When I was
in kindergarten almost 15 years ago (wow, time really flies, doesn't it?), my
dad brought me a bookshelf of educational books from the 80's previously owned
by my very distant cousin. The books varied wildly in topic, from classical
literature to sex education. Being an obedient Asian kid, I actually managed to
read all those books over and over again, especially sex ed ones...
joking!
Among those books, there was a series of 7 books on European
countries, about their culture, art, food, and
other miscellaneous things. I read them for years and years. I
especially liked the food section of those books. I bookmarked and read them
whenever I had time. I would then fantasise about all those exotic foods. Fondue, paella, sachertorte, kebab, scotch whiskey (...well
the series featured it as a main Scottish cuisine)...
In the end, all but one of the books disintegrated and I had to
throw them away. I still have the last survivor from that bookshelf though.
It's a book about Spain. Even now, whenever I read that book, I fantasise about
traveling along Costa del Sol, walking along the streets of Madrid, visiting
Antoni Gaudi's creations in Barcelona, and dining in a restaurant in Valencia.
I am fairly sure my years of fantasizing would have influenced my
decision when I chose Mesa Lunga as the next restaurant to review. It's not
exactly dining in Valencia, I know, but it's as close as I can get with my poor
university student budget.
Mesa Lunga is located at the intersection of Gouger Street and
Morphett Street. You might find it slightly difficult to locate the restaurant
because even if it has a big sign up, its visibility is not that great. It
could have been more eye catching if the name on the sign was bigger or if they
had used a different colour scheme. Hopefully this picture will help you when
you are looking for Mesa Lunga.
Like many
other Spanish restaurants, Mesa Lunga also functions as a very comprehensive
bar. This is because many Spanish restaurants in Australia have tapas as their
main selling point. Since tapas originally started as small accompaniments for
alcoholic beverages in a Spanish region called Andalusia (tapa means 'top' or 'lid' in Spanish. It
is thought that tapas dishes were placed on top of mugs or glasses as lids when
being served to customers of the bar), alcohol is an essential aspect of tapas.
I am not sure what this restaurant's
name means. After some googling, I found out that lunga means 'long' in Italian. Since mesa means 'table' in Spanish, I think Mesa
Lunga is supposed to mean 'long table'. That makes sense, as the restaurant was
divided into a bar section and a restaurant section by a long table in the
middle. Apologies for not taking a photo of the whole restaurant. It was too
crowded to take the photo while waiting to be seated.
The interior of Mesa Lunga was warm
and cozy. Exposed bronze pipes, wooden chandeliers, and orange lighting gave it
a steampunk vintage
atmosphere. Utilisation of a brown, black, and white colour scheme made the
restaurant seem warm and cozy. Jamons hanging from the ceiling and Arabic tile
decorations (Muslim influence was prevalent in Medieval Spanish architecture)
defined the restaurant well. However, I found the table allocation of the
restaurant slightly disappointing. Not much space was allocated to the
customers seated at the long table. I (Male with 180cm height) found it a bit
uncomfortable to move around in my seat. The restaurant was fully packed with
people and it wasn't helping either.
We
ordered;
- 2*Sangria Clara
- Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), lychee and green apple liquor, brandy and
apple juice with fresh mint, apple and lemon ($9 ea)
- Cerdo ('pork') -
Twice cooked crispy pork belly ($12)
- Paella de
Mariscos ('seafood
paella') - Bomba rice, sofrito, mussels, clams, prawns, lemon ($48 for 2)
Ordering sangria and paella in
a Spanish restaurant was something I had always wanted to do. Like ordering tom
yam kum in a Thai restaurant (done), xiao long bao in
Shanghai (not yet), and margherita pizza in Naples (not yet). We also ordered
crispy pork belly as a side dish, but we ended up having it as an appetiser.
Because
the weather was extremely hot when we visited Mesa Lunga, it was really nice to
have water provided. It was not filtered, but it was still cold and refreshing.
Service regarding water was very nice. There were 2 waitresses going around
with water pitchers, promptly filling up customers' empty glasses.
Sangria
is a wine punch originating from Spain. Traditional sangria consists of red
wine, chopped fruit, sweetener, and some brandy. However, there are many other
variations nowadays.
In my
knowledge, white sangria tastes clearer and purer than the original red
sangria. The aroma and taste of Sangria Clara was consistent with my knowledge.
Its aroma was very mild, with the aroma of mint being the main contributor.
There also was a mild aroma of apple. The aroma of cava, liquor and brandy was
not very noticeable, probably because it was very cold. It had an extremely
light and refreshing taste, quite easy-going on the palate. I could taste
fruitiness from liquor and fruit slices, fizz from cava, and bitterness from
alcohol (probably brandy) and mint, but they were all very mild. One could find
its aroma and taste a bit too weak for their liking. Hien was quite
disappointed with it. I also would have preferred if it was slightly
sweeter.
Crispy
pork seems to be something of a global cuisine to me. Wherever you go, if
people eat pork, you will find pork belly dishes with crackling. The
crispiness of crackling and soft juicy meat seem to have global appeal. Big
thanks piggies, for providing us with such a tasty body part.
