, garlic and chili. That garlicky oil is so simple yet so good... I'd love more bread to soak it all up!

I have found the perfect Tortilla de patatas (RM18)! Here, the whole traditional potato omelette, is prepared a la minute so the centre was slightly creamy. Served with pan con tomate, a delicious toasted bread made with the simplest of ingredients - juicy tomatoes and olive oil on bread. Highly recommended!

The Peruvian classic, ceviche is served with a Spanish twist, a cold refreshing gazpacho. Ideal for the hot Malaysian weather, the gazpacho is made from tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onions and olive oil and complements the grouper ceviche beautifully. A wonderfully appetizing and vibrant dish.

Ceviche Agazpachado (RM22)

Of course you can't go to Spanish restaurant and not have the paella (RM29). A great paella, according to Chef Pau, must be dry and has that crusty soccarat at the bottom. Cooked in a rich fish stock, the rice has absorbed all the delicious flavours and is topped with fresh seafood such as squid, mussels, clams and prawns.

If you have room for one more dish, make it the Rabo de toro estofado (RM29), a comforting oxtail stew just brimming with flavour. What surprised me most was that the oxtail is simply cooked with only water, vegetables, bay leaf and thyme for 6 hours in the oven, and produced the most amazing, richly flavoured stew. The oxtail is tender and falling off the bone. Yum.

A sampling of their cheese offerings - queso manchego (sheep), queso de cabara (goat) and queso mezcla (cow/sheep) (RM32 for 80g), served with membrillo (quince paste).

For desserts, the traditional Catalan creme brulee, Crema Catalana (RM19) was my favorite with its smooth, creamy texture. Also fantastic are the light and fluffy Mousse de Chocolate (RM20) with chocolate cookie, fried corn and raspberry centre, Flan De Nata (traditional Spanish creme caramel - RM19) and Tarta de queso Asturiana (traditional cheese cafe from north of Spain - RM20).

El Toro Loco Menu

For the drinks and food menu, please click here.

Click here to reserve your tables:

Opening times: 12pm - 12am daily.

Location: El Toro Loco, Fraser Place, Lot 163, 10 Jalan Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Parking: 1st hour RM4, every subsequent hour RM3).

Tel: 03-2181 7388

Website: https://www.facebook.com/etl.kl/




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