Spanish Fiesta at Toro + Ko

Saturday afternoons are best spent lunching at some place gorgeous. That’s exactly what we did today! Bringing a Spanish fiesta element to this highly visited spot in downtown Dubai, Toro + Ko is the newest addition to the urban licensed fine dining destination – The Square at City Walk.

Toro + Ko, a celebrated Barcelona-inspired tapas bar from award-winning chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, brings the soul and spirit of Barcelona to Dubai by way of Manhattan. Highlighting a menu that spans across a delectable selection of tapas, charcuterie boards, paella and delightful cocktails, the restaurant offers a buzzing yet relaxed vibe.

Toro + Ko is all set to become a regular spot for social foodies looking for an upbeat atmosphere with a myriad of dining and drink options to choose from, whether it’s brunch, lunch or dinner.

Tartar De Atún & Pan De Cristal Amb Tomaquet

Believe it or not, our lunch experience at Toro + Ko involved a total of 14 different items, including desserts. That’s a lot for two people, I know. But we also knew there was no better way to sample their Tapas, Grills, Paella and more other than opting for The Toro Menu Experience.

We started with two of their classics.
Adding that Spanish twist to the tuna tartare, Toro + Ko’s version of this cold tapas (Tapas Frias) came with diced tuna, avocado and berries, topped with a drizzle of berry vinaigrette. The dressing added a subtle sweet and sour taste to the tuna, masking its fishy smell (a win-win for me), while the avocado lended a creamy texture to the dish.

The tartare was served alongside another signature Tapas Frias – Catalan bread. This Spanish bread offered quite the crusty bite and was extremely light. You could easily end up eating 4 pieces without feeling the weight. These breads came along with a seasonal tomato pureed blend which was neither sweet nor spicy, but instead brought a lovely tanginess of raw tomatoes to our palate. Olive oil played its usual role of adding a tart flavor to the bread, but what stood out the most were the raw garlic cloves cutting sharp with their strong pungency.

The ideal way to pair these two tapas: Add a spoon of tuna and avocado on the bread, top it with some tomato relish and drizzle a string of olive oil on top. The crunch of the bread followed by the smooth tomato and creamy tartare perfectly balance all the flavors, leaving you feeling a Spanish jive in every bite.

Sangria

It’s time to do the Sangria run. One of their classics – Toro + Ko’s Sangria came in a generous serving size with some lovely accents. Spiced with star anise and sweetened with apple red apples, this full bodied red grape drink was quite the ideal element for our quintessial Spanish soiree.

Ensalada K.O

A Ken Oringer special, this salad from Toro + Ko hits all the right spots. Firstly, it’s got everything you expect from a good salad – herbs, lettuce, carrots, cucumber and all those basics. Plus it’s got some non-conventional salad scorers like artichokes, beets, radish, pomegranate seeds and a very creamy tahini dressing. In fact, I think it’s the dressing that’s the game changer in this salad.

With its subtle sesame flavor and a light creamy texture, it soaks up the mushy veggies (like artichokes and cucumbers) just enough to give them a dense texture while retaining their individual flavor, at the same time adds a slightly easy bite to the crunchy ones (carrots and lettuce). Quite a filling choice, this would make a great sharing option between two, and is especially great if you are looking for something on the lighter side.

Tapas Calientes

After the refreshing salad, it was time for this 3-in-1 Tapas Calientes (Hot Tapas) platter. And needless to say, this was one of my favorites among everything we tried.

Croquetas De Pollo Ahumado

We started off with these smoked chicken croquettes which featured a crispy outside with mushy pulled chicken within. What I loved the most about these was the golden fried coating.

Patatas Bravas

Anybody who loves Spanish food, or has even given it a try, would definitely know what these are. Creamy Spanish potatoes in their pureed form mixed with a spicy tomato sauce are deep fried and served with an aioli topping. These, in my opinion, bring out the true meaning of hot tapas.

Croquetas De Setas

My words can’t even begin to describe what a beauty these mushroom croquettes were. Absolutely earthy in terms of flavor and texture, these golf ball shaped croquettes come with a creamy mushroom and truffle blend inside and are deep fried to the perfect crunch. Moreover, truffled mayo decks these up even further in the form of a beautiful grey dip.

Given the choice, which one of these three would you choose?

Martini

Another house favorite on their extensive list of drinks was the Espresso Martini Cocktail From The Tap. Topped with crunchy bittersweet coffee beans, this smooth concoction made the right choice for a dessert drink, although you could have it at the start of or in-between your meal too.

Gambas Al Ajillo

I have been so impressed by Toro + Ko, I still cannot get over their deliciousness. While I was there last Saturday, hopping from one tapas to another, deep down in my heart I wished this dish would be a part of our extensive luncheon. And my wish came true! Here’s the thing. I love shrimps. I couldn’t possibly imagine my life without them. But I am also realllllyyyyy picky about the style in which shrimps are cooked. Toro + Ko hit the right spot.

These Garlic Prawns were cooked in a hot skillet with extra virgin olive oil and cayenne pepper. Flaunting their subtle pink and light brown colors, they brought forth the perfect crunch with a burst of juicy garlicky flavors in literally every bite.

Look closely in the pic and you will see little flakes of toasted garlic. These, IMHO, were the stars of this dish. Biting into a piece of shrimp and garlic together was truly nirvana. It made everything else in this world seem so much less important.

We were two of us, and loads of shrimps, but we still ended up fighting over the last one. So good were these, I am planning to go back to @torodubai solely for the garlic shrimps. I wish more places started making shrimps like these.

