Rioja
1025 Ploenchit Road
Tel: 02 251 5761

I have been meaning to get to this restaurant for a long time, but was unsure of exactly where it was. It is on the North side of Ploenchit Road about 100 yards after Soi Langsuan towards Siam Square in an unnamed dead end soi: but there is a Rioja sign on the main road. That means coming from Sukhumvit you have to get across the road at Sois 3 and 4 junction.
I was surprised to find that this is the same operation that was previously in Soi 24. I went there an age ago and was not at all impressed. Mainly because I thought the menu very ordinary and I had gone for that tapas-style experience. The only thing I could see in common was the suits of armour and now I think about it, the genteel arty décor with a good Spanish Bodega feel to it. The first person I met as I walked in was the Spanish chef and at 160 kilos (I was told) and, in today’s world, vertically challenged, he was clearly a man who liked a good meal!
The menu here is extensive and interesting with enough tapas style dishes, alas served in slightly too large a portion if you are a couple. A party of four or more could have a really varied and interesting meal. There is a tapas plate that we started with, and this has five different items for two people. It was good but barely touched the sides, so as soon as it appeared I ordered a tortilla, and then some garlic prawns which went together very well. The art of the tortilla was demonstrated perfectly with this soft flavorsome omelet that did not appear to be an omelet at all!
At this point the said chef appeared and I was able to ask about main courses. But I had already decided to hit one of the nine paellas on offer, all cooked to order and for two. There was also a nice range of main dishes available with nine meats and five fish options, as well as a good list of specials. The item that caught my eye was stewed oxtail in red wine. I shall have to go back! Since the paella was to take 20 minutes we also had a plate of ham to nibble at whilst we waited. Now I was beginning to understand how the chef had expanded so far!
The ham was served with bread smeared with a home-made tomato sauce which meant nice soft bread that really complemented the ham.. We had selected the mixed paella that came with chicken, pork, duck and chorizo. It arrived at our table and then emitted plumes of steam as the waiter dug into it. Paella is like risotto in that it is about infusing the rice. The steam was a good sign that the dish was still moist and succulent - no steam would have meant it was dried up. The taste was very good although I thought we could have had a little more meat. The chef wanted us to have the seafood version and maybe that is why. I suspect that the slow cooking had literally melted the meat. But as I am not a paella expert, I can say no more than I enjoyed it and its’ suitably complex taste.
I did have a little pudding of a prune in custard just to round the meal off: I certainly did not need anything large or filling!
I very pleasant meal and well worth the effort to find the place. As I have said before, it is always good to find somewhere one can get some genuinely different food. Rioja is one such place.