Pigging out at El Cerdo

If someone breaks a plate, I’m startled at the crash. At El Cerdo, it’s done puposely when someone orders the house specialty, but every time a plate breaks, I still jump a bit. 

El Cerdo is known for its piggy dishes, so it was interesting exploring their other dishes for a change. 

Here to try their menu for the first time at their TTDI outlet, we had:

Gambas al aljillo – prawn in garlic, chilli and olive oil. While prawns were fresh and firm, the chilli wasn’t apparent. Mild taste and I’ve had better.

Spanish Iberico Meatballs, in homemade tomato sauce and spices. Heavy on the palate in terms of flavour, but otherwise just another meatball dish. A bit of a waste of Iberico as it doesn’t stand out here.

Grilled Spanish octopus was very well-executed. If octopus can be called al dente, this was it. Just right bite, grilled to perfection, toasty fragrance. Excellent dish, though at RM78 per serving, a bit steep.

Organic duck paella had a slight char at the bottom, a good sign. Well-balanced flavours and textures, generous duck pieces, the shortgrain Bomba rice still in tact and not overcooked, with lovely bits of bacon that elevated the taste further.

Seafood laden aglio olio, and one of the better ones I’ve had. Malaysian pasta will never be al dente enough for true Italians, but any firmer and the locals complain. So this was about right. 

Hickory smoked Iberico soft ribs. Not a fan of hickory but the others enjoyed this. The meat didn’t live up to its name as it wasn’t all that tender.

We washed down the meal with Rose Raspberry sangria and White wine pear sangria, nicely done versions of the popular Spanish cocktail. 

Good to know that there are other options to fall back on if one is not keen on the usual roasted pork.

Add: G-1, Menara Ken, 37, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. hp: 012-322 0654