Eat. @ MoVida Bar de Tapas Y Vino

1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne CBD 3000 ph (03) 9663 3038

My latest catch up with the "Kinder Girls" brought us to a fantastic night out at MoVida.  None of us had been before, and if I must say so our nights out are getting more adventurous, in a good way!  We have gotten into the habit of ordering a lot of dishes to share, rather than sitting down for a traditional 3 course meal, so that we can all try something new and different.  Movida was an excellent choice as the menu is full of sharing dishes.

After ordering wine we went straight down to the business of ordering.  The first thing to arrive at the table was the only dish we didn't share. The Anchoa ($4.5) is a hand filleted Cantabrian artisan anchovy on crouton with smoked tomato sorbet.  Salty, bitey anchovy with crunchy crouton and the tart sorbet all contrasting with each other for a really interesting taste.  

The reason I had the lone Anchoa was because the other girls went for the Maiz ($4.5 each), and I'm not a fan of baby corns. (Big boy and girl corns yes, and even the popped variety, but not so much the babies!)   Lucky for me, the girls didn't think I missed out on much, as they found the corn pleasant but not overwhelmingly memorable.

From here on everything was delightfully delicious.  I'm not being lazy (well, only a little), but I'll let the pictures and the food description do most of the talking!  Croquetas de Choco En Su Tinta ($4 each) are squid ink croquettes with cuttlefish.  We all agreed we could eat a whole tray of these!

Bunuelos de Bacalao ($4 each) are deep fried salt cod and potato fritta with pil pil.  Not your ordinary potato croquette!

Pescado Ahumado ($6 each)  is a plate of house cold smoked yellowtail kingfish with pine nut gazpacho sorbet.  It's served covered, and when the lid is opened with a flourish the smell of the smoke that escapes is amazing.  

Sardinilla con Salsa Agril Dulce ($4 each) is a baby sardine with lemon crumb and sweet and sour pickle.  Pretty and yummy!

Bogavante ($11 each) is Tasmanian Southern Rock Lobster Sashimi with Russian Salad.  Whilst I could not fault how fresh and delicious it tastes, $11 for a mouthful might not be the thing to order if you're starving!

The Queso ($4 each) was one of my favourite dishes of the night.  These little quince paste cigar with whipped goats milk cheese are sweet, savoury, crunchy and smooth all rolled into one!

Pollo Escabache al Miguel ($4.5 each) is a spiced chicken escabache tapa on crisp crouton.  

We also shared dishes listed under "Raciones", which means rations, and are bigger serves for sharing.  The Pulpo a la Galeega ($16.5) is a dish of Galician Style slow cooked octopus with potato that we all agreed was delicious and great as a share dish.

The Setas Asadas con Jerez ($13) is a serve of oven-roasted Portobello mushrooms finished with sherry vinegar.  They may not photography well but they tasted amazing, and I am not a fan of the fungus usually!

In contrast, the Pure de Cocido de Verano ($12.5) is a beautiful looking dish of Summer chickpea cream with Heirloom tomato salad.  This was a very pleasant surprise to me, as it's not something I would have ordered ordinarily, but turned out to be one of the most delightful dishes of the night.  The simple presentation of the dish surprises with the complexity of its flavours.  We could not get enough of that chickpea cream (recipe anyone?) and ended up soaking every last bit up with our bread.

For dessert my friend Jo went for the Flan as she's always been a fan.  (I'm a cheap poet, I know it I know it!)

I,  however, could not go past the Churros ($11). Four freshly prepared churros, served with a pot of rich and smooth chocolate for dipping.  Along with my English Brekkie tea, it was an awesome end to an awesome meal.

Fantastic food, lovely company and the cosy ambience made for another excellent night out with the girls.  Special thanks to my friend Jodi, who since learning of my blog, has become my "lighting director" for all my photos.  The girls are so patient and tolerant of me snapping away prior to anyone else touching the food!  So grateful for your friendships!