The atmosphere and the food are both worthy of recognition in their own right. ICEX certification or no ICEX certification, Candela is an incredible restaurant offering some of the best Spanish food I have ever eaten. Who knows, maybe a second piece would have swayed me in Candela’s favour. The sweet, creamy taste is superb, and its cool, smooth interior contrasts beautifully with the crusty exterior. For the uninitiated, our Basque cheesecakes are among our most popular recipes (find them at .nz), and as a less- than-objective member of the dish team, I have yet to encounter a better version. There was one final order of business to take care of, and it had nothing to do with authenticity, and everything to do with dish. I could have eaten just the prawns alone, but the creamy aioli and deeply flavourful rice demanded that you continue digging deeper until you reached the conclusion that this is indeed a paella, and a restaurant, worthy of its ICEX certification. Candela’s Tiger Prawn Paella with Saffron Aioli is diminutive by traditional standards but big on flavour. Next, the Octopus, Pil Pil, Red Pepper and Butterbean boldly announced itself with a rich, creamy and spicy red pepper sauce, backed by intense umami flavour.įor me, the real marker of authentic Spanish cuisine comes down to one dish: paella. We were now entering serious ‘lick your lips’ territory, the cascade of flavours coating the ribeye leading you down a rabbit hole like Alice into Wonderland, at first peppery then sweet, herby and smoky. It was a good thing we had back-up from the Mibrasa And then just like that, it was gone, leaving only a delicate heat in its wake. Like an oncoming tide of flavour, each bite only got stronger, washing ashore with charcoal flavours from the grill, then saturating your taste buds with a rich, savoury taste. The grill worked its magic again with the Lamb Belly Pintxo with Mojo Verde.
Its luxurious, silky-smooth texture was more like sauce than butter – a curry sauce, at that, as it snuck in some heat. But it was the butter that held me under. The strong aromas of the grill forcefully dragged me down into deep, delicious waters. He found new competition for that right as soon as the flatbread landed on our table. My friend, who I took along, and who had previously dined at Candela, set expectations high by claiming he could eat all the flatbread and butter alone. Our meal began with the Grilled Flatbread and Sobrassada Butter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a restaurant and internally screamed because of the seating.) (As a side note, it’s worth mentioning that the seating is incredibly comfortable. The atmosphere continues inside with intimate lighting, extending down a cavernous, stylish space.
Like James Dean leaned up against a wall with his hair slicked back and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, you can’t help but spare a quick glance as you pass by. There’s something effortlessly cool about Candela. Has it changed my opinion of Candela? Absolutely not, because it couldn’t be higher. Did I know this before dining there? Not at all. A claim which only Candela can make both here and in Australia.
#Candela grill full#
Over the years, however, I’ve become skeptical of restaurants that claim to be ‘authentic’ or ‘inspired by’ a particular cuisine – by whose determination? And to what degree? What’s fascinating is that Candela was recently awarded full certification by ICEX, a Spanish government agency which recognises restaurants outside of Spain that best present themselves as global ambassadors of Spanish cuisine.
As someone who appreciates Spanish culture, I’ve had my eye on K Road’s Candela for quite some time.
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