Go Loco With New Spanish Dishes at The Eighth Avenue, Publika

The Eighth Avenue is a bar and restaurant set at Block D of Publika shopping gallery.

Spanish dishes with a Malaysian twist were recently added to the menu with the arrival of Chef Pedro, a well-known Spanish chef.

Image Credit: The Eighth Avenue, Publika

The DiscoverKL team recently had the chance to sample the new and fancy dishes and here’re our thoughts:

The Black Book cocktails were something special. Beautiful to the eyes, some of them don’t even taste like alcohol! They range from sweet and fruity to strong and refreshing. It’s decently priced, with the cheapest being RM32.90.

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Our favourites were the Wild Child that consisted of Chartreuse French liqueur, cold brew Earl Grey, tequila and sherry, the Mermaid Tears with cinnamon whiskey, orange liqueur paired with dry ice and last but not least, their signature drink, the Suit and Tie with Scotland Hendrink’s shaken up with homemade pomegranate puree, Dom Benedictine, classic spiced bitters and an ice ball.

Their new Spanish dishes are where it’s at. We were served the Tapas with Garlic Gambas as the first dish. Fresh tiger prawns that are cooked in garlic chilli olive oil & white wine, they’re juicy and has all the qualities of a good prawn dish.

Next up was Angels and Demons, which were smoked salmon wrapped in cantaloupe (the Angel) and bacon wrapped prunes (the Demon). I was on the fence for this as they were in my mind, a weird combination but my taste buds slowly got used to the taste. There’s 3 of each so it’s great for sharing while sipping on some wine.

The charcoal mini pork sliders were the perfect little snacks to have while drinking. The homemade patty was not dry and it was well-seasoned. The buns are not super thick, complementing the patties perfectly. The wedges that were served at the side made for great finger food too.

The Patatas Tres Salsas are deep fried confit potatoes with 3 sauces: Brava, Pomodoro and Aioli. The potatoes were cooked perfectly, and the sauces were paired nicely. I’m a big fan of potatoes, so my taste buds approved of this concoction.

The Picantes Chicken Wings Con Raita Y Verduritas were fried spicy chicken wings and confit with garlic chips and vegetable crudités. Personally, they were average-tasting and nothing really stood out. However, the presentation was nice and rustic with the wooden board, making it a feast for the eyes.

Besides that, we were served the Pork Albondigas En Salsa De Tomate that consists of pork meatballs in Spanish tomato sauce with green peas and mint puree. The meatballs were really good but I wasn’t a fan of the mint puree. Note: if Ikea is too crowded and you’re craving for some meatballs, maybe you could give this place a go.

One of my favourite dishes was the Guacamole Dip with Homemade Sweet Potato Chips. The chips were great by itself but paired with the flavourful guac, it was heaven in my mouth. The plating made it easy to eat, with the chips standing somewhat upright. The chips didn’t break easily too (thank God), so dipping it into the guac was a breeze.

Next was the Spinach Salad with fresh baby spinach and caramelised goat cheese. The goat cheese was a bit of an odd one for me as the taste was stronger than I expected. It wasn’t a match made in heaven for me. However, portion-wise, it’s pretty large and can easily be shared amongst 2 people.

Moving on to the mains, the Honey Glazed BBQ Ribs served with a side of roasted sweet potatoes were another one of my favourites. Just the right amount of sweetness from the honey and savoury from the BBQ, one just wasn’t enough. The potato fan in me loved the roasted sweet potatoes too!

The Spicy Prawn Fettuccine made my mouth water. The prawn and pasta were both well-flavoured, making it a great dish. The portion was quite big as well for a pasta dish.

Last but not least was the Orale (aka Pizza) that has chicken strips, prawns, guacamole and nacho chips. This is the type of pizza that won’t make you feel ‘jelak’. The flavours all mix well together despite being so different.