My first
impression when our crispy pork belly was served was that it was very small. It
was as wide as my fork, but it was smaller in its length. With the price tag of
$12, it didn't feel that appealing to me.
The
crackling was very nice and crispy. However, I felt that the meat was a bit
dry. The seasoning was a bit too salty, but was not too unpleasant. The sauce
served with it was full, sweet, cheesy, creamy, fruity; almost tangy. When the
pork was had with its sauce, the sauce complimented its saltiness nicely and
provided some juiciness that I felt that it needed. However, as I prefer a dish
that can be eaten without its complementing sauce, I would have enjoyed this
dish a lot more if it was less salty.
Paella originates from
Spanish region called Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. Regardless of its
variations, all paellas are common in the sense that they
consist of sauteed meats/seafood, simmered rice in a wide shallow pan called paellera and
spices such as saffron. The traditional form of paella consists
of sauteed meat (rabbit, chicken, and duck), land snails, green vegetables,
beans, seasoning, and white rice simmered in broth. Popular variations of
paella includes seafood paella and mixed paella.
I was not aware of it
when we were dining, but thinking about it now, the menu was very misleading.
There were lots of other ingredients added in the actual paella we
were served, such as chunks of chorizo sausage, squid ink, and
green peas. There was no lemon provided despite it being listed on the menu as
an ingredient. The added ingredients made the identity of dish unclear. I think
it was more of a mixed paella than seafood paella as
it was written on the menu.
Our paellera was
as big as a medium-sized frying pan, about 30cm in its diameter. When
I tried the paella, I could detect the strong umami taste which
must have come from the seafood broth that was used to cook the rice. The
seafood and chorizo chunks were well cooked. I found the
seasoning pleasant, not too salty but not too bland either. The texture
of rice was quite soft due to its cooking method, but it was not soggy or
sticky. There was nice socarrat (crust of rice that forms at
the bottom) which I enjoyed. However, I found the bitterness of squid ink
unpleasant, especially because I was not expecting it to be used as an
ingredient. I couldn't smell the aroma of the spices either, though they must
have been used, judging by the colour of the rice.
I felt that the overall price of dishes in Mesa Lunga were expensive compared to other restaurants in Adelaide. For example, Tapas on Hindley sells three tapas dishes and paella for $30 per person (minimum 2 people). I don't think the amount and the taste of the food served justified the price either, as I was disappointed with the portion of crispy pork belly and the misleading ingredient information of paella de mariscos. The restaurant had a welcoming interior, but the tables were uncomfortably packed. As much as I like Spanish culture, I don't think I will be visiting Mesa Lunga anytime soon.
Hien's note:
As you all know, when it comes to reviewing food, I'm not particularly good at it. So I will be blunt and straightforward with my opinion.I was quite excited to taste the sangria, because of the enticing description on the menu. Alas, the description was actually a little misleading, because I could not detect some of the flavours I had expected to taste. The flavours were washed out and weak, which ultimately resulted in disappointment.
The pork belly was not too bad in my opinion, but I agree with Ju Sung that it was too salty. I found the sauce to be extremely overpowering, and I did not like it.
The paella was not to my taste at all, and I did not enjoy it. The bitterness from the pan it was cooked in and the squid ink was the main negative factor about this dish.
Overall, Mesa Lunga was a disappointment for me. The value was not great at all, and the service wasn't the best. I don't think I will make a return to Mesa Lunga.
Food: 2/5
Generally overpriced compared to other Gouger Street restaurants & other Spanish restaurants. Crispy pork belly was too small considering its price.
Service: 2.75/5
Extraordinary interior design. Warm, vintage atmosphere consistent with the food being sold. However, it was overcrowded.
As you all know, when it comes to reviewing food, I'm not particularly good at it. So I will be blunt and straightforward with my opinion.I was quite excited to taste the sangria, because of the enticing description on the menu. Alas, the description was actually a little misleading, because I could not detect some of the flavours I had expected to taste. The flavours were washed out and weak, which ultimately resulted in disappointment.
The pork belly was not too bad in my opinion, but I agree with Ju Sung that it was too salty. I found the sauce to be extremely overpowering, and I did not like it.
The paella was not to my taste at all, and I did not enjoy it. The bitterness from the pan it was cooked in and the squid ink was the main negative factor about this dish.
Overall, Mesa Lunga was a disappointment for me. The value was not great at all, and the service wasn't the best. I don't think I will make a return to Mesa Lunga.
Food: 2/5
Menu was misleading, unpleasant bitterness of paella, too strong seasoning of pork, bland sangria.
Value: 2/5Generally overpriced compared to other Gouger Street restaurants & other Spanish restaurants. Crispy pork belly was too small considering its price.
Service: 2.75/5
Delay in table allocation, could not find booking manager. However, water refill was prompt.
Ambience: 3.5/5Extraordinary interior design. Warm, vintage atmosphere consistent with the food being sold. However, it was overcrowded.
Mesa Lunga
140 Gouger Street
Adelaide
South Australia, 5000
Ph: (08) 8410 7617