Around Spain in seven bites at Casa Armas

The best part of the menu was the soup. 

 

It was creamy and heavenly in its lightness, with soft miniscule bits of potatoes swirling about in the just oh-so-slightly thick, milky white liquid that was dotted with tiny minced spring onions.

 

If a restaurant can make a simple comforting soup that good, then it is worth a visit, or in the case of the 17-year old Casa Armas, worth re-visiting. I say this because it seems that this Spanish restaurant famous for its cochinillo and paella valenciana has been around forever. The scene of countless family dinners and celebrations. Its food gracing our own dining tables after ordering out and bringing them to our homes for festive occasions.  

Despite looking bland and meek, it was the Leek and Potato Soup that surprised – nay, captivated – us. I was part of a small group of diners that day at Casa Armas' new outlet on the ground floor of Greenbelt 2. The branch opened in mid-2012.

 

Savory trip through España

 

Within its cozy interiors with the feel of a wine bar, we again experienced not just the familiar food off the menu but a selection of unique flavors from Spain’s various regions. The restaurant promised to take diners on a tour of Spain’s food regions through the palate. 

 

The lunch we were about to feast on was both a tour and a tribute to the man behind Casa Armas: Señor Jesus Armas. He was a Spanish chef who found a home in the Philippines back in the 1970s, and set up his namesake restaurant in Malate in 1995. 

 

We came, we were ready, and hungry.

 

Our first stop was Galicia where seafood abounds. The Galician signature tapas dish, Pulpo a la Gallega was first; this was baby octopus sautéed gently over copious amounts of olive oil and spiced up with paprika. It was as Spanish as a dish could get. Because of its orange color, I was reminded of gambas al ajillo – a personal favorite. But the octopus was perfectly tender to the bite which means it was cooked with care and respect for the ingredient. The sauce was seasoned well, just right for soaking the slices of warm white bread on our table.

 

We were off to a good start, and the next stop was sunny Andalucia, basically the home of the gazpacho, but nonetheless, famous for its tapas bars. Our group was served a glass of fruity, slightly sweet white wine called the Felix Solis Viña Albali Airen. It was from the Spanish grape variety Airen, aged in oak barrels for up to six months.  

The wine was well-chilled and had a good balance of sweetness and tartness. Indeed, it enhanced the flavors of the tapas we sampled: slices of Calamares a la Plancha served with aioli sauce and Mejillones al Horno (baked mussels bursting with toasted garlic bits and cheese). Just like the baby octopus, the calamares (squid slices) was soft and not at all gummy. Proof of its freshness! If you dab a bit of the creamy aioli on the calamares, the slices of grilled squid that were drizzled with lemon enter a new level of goodness.

 

Tasty soup in Basque Country

 

Third on our “itinerary” was the Basque Country. It would have been a treat to have a taste of the region’s popular bacalao a la vizcaina, but this part of Spain was represented by the Spanish Leek and Potato Soup. It came to us rather nonchalantly, plain and simple. But it was the dish that wowed us. 

 

The humble potato was honored in a quiet tribute. The soup, borrowing subtle flavors from the leeks, was almost elegant in its meekness. It was warm and comforting to the stomach, a meal in itself. Satisfying our hunger for something good, it quickly banished whatever yearnings we had for the bacalao.

 

As our entrada or entrée, we were next feted with the Fideua, an homage to Valencia. Instead of the traditional Paella Valenciana, the Fideua which had essentially all the flavors and ingredients of the paella — chicken, seafood, pork, ham and chorizo and the colorful vegetables — but cooked with angel hair pasta instead of rice. Somehow, one misses scraping the soccarat (burnt rice at the bottom of the paellera) from the traditional paella. But the Fiduea steps up to the palate, so to speak.  

Served with the Fideua was a robust, full-bodied red wine, the Felix Solis Arnegui Tempranillo, from fermented tempranillo grapes (a black Spanish grape variety) as explained to the group by Jose Meneses, president of Titania Wine Cellar, who was on hand to guide us in the proper wine pairings for the dishes.

 

Old world sweetness

 

Finally, ending our day’s gastronomical journey was the postre or dessert of Crema Catalana, which brought us to Catalonia where this creamy custard (Spain’s answer to the French crème brulee) originated from. The custard had the right sweetness, with hints of vanilla and lemon. It was a rousing finale to our tour, capped with glass of cool dessert wine that’s perfect for summer.

 

Each of the dishes we had was a reflection of Señor Jesus Armas' great love for Spanish cuisine, and his dedication to keeping the establishment's food faithful to its Spanish roots throughout these years.

 

Casa Armas is now managed by a young group: partners Laura Lim-Rodrigo and Lorlyn Lim-Almazora were present during our lunch to show their respect for the legacy of fine Spanish cuisine that Señor Jesus left. They knew that the passionate chef from La Rioja made certain of the restaurant’s longevity and success. 

 

The partners live by Senor Armas's promise to the diners who come in through the doors. In his own words: "The food you taste today is the same as the food you tasted since the first day we opened. People hold a memory of something wonderful they have tasted, and I make sure that when they return, their experience is just as good.'' – KDM, GMA News All photos courtesy of Casa Armas