May 5th, 2005 | The lowdown by Erica Sin

Spanish Flavor in Norwich?

It has already been established that Norwich cannot do Mexican food.
However, they seem to have done better with a country a bit closer - Spain.

'La Tasca' is a chain tapas restaurant. For all of you who have never had tapas before, think of it as Spanish finger foods consumed with beer (aaaah, San Miguel). They have a range of foods, from vegetarian dishes to meatballs to seafood. Mind you, the Spanish have an affinity for deep frying, lots of oil and mayonnaise. However, if you're going to do tapas, you have to do it right!

It is definitely more pricey in La Tasca than you would have it in Spain, but then again, what isn't? The quality of food is quite good, although not necessarily comparable to tapas actually in Spain. I did definitely enjoy the meal though. Some personal faves: Croquetas de champinones (mushroom croquettes), calamari, and tiger prawns in olive oil, chilli, and garlic.

Just be aware that the bill does add up if you keep ordering dishes, although I consider that one of the best things about tapas: if you want some more of something, you can order it and the portions are small enough that it's not overwhelming after your initial servings. Tapas also provide a great social environment since everyone's trying a bit of everything.

All in all, La Tasca does a pretty good job of bringing the continent to the big island. Have a little sangria too...you can't go wrong with sangria!