Ole Spanish Restaurant - South Brisbane. Atmospheric, and with the goal to capture the essence of eating in Spain. The staff at Ole have gone to great efforts to make it as authentic as possible, using imported staple ingredients and getting local produce from farmers ensuring quality freshness in each bite. It embraces all aspects of the Spanish dining experience and makes you wonder why there is not a bigger market for Spanish cuisine anywhere in the city; this is the kind of winner that brings out some of the best aspects of eating out.
It was another day that I was off to meet my friend for lunch. This time around she had instigated the meeting. Instead of meeting my friend all the way in front of the university campus, she thought to meet half-way within the vicinity of South Bank (plus a big occasion was on in the city which would have made it difficult). My friend is a huge fan of tapas, and would gleefully talk about her travels around Spain - in particular Barcelona - and like most travels overseas, the memories that are talked about the most extensively come down to the food. With good reason as well, as beyond the types eaten the mood, attitudes and situations with eating are often fascinating to observe. I am just as guilty of thinking that way myself. Asking if I am a big fan of tapas, all she needed to know was that I was hungry and it was off to here for some lunch.
You cannot get in here by reservation, and often it is extremely busy. There was a plan B, but that did not need to come into fruition. While not the most absolutely organised, they are very efficient and utmost friendly. All sorts of seating is around, indoors, outdoors and there are the high stools as well. It is hard to describe why, but something about the high stools feels right and is appealing; that is where the two of us sat.
The majority of what Ole in South Bank serves is focused on tapas - and it is definitely among the best choices of dining when you feel in the sharing mood. Here, there is a big variety to chose from with a section of bigger ones for those with bigger appetites, and several varieties of paella to share between a couple. The deal basically goes, you order several lots of tapas and play it by ear for what to get later. Food comes out hard and fast, filling up the table with all sorts of delights. Dining tapas style is really something else, you cannot call yourself a foodie without a few experiences of it. As for what to get from the menu, all the advice that is being given here is, good luck in trying to chose; the choice is extensive.
The mainstay beverage is sangria to go with tapas; neither one of us went for that. For me, it is a lifestyle choice. Nevertheless, for the non-drinkers there are a few mocktails and they do have coffee as an option (would almost be unheard of for a place that does breakfast as well). The beans that they use are from Rogue. I got a double strength cappuccino, and it was delicious. The body was robust, the texture was creamy and it was all round smooth and strong in flavour, an ideal coffee if it ever did exist.
One that had to be started out with was a variety of their jamon. The best way to describe jamon, is to think of ham that has been dry-cured for many months. The variety that she ordered was "Jamon iberico" - essentially meaning what kind of pig it came from. On the menu, the flavour is described as being rich and nutty - this is a fair adjective for the taste. There was plenty of jamon served on the plate; this is no sample size we are talking about. It was served with some sourdough bread, and on the table there was olive oil to douse the meat in. To say the least, it was delicious and had a sharp strength and bite. My friend said that it was something that needed to be tried.
The next lot of tapas were called "Anchoveta y queso azul". This was a combination of blue cheese, white anchovies, and mint on sourdough toast. Look, with these two major ingredients there is no need or point to convince readers who, respectively, love and hate one or more of the flavours. To me, life gets easier when I'm with someone who likes anchovies - the best pizza topping bar none. With the anchoveta y queso azul, a brilliant combination of the sharpness of blue cheese's flavour, and the saltiness of the anchovy is perfection with a garnish of mint to finish them off. On top of good quality bread, this will be the tapas from the selection I am most willing to re-order - admittedly, plenty of bias is present.
Following up was an array of robust, meaty tapas - Pulpo con patatas (grilled octopus, potato, lemon & parsley), Albondigas (beef & chorizo meatballs), and Brochetas de Cordero (lamb skewers with spiced yogurt). These were all pretty good as well. With the "pulpo" dish, the octopus was cooked just right, being tender enough to get a good chew on it, but not enough that it was leathery. Take out the texture, and octopus is surprisingly a mild seafood.
On their own, the meatballs would be a sufficient snack. The meatballs were really big and had a distinct flavour, with beef and the sharp bite of chorizo mince mixed through. They were served in a rich tomato sauce, and served with a side of sourdough bread. I got to try a bit of the lamb skewer - my friend was getting full, as she does easily - and it was tender, being served with a tzatziki. Not bad at all, either. A common theme was the presentation of the lot; it was just as much a feast for the eyes as it was for the tastebuds.
As a rare case that occurs, I could not finish all the food. The waitress was really wise and astute near the beginning suggesting omitting one other choice that was to be selected; she must have been working here quite a while and knows people who think they can eat more than they really can. It kind of sucked, since the churros and other dessert options looked good. Knowing my good friend, she will probably lead me back here in the coming future. That is something I am looking forward to.
Great atmosphere, really tasty and characteristic food, not to mention enough options to entice you to continue coming here, there is a reason that this seems to be a hit, and it is most appropriate to have it located in South Bank. For once to say it is an experience is not a pomposity from the critic's mouth, but one from the artist's vision of their work. This is worth going to for any reason that involves an occassion of several people.
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