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11. September 2014: Restaurant Riff

| October 29, 2014 | 0 Comments

The Restaurant Riff was recommended to me by a friend – and I thought I give it a try and it was a try I did not regret but neither was it a try which blew my mind. When we took our seats it only took them a couple of minutes to bring a selection of surprises from the kitchen starting with “rice waffles with algae” which were actually quite nice. I am usually not a big fan of rice waffles but due to the algae they were rather salty and, therefore, I enjoyed them quite a bit. Next was “fried pork skin with a pepper cheese sauce” which was astonishingly tasty. I have never had fried pork skin by itself before but I must admit that it was actually tasty. Last were the “tomato sticks” which were rather ordinary compared to the first two elements.

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Now, before we even had the chance to pick what we wanted to eat, another small surprise from the kitchen was served – “sardine with eggplants and dried tomatoes” and I must say, also this dish was a pleasant surprise. One hint with regards to the flexibility of the service at this point in time – one of the party had certain food allergies and was, therefore, not able to go for the menu so we asked the chef to prepare a special course – which turned out to be no problem at all. The chef came out by himself and aligned with the respective person to prepare a dish consisting of fish, rice and a couple of vegetables only. Although there is basically more or less only a set menu the chef showed to be flexible enough to adapt to the request of a demanding guest.

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Given that I wanted to get an impression of what the chef was capable of, I went for the “menu riff” (EUR 65.00) which started with “Tapas del Dia” which in turn consisted of several separate amuse bouches. First in line was a “Bloody Mary made of tomato water” which was quite interesting in taste as it had a very tomate-y taste but was still subtle and nice overall. In order to match the menu with the fitting wines, I had ordered the “Maridaje de vinos (6 copas)” (EUR 28.00) which also turned out to be a good idea.

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With the bloody mary, “bread with olives and rosemary” (EUR 3.00) was served – and I must admit, that is something which actually kind of never happens to me, but due to the many courses which were served in a rather short time slot, I was not able to try it. It looked delicious though.

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The next amuse bouche of the “tapas del dia” was “a slice pork neck bacon with bread crumbs and herbs” and while I thought it is not such an appetizing description, I must admit it was actually great. The fat basically dissolved on the tongue (like incredibly good Italian lardo) providing a strong pork aroma which was then enriched by the bread crumbs and the herbs.

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Obviously, the “tapas del dia” were not over at this time but yet another course was served – “tuna with onions and an almond mayonnaise”. The tuna was air-dried and, therefore, very intense in taste. The almond mayonnaise complemented the tuna perfectly and the onion with the tiny dash of aceto balsamico gave the course a little balancing element.

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The moment I had finished my tuna, the “burrata with cucumbers, melons and a bit of chili” was served. I have had better burrata before but the combination with the cucumbers and the sweetness of the melon while having this little spicy effect due to the chili was very pleasant.

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The last course of the “tapas del dia” were the “tortillas with onions” – a typical Spanish dish which was definitely enjoyable.

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To wrap up the “tapas del dia” – great food prepared on a high-level but served a bit too quickly. It is okay to get to the actual menu quite quickly but in all fairness, I must admit that the speed was too high. Finally, it was time for the first dish of the menu though, the “Ceviche ‘Valenciano'”. Incredibly tender, incredibly aromatic, perfectly balanced with the flower and its elements – disembled but put together perfectly. Absolutely loved the start!

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After the highlight of the first course, the second course, “algas con berberechos” was a disappointment. It looked incredibly appealing as the dish was served in the shell of a clam. Once I had my first bite I realized that it is not really my piece of food. The taste of salt water was overwhelming everything – I had the feeling I was really eating the sea – not pleasant.

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Ready to be surprised again, I was looking forward to the “arroz meloso con pulpitos a la brasa” and again it looked incredibly promising and I must admit this time it was definitely better than the previous course as the rice was aromatic and rich but the octopus arms were not as tender and soft as they should have been but still had a good element of chewiness to them which was a pity.

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The “pescadilla con tabellas y chorizo” was good again as the fish was tender and it fit well with the beans and the chorizo – only that the chorizo was a bit too dark for my personal taste. Still, definitely an improvement again but not yet on the level of the ceviche.

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When the main course arrived, I was a bit sceptical as the “cerdo ibérico con mostaza de setas” (Iberian prok with mushroom mustard) looked basically like a chunk of fat with a bit of meat. Sometimes it is good to expect absolutely nothing of a dish – to be surprised. And my god, I was surprised. The cerdo was so incredibly tender, so smooth, so aromatic, so flavourful like I have probably never had pork before. The mushroom mustard on the side was a nice complementary element but frankly speaking not necessary at all. The cerdo was so good that it did not need anything in addition.

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It was time to go for dessert after the highlight of the night – and figs were the first dessert, “higos con requesón”. Simple, tasty, good.

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The “melocotón blanco con almendra”, the second dessert of the evening was rather boring. It tasted plain and did not really trigger any of my taste buds.

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Luckily, there is always the “after amuse bouche” which was in this case two-folded. The first course was “selba negra” which looked quite heavy at first but was, while simple, flavourful. The second one was actually even more preferred by myself, the “caramelized macadamia nuts” (not in the pictures).

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With regards to the place, I must say that it is somehow a bit cold but I love that kind of atmosphere as it is modern, spacious, light-flooded and the little curtains between the tables provide you with a feeling of privacy (which is of course an illusion).

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The waitresses did a great job. They were almost there any second you needed them (refilling your wine glass, your water glass, taking additional orders, taking away the empty plates and bringing new ones) but were never bothering so you would not really realize they were there. As mentioned above, for my personal taste, the frequency of the dishes brought from the kitchen was too high, sometimes a little break between two courses would not be bad – especially in order to be able to finish the paired wine. However, this is nothing which is to blame on the service but the kitchen (and myself due to not speaking up about it).

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Overall, I must say, the experience at the Restaurant Riff was overall a pleasant one (as the human mind tends to remember extraordinary things and forget the unpleasant ones). The place is very nice, the service is almost flawless, the prices are fair (also applies for the beverages, e.g. bottle of water, EUR 4.50; double epresso with Café Luthier 100% Arábica, EUR 6.00), the chef is understanding and very flexible – however, the taste experience of the dishes varies strongly between the single dishes. While the ceviche and the cerdo blew my mind (loved, loved, loved it!), the “algas con berberechos” made me doubt the ability of the chef to have taste buds (sounds harsh but it was really just sea water as taste).

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Still, all in all, I would most likely give the Restaurant Riff anothe try as the amuse bouches were great, the ceviche and cerdo blew my mind. In between there was definitely a decrease of taste experience but overall the positive impression remained. What I consider very valuable is the flexiblity of the staff and kitchen to prepare a single dish according to the wishes of one guest without improvising, trying to optimize or reacting upset. The service all in all does a great job – I must admit. If you have a couple of days in Valencia, go give it a try (and maybe avoid the “algas con berberechos”). Booking in advance recommended.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Riff

Calle del Conde de Altea 18

46005 Valencia (ES)

Tel.: +34 96 333 53 53

Cell: +34 671 875 975

E-Mail: restaurante@restaurante-riff.com

Homepage: http://www.restaurante-riff.com

About the Author:

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.
EUR 358.00 (incl. tip) Filed in: Restaurants, Valencia (E)
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