International / Fusion — By admin on February 2, 2009 at 1:00 am

Best Restaurants in Madrid: Comomelocomo

As long as you can enjoy (or poke fun at) the faux-chic décor and the cutesy quips on the menu (the appetizers fall under “Starters, Preambles, and First Kisses”), this fusion restaurant is at least worth one try. Besides, after a strong bottle of Rioja or the first few rounds of Warsteiner – the German beer they serve on tap from the tiny bar – the menu will make anyone’s mouth water.

The combinations can grab anybody’s attention. Take the rúcula and oak leaf lettuce salad for example, which is served with thin slices of duck, pear, and cherry tomatoes…then topped with a scoop of mango ice cream and drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. This Ensalada Passionata (Passionate Salad) is just one of many that renders the salad list enticing. However, you’ll soon realize that at Comomelocomo (How I Eat It), inventiveness takes priority over taste and consistency.

While the fusion cuisine ideas are new and exciting, and the presentation is eloquently executed, either the food tastes run-o-the-mill or the flavors don’t mesh well. In my case, with the Passionate Salad, the freezing cold ice cream overpowered the taste of the temperate, crisp lettuce and tomatoes. In the case of the admittedly palatable Lasaña casera (the homemade lasagna – an apparent house specialty), which uses wild mushrooms instead of pasta, there was too much carroty sauce and not enough pesto even though the menu avows it’s one of the main ingredients.

The meat options tend to disappoint; the Carne argentina (Argentine beef) is mildly tasty but a bit tough, although the Roquefort and strawberry sauce that accompanies the dish is sweet, slightly sour, and simply divine. The “Noyestoydedieta,” or “I’m not on a diet,” proves frustrating because the beef is nowhere near par, even though it’s about a euro more or less than the other plates from the same category. I’d say grab a fish plate for the main course; my dining partners and I didn’t venture over to the fish side, but the merluza, or hake hamburger, which comes with homemade tomato sauce, pumpkin tempura and a honey-soy fix sounded like it might make a stomach happy.

If anything you shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to try something that’s not ham, Manchego cheese, and Mahou. Also, the desserts – while inconsistent in richness and flavor – can be delicious. The Fondant templado, or warm melt, is my personal recommendation; it’s chocolaty, not overly sweet, and practically melts in your mouth.

Last but not least, let the clout of large and animated crowds, as well as an attentive staff, convince you to check the place out;you’ll find both here…even smack-dab in the middle of the week.

Comomelocomo
Calle Andrés Borrego, 16
Telephone: 91 523 13 23
Metro Noviciado

Menú del día (lunch menu): 10 euros/person
Group menu: 35 euros for 3 people
Night-time menu: 17,50 euros/person (Monday – Thursday)

By Michelle Campagna