An all-new Spanish themed bar and restaurant, Boca Chica Bar, has opened up in Modbury.

The wonderful Tapas Bar serves up authentic Barcelona inspired foods, making guests fell as though they have stepped across the border and into the country itself.

Head Chef, Oliver Morris, has created an all-new menu to suit the Spanish theme. After travelling through Barcelona himself, Morris fell in love with the classic tapas dishes and thus wanted to bring that authenticity back to Australia.

He was very excited about stepping out of his comfort zone to create the new tapas based menu, wanting to gives guests the best Spanish experience they can have.

“It’s a new venture for me.

“Tapas are the new age of sharing food. I just love the group energy you can get”, said Morris.

To find out what Oliver Morris had come up with, we were offered up a lovely selection of dishes to taste from his new menu.

The Roast Capsicum, Pickled Black Fungus and Fennel pintxos was a lovely start to our tasting. The small canapé meal had a lovely blend of flavours with the hero roast capsicum holding a slightly sweet tang in your mouth. It also held a balancing smoky flavour, along with the pickle of the black fungus, and the fresh anise-like flavour of the fennel.

The White Anchovies, Cherry Tomato and Capers pintxos was beautiful and fresh. The anchovies carried a strong fish taste but it balanced well and wasn’t overpowering of the other components. The flavour of the anchovies complimented the salty capers and the sweet and fresh cherry tomato.

The Serrano Jamon, Manchego and Salsa Verde pintxos had a lovely deep tone and overall was quite a sweet and refreshing dish. The meat had a sweet earthy tone, which complimented well with the sharp flavours of the Spanish cheese. The smooth chewy ingredients also were a good textual balance to the crunchiness of the toasted bread it was served on.

Overall all the Pintxos dishes were fresh, light, and great for any meal starter or for something to snack on if you aren’t feeling too hungry.

We were also offered a mix of their multiple Cured Meats and Cheeses platter. The meat: Serrano jamon and Feut Anis, with their Manchego Cheese and multiple pickles. These pickled gherkins and peppers added a lovely sweet tang to the sweet and sharp cheese and the smoky and slightly peppery feut Anis meat. Deeper earthier flavours came through with the thinly sliced serranio jamon and overall balanced well with the other platter components.

The Jamon and Pimento Croquette tapas were heavenly. The small breadcrumb fried roll was beautifully golden and crunchy on the outside and had a lovely smooth and creamy centre. The savoury dish was complimented with a spicy aioli sauce that added a peppery tang to the smooth flavours of the croquettes. By the end our plate was completely empty, as we just could not get enough of them.

The Calamari, Chilli, Chorizo, Chickpea and Tomato tapas was a lovely dish with just the right amount of spice. The squid was very refreshing and cool, which was complimented by the occasional hit of chilli and the smoky flavour of the chorizo. This heat was balanced by the sweetness of the roasted cherry tomatoes and the soft chickpeas that also added an earthy element to the overall flavours of the dish.

The Spiced Lamb Brocheta Skewer with aioli tapas was well presented and cooked to perfection. There was a lovely spice coating on the soft and tender lamb, which complemented the sweeter notes of the roasted onion. The slightly tangy aioli dipping sauce helped to cooling to the palate and added a nice balance to the spiced meat.

The Chargrilled Octopus, Potato, Pimento and Olive Oil tapas had a good balance of flavours. The octopus had a stronger fishy taste than the previous dish but again was not overpowering and held a lovely flavour. The octopus was cooked well and paired nicely with the roasted potatoes accompanying the dish. These were lovely and crunchy on the outside with a soft and smooth centre, and were beautifully seasoned. I would have just loved to have a bowl of these to snack on.

The Chicken Brocheta Skewer with salsa verde tapas was cooked beautifully. The chicken was lovely and tender, holding a delicious smoky grilled flavour. The dressing made up of a blend of herbs and olive oil, added a refreshing note to the dish, while the roasted capsicum and onion gave off a slight tang but added a deeper sweetness to the overall flavours of the dish.

The Patatas Bravas, Spicy Roast Tomato Aioli tapas were nicely baked with a lovely outer crunch and a soft centre. The baked potatoes were seasoned with a peri-peri coating that was paired with a lovely spicy aioli. This dish was lovely to snack on and wasn’t over spicy, so that you could happily indulge on a few in a row without feeling the heat burn in your mouth.

But let’s not forget about dessert: The Churros con Ciocolata Postres looked beautiful. They were perfectly light and fluffy with a crunchy outer that was lovely and sweet from the sugar coating; with just the right amount of cinnamon to tie in the flavours. The melted dark chocolate dipping sauce added a lovely rich cocoa taste, which perfectly complimented the overall sweet flavours of the dessert.

The Crema Catalane (or Spanish Crème Brulee) postres was delicious. The crunchy top had the perfect caramelisation, not too thick, which made that wonderful cracking sound when hit by the back of a spoon. The centre was a beautiful thick and creamy custard with a strong cinnamon base flavour, which was not overly sweet as it contained some spice and savoury flavours from the additional cinnamon. Overall it was a lovely dessert, with perfectly balanced flavours and sweetness.

The lovely Spanish themed menu is definitely a success on making us feel as though we have tasted an authentic part of Barcelona through our meals.

Each tapas dish was beautifully presented and crafted well. The small Spanish inspired dishes are the perfect size to share with friends and family, or just to have accompanied by a few drinks at the bar.

“You can’t go wrong with a pint of beer and some tapas”, says Chef Morris. So why not take his advice and come along to taste what Spain has to offer at the all-new Boca Chica Bar.

The perfect place to bring your friends and family; you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time.

Words by Cyndal King

WHERE: 561 Montague Rd, Modbury