01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
The cured-ham tasting is a natural place to start at Bellota Muamua Karasuma Sanjo. One diner enjoyed a three-ham platter featuring GYOKURO, made from Iberian acorn-fed pork, alongside white-pork cured ham and jamón serrano, with baguette and dried figs. Another was struck by GYOKURO’s firm texture and concentrated, aged savouriness, noting how its initial saltiness gives way to a sweetness that lingers on the palate. Comparing all three makes for a chance to savour their different textures and flavours, with wine or Spanish beer alongside.
Ajillo with baguette is another tempting choice. One diner described plump prawns and oil from the prawn ajillo, mopped up with baguette to the last drop. Another ordered ajillo with crab meat and crab miso, topped with egg yolk, and enjoyed the rich-flavoured oil with bread. The menu indicates that you can choose how much garlic to have in the ajillo base, and lets you select the ingredients as well.
Paella is a good choice when you want rice infused with the flavour of its ingredients. A diner who tried the seafood-and-chicken mix described rice rich with the flavour of both, topped with mussels, prawns, squid, clams and chicken. One report notes that the paella took around 30–40 minutes because it is cooked from raw rice, so ordering early seems wise. Another diner found a single-serving mixed paella just the right size. The meal can be built around a few tapas to share, or a paella as its centrepiece.
There are also tapas to nibble on, including octopus carpaccio and grilled mushrooms stuffed with cured ham. The menu features Spanish drinks and sangria, too; one diner who had a course with all-you-can-drink service particularly liked the white sangria. With both counter and table seating, the restaurant can accommodate group meals.
