From Madrid with Love. Gastromaquia.

I’ve been quite lucky to collaborate with Gastromaquia, a restaurant originally from Madrid, that specializes in Spanish cuisine. I heard about their rumor (positive one) almost a year ago and had the impression that they were serving high quality food, so I was pretty excited.

I visited the place twice, once in the evening and once in the afternoon. For me, the place itself is really pretty, with lovely and intriguing décor, which tend to be quite vintage. In the evening, the place looked quite serene and seemed to be really suitable for an intimate dinner. In the afternoon, with all the daylight coming from the sun, the place looked a bit magical. I also think that it has a bit of french touch every here and there, especially on the balcony, which in my mind, can actually resemble the balcony of a castle. 😉

Food-wise, I had nothing to expect, as I wasn’t really too familiar with Spanish cuisine. All I know is that Spanish dishes are commonly served as tapas, more in the shape of a bite-sized snack/appetizer. Besides that, the most famous one is Paella of course, but my knowledge was limited to only that.
Just as a brief information, Gastromaquia’s age is only about a year and a half. With the experience they’re having all this time, Gastromaquia is leaning more to the mature side now. Because of that, Gastromaquia has now updated their menu with some interested newcomers. I was happy to be one of the first guests to try their new menu. ☺

There were several dishes that I tried during both visits. Let’s uncover all of the dishes and drinks!

# Paella
Being significantly the most well-known Spanish food, the Paella by the Gastromaquia was really good. The saffron and other herbs were well infused deeply with the flavor and the seafood couldn’t help but enrich the overall flavor. The squids, prawns and clams were all fresh and cooked perfectly well. Texture-wise, for me, it’s appropriately right, not too hard but not overcooked as well. This is always a preference issue, but originally, paella is supposed to be a bit grainy unlike our steamed rice which tends to be on the softer (and moist) side. IMHO, this Paella is definitely one of the few bests that I’ve tasted! PS. This large portion will be suffice for 6-7 people.

# Aglio Olio with Crispy Calamari
One of the best Aglio Olio, like seriously. Especially with the goodness of crispy calamari. Total foodporn.

# Grilled Steak Tenderloin
I’m not being easily-pleased but really, this Grilled Steak Tenderloin was awesome! The medium doneness was perfect for me, making the whole tenderloin juicy and succulent! Oh, the mashed potato was super good! Creamy and buttery! I dig this whole plate!

# Pisto Con Huevo
This is lovely tapas. It resembles a kind of bruschetta with ratatouille and quail egg.

# Balsamic Pannacotta
Since I love Balsamic and hate Pannacotta, I had a mixed feeling about this. You know the smell of balsamic right? It is usually intense, tangi, slightly sweet yet acidic. Making it into a kind of sauce is delicious. But putting it on a dessert? Turned out it’s pretty good! Did I mention how soft the pannacotta was?

# Berry Me
This new drink is full of antioxidants. It’s made of apple, blueberry and cherry and it has this festive combination of sweet and subtle sourness. It was definitely refreshing for my dinner.

# Calamary with Squid Ink
HANDS DOWN MY MOST FAVOURITE OF ALL! This new menu is definitely one you must order! I dunno about you, but I am never too crazy about seafood (aside from fish), but this calamari kicked me hard and I was in love. The combination of both aioli and squid ink mayo was the best noticeable taste character that blended so well with the crispy calamari pieces (yes you won’t eat it as whole, they will cut it for you). Imagine a blanket of creaminess with subtle fishy flavor (from the squid ink) along with garlicky flavor. TOO GOOD! Oh, if you are worried about how the squid is going to be chewy, worry not, I ate this twice and both tasted excellent with soft tender texture. That proves how serious of a quality control in Gastromaquia. Seafood always tastes fresh. And of course, the chef’s brilliant skill counts too.

# Grilled Octopus
As simple and humble as it looks, this tapas was lovely. The grilled octopus was tender and also not chewy! The best part was also the combination of the garlic and chili sauce. The flavor of garlic and chili made it pretty interesting.

# Arros Negre
If you ask me to choose between this and paella, I wouldn’t choose. I would have both! That’s how good both of the dishes were. Slightly different than paella (aside from the obvious color change), Arros Negre has distinctive taste of the squid ink infused with the whole dish. Squid ink if cooked right, will cause an effect of alluring flavor that will leave you wanting for more. Gastromaquia did an excellent of job with this Arros Negre and eventually left me wanting for more.

# Gin & Tonic
For those who fancy some good alcoholic concoctions, this will be perfect. The combination of gin and tonic and a subtle cinnamon and orange aftertaste, makes it light, but seductive.

Well, my words are just words and they can’t completely represent what I really feel. What I suggest you do is, as always, go and have a taste yourself. Visit Gastromaquia and see how good the food and drinks are.

From Madrid to Jakarta. With love. 😉