Johnston street, Fitzory is home to a number of Spanish themed establishments. It’s like a tribute to Lygon street, by the Spanish, I suppose. Given the neighborhood is home to my favourite cocktail bar, Black Pearl, I’ve taken it upon myself to explore the local eateries. I’ve tried a couple, but La Sangria is the first I’ve decided to blog about. I walked in on a cold and rainy afternoon in Melbourne last week. I chose it because it was empty, where it’s neighbours were quite full. Not out of sympathy, but because I felt like deliberately going to something bad would have made for an entertaing write-up. It turns out this place is everything but bad. I guess people are/were put off by the staircase that leads up onto the bar. The very same bar I ate off. Click the image for more explicit details.
I asked one of the two old european, presumably Spanish men behind the jump for two of the best tapas dishes they did. The concept was unfamiliar to him, so he chose the two most expensive. Garlic Prawns @ $10, and Fillet steak @ $14. Asshole! I thought. I chose a beer I hadn’t heard of before, Mahou. It’s a superb beer. First class commercial lager – More about that when I can find out where to buy it. Anyhow, back to the food; Surprisingly for an establishment like this, I was asked how I’d like my steak cooked. I said tentatively, medium, and waited patiently.
After what was probably three or four cheesy spanish languaged generic jazzy songs in one ear, and ten minutes of SBS news in another, I was greeted by a ferociously noisy sizzling teracotta platebowlthingy containing six large prawn tails. They looked like they’d been frozen, or very seriously processed. They tasted heavenly. Good olive oil was causing the sizzle, suspended in which was plenty of garlic and nice quality fresh chilli. The prawns firm and flavourful, no sign of the tired, overprocessed characteristics experienced on the eye. A wonderful dish, which was thankfully accompanied by plenty of fresh, crusty, wholemeal bread (no charge) which I could have more of, If I so desired. The prawns so blissful, and the beer so lovely I had forgotten about my impending steak.
The steak ($14) arrived, as pictured, the chips handcut, the salad rustic, more garlic and chilli olive oil, and more bread. Low and behold, it was cooked to medium. Flavoursome and fallapart in texture it was just superb. Not one bit of fatty yucky meat, or sinewy shit. I ate the whole damn lot. The oil will be too much for some, but going to a Spanish establishment with an aversion to oil is akin to going to eat quality Japanese and expecting everything to be cooked. The salad fresh and delicious, dressed with some vinegar and oil. My only complaints; The Mahou beer ended all too quickly (and i was driving, couldn’t have another) and more people weren’t experiencing this wonderful establishment. Fed like a king for $30. Couldn’t be happier.
Here’s a clicky; La Sangria, 46 Johnston Street, Fitzroy.
