A guest posting from a regular reader. The contributor's views on the rugby are his own and not necessarily endorsed by Chompers..
My son PS and I are in Cardiff for the Wales v England 2023 Home International. We have booked dinner at Asador 44 Spanish Grill and wine bar located near the Millennium Stadium.
It's the evening before the game and the restaurant district is buzzing. We receive a warm welcome and are guided towards the rear of the restaurant. Decor is very pleasant and in keeping with a bistro atmosphere
We study the menu - it’s not that extensive possibly as its rugby International weekend but it looks good, although the cost could easily run away.
Two toro blancos wet our appetites, followed by starters of salchichon iberico ham £7.50 and salmon £9. Both tasty although the ham is round slices and somewhat understated. It should be round - just that I was expecting something different!
We decide on the aged Pembrokeshire sirloin steak sharing platter at £65. Celeriac, fries and a beef and rioja sauce accompany. Rather than a whole bottle, we choose 2 glasses of decent red at £12ea. It's a long weekend! The aged steak about nine 1/4" slices in total is cooked crisp on outside and rare inside. It is deliciously tasty and beautifully tender. The sauce adds more flavour. Overall the best steak I've had for some time. The red wine milu roble ribera del duero is excellent.
We opt for sweets: crema catalana, a Spanish version of creme brulee at £16 accompanied by 2 glasses of Micaela cream desert wine at £10.
The total bill with service comes to £170. All in all an excellent meal with good attentive service. We recommend Asador for lunch or evenings.
Park House Restaurant and Wine Bar (website unavailable)
It's a little jaunt from the city centre but not too far away. On arrival we see what it was in its day: probably a large mansion style house or more likely hotel.
We ring the bell at what appears to be the main entrance to the side wondering what's inside. Decor is very much like a gothic mansion with lots of oak panelling. Hushed silence seems to be the watchword. The atmosphere reminds me of the reading room in a gentlemen’s club.
We are shown upstairs to a large dining room with circular tables. We are early but note that only one other table in the room is occupied. Our big round table could seat 6 or more but there's just 2 of us.
The principal waiter appears, welcomes us and talks us through the menu options. We were considering the 9 course taster but learn that it's not available as a large party upstairs is having it.
That leaves a 6 course taster or a la carte menu which looks a tad limited but includes several of the same dishes. So we both opt for the taster and wine flight. We decline the more expensive flight for Icon wines priced at £59.
Service is brisk, delivered by two attentive but quiet waitresses, plus the main waiter who also acts as sommelier. All very gentile and hushed. Pin drops come to mind.
We order some sparkling English wine to kick off the evening. Very nice. 2 x 200ml at £12 ea.
The first course, endive with apple celery walnut chutney duly arrives and our sommelier introduces and explains the first wine he has chosen - classic cuvee Nytimber Sussex. It's a good match and we both enjoy the somewhat smallish glasses.
Second course is confit dry aged Pembrokeshire pork belly with apple smoked eel and Lyonnaise onion. Very tasty and generous but quite rich as it’s belly of pork. Our wine is 2019 Old Vine Chenin Blanc Olifantsberg, Western Cape SA. Again very pleasant. With these flights you always want a second glass...
Third course in fairly quick succession is diver caught Orkney scallop with caper raisin cauliflower and vadouvan - delightful, and perfectly cooked. Accompanying wine is Australian - 2021 Hen and chicken chardonnay, Larry Cherubino. Excellent.
Fourth course arrives: dry aged Pembrokeshire beef. It’s the highlight of the meal for me and deliciously tasty. 2019 Reserve Barossa Shiraz, Berton, Barossa Valley Australia. An excellent match. We had beef yesterday despite me thinking Wales is all about lamb!
At this stage there's an optional cheese tasting plate at £12 but we're beginning to sense the beckoning plimsoll line so we both decline.
Next up is the “boiled egg” - to be honest I forget what exactly this is but recall it's sort of a chocolate fondant thing.
Finally we have Apple Sable Breton blackberry tart with a glass of 2015 Marsanne Cane Cut Tahbilk South Australia to cap it off. It’s a classic French pudding. By this time we both feel well satisfied.
The 6 course taster was £59 ea, the flight £35 ea. Plus a bottle of still water at £3.50. With 12% service and £1.23 carbon free dining (??), the total comes to £243.67.
For me quite an expensive meal but overall of very satisfying quality and delightful presentation, if not mind blowingly outstanding. But at £59 for 6 courses very good vfm I think. Excellent service and a very attentive and friendly sommelier. Nice to know what you're drinking and why.
A nice round up to a great rugby weekend in Cardiff.
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