My first time at a Spanish Tapas restaurant was just last month in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a little hidden treasure called Mundaka. If you’ve never had “tapas” they are Spanish for appetizers, little bites, snacks, something I thought would be perfect as my husband and I tend to share our meals more often than not. But at Mundaka, you won’t find the run of the mill appetizers, you get flavor explosions and out of the ordinary cuisine!
Packed full on a Saturday night, you know the restaurant is going to be good! A full bar is inside, two rooms (plus they’re expanding), a movie screen, joyful servers, and smiles are all you see on peoples’ faces! My husband and I have begun the habit of sharing our meals, so at Mundaka, we thought, “perfect, we’ll sample a little of everything!”
We started with what was called a “Tortilla” (top right of photo) but was more like a potato, onion, sea salt, and egg cake. Just a wedge to share, I likened it to a breakfast casserole and I couldn’t stop eating it or sharing. It was hearty and the comfort food I love!
Next up was the Hamburguesa, a lamb slider with pickled cauliflower that gave it a slight tartness and some great texture to each bite. Accompanied by truffle fries this was a meal in itself and it was so good, yet my husband seemed to devour it all on his own! We tried the Judias Blancas, a white bean gratin and it was lacking in flavor for me, I added some sea salt and it was just okay.
My favorite of the night was the Albondigas. Now my dad makes a Mexican style albondigas soup and I had to try Mundaka’s version which was not quite like grandpa makes. Clams and chorizo meatballs over saffron couscous sounded so unique and the flavors were out of this world. The meatballs were spicy like I love and I could have eaten a dozen, mixed with the clams and silky texture of the couscous each bite just packed a flavor punch! My husband believed the saffron was a bit too floral for his palate, but I liked it balancing the spice in the dish.
The food, the wine, the atmosphere will definitely bring us back to this great spot in Carmel-by-the Sea. I’d love to bring my girlfriends to this spot as we all enjoy dinners out and I could tell this restaurant host families and friends on a repeat basis. The prices are so reasonable for the amount of food with the bonus of out of this world tastes!
Our meal was hosted and all opinions are 100% our own.
ohmygoodness…so yummy!
xo
Wow! Mexican food is something everyone loves!
That looks so good! I would love to have one of these in our town!
This looks so good. I love the idea of being able to try several different kinds of foods instead of just ordering one thing.
There is a tapas restaurant in town, and it is very crowded – all the time – for years! I’ve never tried Albondigas – it sounds and looks delish! And all the better to be dining Carmel by the Sea – wow!