Maiz Asado Con Alioli Y Queso Roncal

These were simply A’maize’ing! I used to think it’s quite a veggie thing to order corn on the cob as a starter option. I would most rather have it as a side, no? But it took this grilled corn tapas at Toro + Ko to make me realize how good maize can be on its own. Grilled to a subtly burnt texture, these cobs were brushed with lime, pepper and aioli, and loaded with lots of roncal cheese on top. Corn and cheese have always been a match made in heaven so it wasn’t a surprise these tasted so well.

My only disappointment – the corn itself was too thin to be shredded off the cob. This means we had to eat it the traditional way biting it out of the cob. And apart from the fact that the corn covers usually get stuck in my front teeth, the loaded cheese meant my face was turned into a canvas for some color addition I wouldn’t want if I am out for a fancy lunch 🙁

Pulpo

When I heard the name of this dish, I almost thought it was a Spanish song. Turns out it was prepared in the style of another – Despacito!
Having been cooked A La Plancha – on a pan or griddle – and in a Despacito – slow – manner, allowed the Octopus to retain it’s shape, size and texture – something that is really important when you want to highlight the freshness in your food.

Unfortunately for me, chewy seafood is a total no-no! So while I cut myself a small portion of the octopus and tried a really tiny piece of the meat, solely based on my personal preferences, I would have never ordered this, nor would I do so again. Let’s just say, this one “octopied” my plate for a very long time. The only part of the dish that I really liked was the dressing and potatoes.

My lunch date, who happens to be a big seafood fan, did manage to eat a bigger piece and thought it was passable, but not quite worth it’s price tag (unless you’re a big octopus fan), especially when there were lots of other options available. He loved the seafood paella though!

Marisco

If you are shrimpossibly lobsessive, then this one’s defo for you! Surprisingly for me, this seafood paella didn’t taste as fishy as I was worried it would! And the presentation was simply wow!
Brought to us in a big pan, our server mixed up the all the seafood and rice. This included Boston lobster, prawns, mussels, clams, and calamari. She made sure to scrape the grains off the bottom of the pan so the caramelized rice could mix up with the rest of the ingredients and add that crunch in every spoonful.

A dish so hearty, the paella deserves to be shared. And the portion is quite big, just like it’s price, so make sure you’re doing justice to the dish by licking off the last grain of rice from that pan 😉

Honestly, if it was up to me to choose the type of paella for my lunch, I would have just gone vegetarian and opted for their Wild Mushroom & Saffron version. But if you are one with passion for paella, then you can always try Valenciana with chicken and rabbit, or Arroz Negro with prawns and cuttlefish, or ‘Mixta’ it all up with lobster, prawns, chicken, chorizo and more.

Mojito

But wait, if you’re staying sober, there’s definitely a lot on their list that can make you go Rumba! We tried their bestseller Black Mojito. Now I’ve tried a few version of Black Mojito, but this was a class apart. The secret? Almond. Lime, mint and Coca Cola muddled with this unconventional nutty ingredient gave off a unique flavor twist to the drink. It was one that you miss from your childhood cola flavored gummy bears. I was so impressed with this mocktail, I ended up ordering a repeat (which I almost never do, because I love trying out new flavors, so you can imagine how great this drink was!)

Poultry or Fish?

I almost always choose the former over the latter, unless I am asked to try both, which then slightly changes the initial question to which one I like more.
Toro + Ko offers dishes that incorporate different styles of cooking. And these were two of those variations.

Lubina Escabeche Gaudi

Much like the octopus, this sea bass escabeche was prepared A La Plancha style – on the pan. Served over an almond sauce vinaigerette and topped with multi colored peppers, the sea bass was cooked to a beautiful texture. So tender was the fish, it melted as soon as I placed it in my mouth. The almond sauce played its role really well in masking the fishy fragrance of the sea bass and instead all I could smell were the lovely peppers.

Brocheta De Pollo Moruno

Quite a remembrance of Thai flavors, these marinated chicken skewers were from the A La Parilla (grill) section. Coated in a rich thick peanut gravy, they came with a side mint yogurt sauce. Not what you’d generally expect, unless it was a more Mediterranean or South Asian dish, the yogurt dip added a little twist to that Spanish spread. The chicken was done so well, this was one of those dishes where you can’t stop yourself from picking another piece.

So which one would you try – poultry, fish or both?

Postre

To be honest, I certainly wasn’t in the mood for churros or any other breaded desserts, especially after being stuffed with ALL OF THAT food! Luckily for me (and my lunch date), we were served two of our individually favorite desserts. This meant I could enjoy mine until I licked it off the plate. And he could, well, try and finish his favorite dessert at his own pace.

Crema Catalana

Avery classic dessert, the Catalan crème brulée came wonderfully plated in a traditional skillet with a rustic brulée on top. The twist here were the chocolate cigars, that were given a quick freeze in liquid nitrogen. So when we bit into them, there was smoke coming off it – giving us that real cigar feel. The dessert itself was an abundance of creamy comforting flavors that you would expect from a good crème brulée.

Postre Del Dia

Now I am not very sure if this is a regular on their menu, or it was specific to that day, but our dessert of the day was a gorgeous Chocolate Fondant. The minute I saw it, I knew I couldn’t have asked for anything better. But trust me, it was much much better than a lot of fondants out there. For one, it had lovely dried berries adding an oomph quotient to its presentation.

And the most important part – the fondant itself – was just perfect. One tiny nudge with a spoon and I could see the chocolate sauce oozing out of its lightly baked top and mingling with vanilla and berry sauce inside. Every bite was such a delight! In addition to one or two dishes which I totally loved at Toro + Ko, I would honestly go back for this chocolate fondant too. I’ll just have to make sure they are serving it on that day.

Toro + Ko

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