Raquel’s Kitchen

Raquel’s Kitchen

98 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

Tel: +61 9331 6806

As university work has piled on, I no longer have the time to fill pages with my latest exhilarating epicurean discovery. However, Sydney’s amalgam of cultures has resulted in a gastronomic treasure trove that I’ve been exploring over these past few weeks and it pains me not to be able to share it with you regularly.

I shall therefore strike a compromise with a stylistic shift: bite-sized nibbles as opposed to the former course-by-course accounts. I hope this will serve to tantalise, titillate and transport you. So without further ado, here’s my take on Spanish eatery Raquel’s Kitchen, as part of UNSW Foodlover’s $25 Let’s Explore Sydney Lunches (sometime back).

Raquel’s Kitchen is a cosy Spanish eatery just brimming with character like Oxford Street on which it lies.

The Amuse Bouche comprised little crostinis topped with a meat sauce that had luxuriously rich meaty depth and a saline punch that gave my taste buds (and salivary glands) a firm kick-start.

Patatas Bravas had its lovely spice balanced off by a rich, creamy and mildly sweet aioli.

Gambas al Ajillo comprised massive, wonderfully crunchy king prawns in a bubbling spice concentrate of chilli oil, garlic, paprika and saffron.

Pollo al Ajillo had a significantly milder and subtler flavour but was no less satisfying.

Croqueta de Jamon Y Pollo was the undisputed crowd-pleaser with its superb silky-buttery, ham-accented filling cradled in a crisp breadcrumb crust.

Churros con Chocolate rounded the light meal off in a classical fashion. Incredibly crunchy and not the least bit oily, they were divine with whipped cream and lashings of chocolate sauce.