EL CERO TAPAS Y VINOS — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Another good Spanish restaurant that I've recently unearthed is El Cero Tapas Y Vinos located right in the heart of KL city, taking an old commercial building in Jalan Yap Ah Shak where many F&B establishments recently popped up.

I was ecstatic when they informed me that first bottle of wine brought would be free of corkage when I called to make reservation. Grab car sent me right in front of the restaurant - and I had slight reservation when I noticed that there was no people inside.

Inside the restaurant was also quite dimmed - might be romantic to some but it poses challenge for me to take nice photos.

◾Nachos RM29 - option to choose between chicken or beef which I opted for the former. Loads of ground chicken, yellow onion, extra virgin olive oil, corn starch & Cajun ◾Sopa Bullabesa RM39 - fresh green mussel, clams, tiger prawns and squid in hearty & flavourful soup. Served with garlic banquet bread on the side. ◾Bronchetas De Cordero RM65 - skewered marinated boneless grilled lamb, apricot, chutney sauce, garlic mayonnaise & fresh parsley. ◾Salchichas Diablo RM29 - sauteed Spanish chicken chorizo, tomato sauce, onion and chilly flakes. ◾Sardinas A La Parrila RM31 - grilled sardines, fresh scallions and fresh chilly. ◾Berenjenas De Pamientos RM26 - fresh eggplant, red spicy pepper sauce, extra virgin olive oil & garlic.

Safe to say that our dining experience was good, and the supervisor (or manager) was there to make sure that we had a good time.

With Heritage Row & the busy Jalan Kamunting nearby, parking can be a headache...

We ordered a few dishes and drinks here for a family celebration, but I would like to highlight two things that really ruined the evening.

First, the El Cero Eco Fresh Salad (RM27). The menu lists Spanish chicken sausage slices, kidney beans, roasted peppers, chickpeas, croutons, spinach, rocket leaves, Parmesan, green apple, and olive oil. What arrived: missing the sausage, beans, peppers, and chickpeas. After pointing it out, the staff remade it - this time only adding the sausage…Still no beans, no peppers, no chickpeas. When I asked again, I was told they had “added more croutons.” Really? A few croutons to replace all the missing vegetables? That’s not a substitution, that’s cutting corners.

They offered another complimentary salad as apology, but honestly, the entire dining experience was already ruined. A customer shouldn’t have to chase the kitchen twice just to get what the menu promises.

Second, the lamb dish. Served last, it was so tough that cutting into it made the whole table wobble, and chewing it was close to impossible. We simply gave up on the dish.

While the staff on the floor tried to stay polite, the inconsistency from the kitchen and the lack of genuine service recovery left us disappointed.

I honestly don’t understand what’s with the overrated reviews on Google. There are plenty of restaurants nearby. Do walk around and you’ll definitely find a better spot for a lovely evening. Not a place I’d recommend.

I would like to give credits to a staff named Sanja who did his...

I made reservations to dine with a friend during the off-peak time of 2pm to avoid the lunchtime crowd. I spoke to Victoria, the friendly manager, and she said the popular dishes were the tapas and the paella. So I sampled one of each type. Since I loved seafood, I ordered the Paella Con Mariscos, which consisted of organic Spanish short-grain rice, scallops, squid and king tiger prawns, cooked in a saffron sauce. For the tapas, I ordered the Gambas Al Ajillo, which was tiger prawns flavoured with olive oil, fresh parsley, chilli and garlic. Victoria said this was the most popular tapas on the menu.

The paella was a pleasant golden orange hue, and the seafood was fresh and juicy. I particularly enjoyed the squid and prawns, and the crunchy bits of rice at the edges. The lemon juice we squeezed onto the dish really brought out the flavours of the rice dish, and I was tempted to ask for more lemon wedges. ;-)

However, the real showstopper was Gambas Al Ajillo. The tapas were brought to our table in a visually impressive, bubbling swirl of hot olive oil on a small cast iron pan. The aroma was so appetising that we wanted to dip the slices of bread served with the dish into the oil right away, but refrained to let the dish cool down first. The soft bread with crusty edges soaked with high-quality olive oil, and topped with thin slices of garlic, bits of parsley and pieces of plump tiger prawns was a feast for...