Cova Tapas Y Sangria: Small on Plates, Big on Flavor
If you're looking for a nice and exclusive place to make a toast for the year that was, and the year to come, you can definitely bet on Cova Tapas Y Sangria. Its dark and sleek interiors lend to a sophisticated ambiance perfect for those much-needed unwinding and destressing dinners with friends and family.
It has a narrow menu selection; yet the decision making process would still take time because the restaurant boasts of a handful of interesting dishes and a separate beverage selection to pair one's dishes with. Also noteworthy would be its highly warm and attentive serving staff who definitely made the dining experience smoother and more pleasant.
COVA RED SANGRIA (P447 for 500mL/P895 for 1L)
It's quite hard to convince me to take in alcoholic beverages (my friends can attest to that); however, I couldn't resist a good pairing. The server swore that Cova's Red Sangria would pair excellently with all the dishes that we selected so I went ahead with his suggestion. Fortunately, I did not have to regret heeding his advice because it really tasted wonderful with everything.
GAMBAS AL AJILLO (P250)
We started off with the classic tapas, Gambas al Ajillo. I love how the kitchen pays close attention to the plating of each dish. Instead of being dumped into a small appetizer bowl, the gorgeous shrimps are first dipped in its sauce before delicately plated on a bed of its own sauce. Its sauce is more succulent than others primarily due to the introduction of crab fat and paprika to the traditional mix of olive oil, garlic and chili.
HUEVOS CABREADOS (P380)
The Huevos Cabreados was another excellent dish. Despite its use of household items such as eggs, potatoes, and chorizo; Cova was able to whip up something as exquisite and elegant as portrayed in the picture. Cutting through this masterpiece was painful; since it's guaranteed to mess up the beautiful plating. Yet, biting through all the layers of the dish is simply heavenly. A plethora of textures and flavors await you as you bite into this dish, tasting the salty and sweet flavors of the chorizo strips and feeling the crunch of the shoestring potatoes accompanied by the garlic essence of the alioli. Who knew eggs can be this complex and magical?
MEJILLONES AL VAPOR (P275)
This beautiful mussels dish was a wonderful addition to the meal! Mussels bathed in a delectably light cream sauce, flavored by smoky bacon cubes fill up this skillet. This dish may be simple, yet it boasts of flavor that it becomes impossible to stop yourself from getting more pieces after your first serving.
ARROZ NEGRO (P600/P1000)
Cova decided to stick with the traditional Paella Negra recipe for its Arroz Negro; large pieces of shrimp, and fresh mussels served as the main meat sources for the squid ink-based rice. It lacked the soft shell crab promised in the menu, and had a bit of hard undercooked granules. However, it was a pretty tasty rendition of the Paella Negra, that these were forgivable.
One can expect quality from the dishes served by Cova; however, what it packs on quality, it lacks in quantity. Dishes tend to be served in small quantities and are not quite filling; thus, I recommend grabbing some dessert or coffee afterwards; or starting off with a heavy merienda before traversing here. Nonetheless, I'm definitely itching to try the rest of its menu!
Cova Tapas Y Sangria
22 Jupiter St., Bel Air, Makati City
Droolworthy Dishes: Huevos Cabreados, Gambas al Ajillo
Date of Visit: June 20, 2014 with Jem Chua and Lily Chua
