Tasting menu at Alexso

We had a wonderful last dinner at Restaurante Alexso, located a stones throw from our apartment. It was recommended to us by our Airbnb hosts, who said it was the best restaurant in a Malaga and one of the best in Spain. Words cannot do justice to the tasting menu we had. It consisted of 11 courses, four appetisers, three starters, fish and meat dish, pre-dessert and dessert. Each dish was paired with fabulous wines, and a bonus was what seemed like unlimited refills of a rosé cava at the end of the meal for me! It did mean that I overindulged on the drinking a bit, but it doesn’t happen very often these days.

After an edible welcome note, we started with a bread that you dip into oil and salt that tasted exactly like fried eggs. We were also served three bread rolls - the first was curry and raisins, the next chorizo, and the final one was made with squid ink - all were excellent, but we both loved the chorizo ones the most, they were divine.

Then we had chimichurri with mint smoke. This was followed by Miscuit Foie (Gras) with Apricot Jam, Crunchy Banana and Dried Kiwi - prepared at Alexso with great love and respect. We then had Portrait de Naranja, served cold with Cod Tartare and Liquid Green Olives - it was a gazpacho flavoured with oranges, and it was fabulous

Next was Ceviche of Crunchy Lobster and Deep-Water Rose Shrimps, served on a square of fried wonton wrapper, with thin salt-bush bits sticking up, coriander cream and spherules of lemon - this was a flavour bomb, and presented beautifully. Last of the appetisers was Scallops with Broccoli, Spiced Tomato Sauce, Slivers of Parmesan and Olive Oil flavoured with Iberian Charcuterie. OMG.

The fish dish was Spicy Red Tuna with Wakame Hummus, and Pearls of Ginger and Wasabi - divine. The meat dish was Iberian Pork Shoulder Steak with Apple Chutney and Wild Asparagus - delicious. We then had to eat an electric flower to cleanse our palate - it is actually called Acmella oleracea, and other common names include -toothache plant, Sichuan Buttons, buzz buttons, tingflowers and electric daisy. We were instructed to chew the flower after completing our meat course - it really does start your whole mouth and tongue buzzing, and you generate a lot of saliva that then assists with the cleansing of your palate. I couldn’t say I enjoyed the experience, but it is certainly one I’ll remember - my mouth and palate was very clean afterwards.

We were now ready for our pre-dessert, which I would call a dessert - a deconstructed Chocolate Brownie (served warm) with Vanilla Ice Cream. It was delicious and we could have eaten 10 servings of this; the servings were small, maybe a mouthful or two.

Dessert was Salmon Sandwich with Chips and Ketchup - that was what it looked like, but it was sweet. The sandwich was like a pancake or sponge, and the “salmon” was cream cheese and carrot, the ketchup was strawberry jam but the colour of ketchup, and the chips were grilled pineapple - it was delicious but did kind of mess with your mind, as what it looked like is not what it tasted like, plus we had consumed much alcohol by then. We were there for over 3 hours - first to arrive and last to leave. We also met the chef, who is also the owner, and gave him feedback on how much we enjoyed the experience. He was right pleased. Our waiter, and wine matcher, was a very friendly Argentinian guy, who told us how pleased he was with how Australia was doing in the World Cup.Read more