Well this could also describe my lovely friend Reyes but in this case it also describes the VERY BEST hake I have ever tasted in my life. No kidding. Reyes and I were out having an early celebration lunch for my Sevilla 31st Anniversary (coming up this Monday but I’ll be stuck in an MRI machine, hence the early celebration). Anyhow… we went to try our pal Iván’s original Ivantxu Espacio Bistronómico (having previously gone to his new restaurant La Carmela) and we weren’t disappointed. We were also smart enough to let Iván choose our dishes and when he said – you MUST try the hake – we did. And I mean, I like hake but I did not expect this. Pan-grilled line-caught hake served with a gazillion slivers of sweet garlic and “pan potatoes”. None of these words actually describe this dish. The hake was lightly seared, tender yet still firm, the garlic caramalised and melty and those fucking potatoes. One of the most simple dishes – santurce style, look it up – but in the deft hands of Iván turned into something magical. Later Reyes said that she was going to think about this hake for the rest of her life, and well, me too.

Ivantxu review coming soon on Sevilla Tapas