03 Dec Movida Aqui, Melbourne CBD

Mum has been hanging out for a paella before she leaves for her overseas trip. After looking at prices for paella at various restaurants we went with Movida Aqui, which had a $63 paella that feeds 2-4 people (other restaurants charged up to $30 pp).

Since we were there, we thought we may as well order some tapas and other dishes to supplement our rice meal, though dad isn’t a big eater so we refrained from ordering everything that looked interesting. We ordered the rice first, before deciding on the other side dishes, as we knew it would take 30-40 minutes to prepare. So, I know arroz negro isn’t technically paella, but it sounded very tempting and was sufficient to quench mum’s paella-craving.

Complimentary Sourdough Bread w. Olive Oil and Salt Flakes

Our order:
– Anchoa: Hand filleted Cantabrian artisan anchovy on crouton with smoked tomato sorbet ($4.50 per piece)
– Tartare: Wallaby Tartare w. Quail Egg, White Achovies, Green Chilli and Potato Crisps (16.50)
– Arroz Negro: Bomba rice cooked with cuttlefish and squid ink served with aioli $63)

Anchoa: Cantabrian Artisan Anchovy on Crouton w. Smoked Tomato Sorbet $4

One of the waiters informed us that the anchoa and bomba tapas are the most popular on the menu at the moment. Since mum and I aren’t that into fried/breaded things we picked the anchoa. This had to be eaten promptly, otherwise the sorbet would melt. When the menu said ‘crouton’ I expected it to be a thick piece of bread. Instead, the thin, crispy version of a crouton allowed us to taste the other ingredients better. Both the anchovy and sorbet were salty, which could have been a bit too much if we ate more than one (we had half each), but it was a refreshing, taste sensation, which I would definitely order again.

Wallaby Tartare w. Quail Egg, White Achovies and Potato Crisps $16

The wallaby tartare was one of the dishes of the day. We chose it because it sounded very different. I hadn’t had tartare before, let alone one with unusual ingredients, but the flavours went well together.

Bomba Rice w. Cuttlefish, Octopus and Squid Ink served with Alioli $63

Bomba Rice w. Cuttlefish, Octopus and Squid Ink served with Alioli $63

The paella did not disappoint. When it arrived at the table the inviting smell of seafood wafted everywhere, tempting our nearby fellow patrons. I wasn’t able to pick out many of the ingredients in the dish, only squid, baby octopus. It possibly contained capsicum but I’m not sure. The aioli was very smooth and gave a nice texture and finish when mixed with the rice. The paella also had some sweetness in it. The soffrito was incredibly tasty and I tried to savour the socarrat as much as possible.

Bomba Rice w. Cuttlefish, Octopus and Squid Ink served with Alioli $63

All together it was about $28 per person, which isn’t really that expensive, especially for a top-end restaurant. Mum suggested that if we return with a larger group, it would be a good idea to order the small paella to share (not the $85 one that feeds 4-8 people), and because the servings would be smaller, there’d be more stomach space to try other dishes. Perhaps we’ll do that next time.

Movida Aqui
Level 1 500 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9663 3038
http://movida.com.au/aqui.html