For others that need a little more information, read on…
Bocanáriz, it self-proclaims,
is “a place for tourists and local wine lovers to meet”. Minus the ‘local’, we
ticked both of those boxes and by the end of our meal we certainly deemed ourselves lovers
of the local wine!
With first impressions being ever so important, our English-speaking
waiter was immediately on hand to talk us through the extensive menus. Typically,
you’d expect the food menu to dwarf that of the wine, however, at Bocanáriz the wine menu was five-times the size! It hosts
almost 400 different varieties making for happy reading indeed!
With literally hundreds of appealing wines to choose from (all of which surround you in the wine stores above your table), commitment to just one was a little overwhelming so we opted for a selection of three 50cl glasses per person. There were a number of combinations on offer, specialising in a range of flavours and telling different stories from across Chile. I opted for the Regional Trio (g) which presented wines from across Northern, Central and Southern areas of Chile whilst Mr A went for the Classic Trio (i), which focused upon stronger flavour combinations. It’s safe to say that once the third glass had been finished, we were both in a good place!
With literally hundreds of appealing wines to choose from (all of which surround you in the wine stores above your table), commitment to just one was a little overwhelming so we opted for a selection of three 50cl glasses per person. There were a number of combinations on offer, specialising in a range of flavours and telling different stories from across Chile. I opted for the Regional Trio (g) which presented wines from across Northern, Central and Southern areas of Chile whilst Mr A went for the Classic Trio (i), which focused upon stronger flavour combinations. It’s safe to say that once the third glass had been finished, we were both in a good place!
As you know by now, when it comes to food, Mr A and I go
with the philosophy of ‘the more dishes the merrier’. However, committing to a
main when the menu hosts around 40 incredible options got us a little nervous
of ‘food envy’. To avoid our usual trap of ordering the same dish to avoid the
inevitable reach across the table trick, we decided to go with a little tapas
style ordering. Cue four dishes to share…


"Patatas Bravas" Bocanáriz Style
Arriving looking like vol au vents, these little potato
parcels packed a punch, particularly the pink ones which offered a surprisingly
strong chilli kick! Literally the most delicious carb parcels to accompany the
wine, Bocanáriz prides itself on the food bringing out the flavours of the wine
(not the other way around). Imagine these are a posh take on loaded potato
skins yet with oodles of flavour; I could have kept eating them for the entire
meal.
Having missed out on the opportunity to try these on the
Peruvian coast in Copacobana, we were delighted at the chance here. A Chilean
take on a Cornish pasty, this was de-lic-ious!! Really flavoursome beef seasoned with Merkén in a
crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside pastry case – I’m pretty sure Paul
Hollywood couldn’t have found fault! Combined with the patatas bravas and
you’re in taste heaven.
Blue
Cheese & Pear Salad
If you’ve read ‘Quito’s Tastiest Secret’ you know our stance
on cheese… This is hands down the most incredible salad I have ever had! Pear,
walnuts and blue cheese make the dreamiest of combinations. I tried to explain
to Mr A that the sweet and savoury flavour combinations of pear and blue cheese
mimics the flavours of Swedish Salad (a family recipe that takes a spin on
Coronation chicken with apples and banana) which Mr A steadfastly refuses to even
try a mouthful! Anyway, this truly was delightful. Fresh lettuce isn’t
something I’ve come across hugely in South America so it was a really refreshing dish to tuck into (huge portion size too, I fear I can’t boast this
was a ‘healthy’ salad!). It’s certainly something that I’ll be trying to
replicate once I’m home.
Shrimp in Creamy
Sauce.
If you’re a fan of fresh-from-the-sea prawns (complete with
heads and tails), then this dish is for you! Presented in a curry-esque seafood
sauce, its accompanied by Chaufu-style black rice and plantain to absorb all the flavours. Not one for
playing with my food, I opted for the pre-peeled prawns mixed in with the sauce,
whilst Mr A got his hands dirty with head-spinning and tail-pulling the fresh
ones.
After devouring these platters, the waiter came back over to
our table and offered us the cheeseboard… normally a guaranteed ‘yes’ from
us. However, turning down the cheese was sure-fire confirmation that we were exceedingly
full and happy to enjoy the remaining sips of our third glass of wine before
sitting back in a slightly drunken food coma. Satisfaction indeed.
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