Valencia is not only worldfamous for its Paella
Contributed by Jens James Hoffmann
The city is a great destination and, if you’re interested in opera, art, football and local food, then Valencia fits perfect
Lets talk about Paella.
Albufera grows rice and vegetables, gets fish from its lakes and sea.
A paradise for seafood friends.
We visited Albufera, where the rice is grown in paddies around the lake which once stretched all the way to the city centre.
All the restaurants round here serve authentic seafood and Paella.
I went for lunch in a very traditional restaurant, in the centre of town.
I have to down a bowl of soup, a dish of langoustines and scrambled egg with cuttlefish before I get to the Paella.
It’s served traditional style in its own copper pan.
I’d been told that a true Paella should consist only of rice, chicken and rabbit.
No fish and seafood.
The river used to run through the centre of town until they diverted it back to prevent flooding.
The dry riverbed was planted with trees and turned into a huge recreation area and today it’s like a green artery dividing the north and south.
Valencia must be the only city in the world where this has happened and it’s a tremendous idea.
At the far end is a cluster of impressive modern structures designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava.
There’s also the Opera House.
You can easily spend days here but we have some serious eating to do.
Dinner is the one star Michelin Restaurante Vertical.
Its huge windows give me a splendid view of the city at night and the tasting menu is both ancient and modern.
I like the beef stuffed with Foie Gras, slow cooked for 72 hours, but best is the Swiss chard risotto topped, with a crispy slice of Iberico ham.
Matching regional wines are served with every course
On the bucket list belongs the old town and Cathedral dating from the 13th to 15th century.
Its greatest treasure is the holy grail, the cup that Jesus supposedly drank from at the last supper.
The beautiful Art Nouveau Central Market is the best place to try fresh sea food.
Outside the city grow Kaki and all sorts of vegetables here and I spot a couple of varieties of juicy artichokes.
Of course artichokes are on my menu, served with baby cuttlefish, and they couldn’t be fresher.
Probably the best dinner we had is at the nice resto, a short walk from the centre.
There are courses like home made cream cheese with bits of mojama, (salt cured tuna) and almonds.
Then a huge scallop, on a bed of green beans, with sauce romesco, made with roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic and tomatoes.
I’m getting full but eat all my rare pork tenderloin with a parmentier of Sobrassada, spicy sausage from Mallorca.
The dessert of Horchata fried bread with cinnamon ice cream is also nice.
We tookk the bus to the beach, enjoyed a swim and later the tapas at Casa Montaña.
They’ve been in business for 177 years and it shows. There’s excellent marinated tuna in 7 spices, goat cheese and honey peppers and, my favourite, cuttlefish with onion.
We enjoed at night me a bracing gin and tonic with horchata foam. Soaked ground tiger nuts.
The food was also excellent.
Roasted scallops swimming in a foie gras soup.
It’s a good combination and I also enjoy a slow cooked soft boiled egg with thin slices of Angus veal on a bed of parmesan crumbs.
Next are noodles with prawns, caviar and squid finely diced.
The fish is cooked perfectly and the diced squid gives it a satisfying crunch.
The best dessert of the trip – peanut sponge filled with dark chocolate cream on a bed of crushed peanuts with coconut ice.
The next restaurant week takes place in mid June and I’m looking forward to exploring some new menus.
Valencia Tourism has information about the city and Restaurant Week.
