Casa Asturiana

Casa Asturiana
77 Liverpool St
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph : (02) 9264 1010

One thing that Paneristi like to do is to take photos of their Panerais amidst food. Especially fast food.

(Photos courtesy of Gaz, whose watch has lost all calories gained during the taking of these photos)

PAM 203, PAM 249, PAM 90

I had to make do with a couple of bread rolls and a Daniel JeanRichard Bressel Chronograph, about which more can be read here. It wasn't terribly adventurous, as far as food and watch shots go, but well, it wasn't an adventurous kind of day.

This lack of adventure extended to a sudden massive craving for tapas. It didn't have to be earthshatteringly good tapas, just something solid, reliable, filling, and umm, nearby.

Jamón Serrano ($14)

Jamón Serrano (literally "mountain ham") is not quite jamón ibérico, but few of us can afford to eat jamón ibérico frequently!  Jamón Serrano is a an everyday ham; the Spaniards believe that it has a deeper and more complex flavour than its Italian cousin, proscuitto. This was a generous serving, freshly sliced, and exactly what the tapas doctor ordered.

Champiñones a la Plancha ($11.50)

Barbecued whole button mushrooms with white wine garlic and parsley

The champiñones were fine and rather unexpectional, but a little low on the garlic for my personal tastes (yes I know that they weren't champiñones al ajillo but I could barely taste the garlic!). As was the case with the Jamón , it was a generously sized portion.

Gambas Picantes ($16.50)
Peeled prawns cooked in a spicy tomato & garlic sauce

The prawns were more successful than the mushrooms. Firm, sweet, and with just a small amount of picante kick.  The sauce was happily mopped up to the very last drop with the bread rolls provided.  As a side note, perhaps the Spanish restaurants in that informal Spanish Quarter could reconsider their bread rolls.....and butter packets....

Sardinas a la Plancha ($12.50)

Grilled ("a la plancha" means "grilled") fresh sardines with lemons - bones aside, this is one of life's most basic pescatorial pleasures. These sardines were nicely grilled, the flesh still firm and not overcooked. Another example of something simple solidly done.

Last but not least, one final shot of the DJR, just for the road....

Could I have fries with that?

[AP]