Amada
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: (215) 625-2450
- Cross Street:
- Between Second Street and Third Street
- Hours:
- Mon-Wed 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11pm, Thu-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-12am, Sat 5pm-12am, Sun 4pm-11pm
Editorial Review for Amada – by Hilary Mackler
In Short
Minimalist decor, an open kitchen, and groovy music all factor into the great energy that permeates the entire establishment. Diners would be remiss not to try the hand-sliced selection of cured meats, accompanied by caper-berries, cornichons and mustard; only to be outdone by the creamy cheese choices paired with balsamic strawberries and garlic dulce de leche (a delectable, sweet, garlic caramel).
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Insider Tips
Where to SitWith three rooms to choose from, in addition to the bar, the coolest table has to be the muslin curtain enclosed "stage table" (not available Wednesday or Friday).
What to DrinkWhile homemade sangria is an excellent choice, by the glass or pitcher; the wine list has extensive choices by the glass or bottle as well.
User Reviews for Amada
05/17/2008 Posted by Robyngonzalez1
This is the first time I have ever felt compelled to write a review but after eating at Amada I felt it was absolutely necessary to give compliments to Chef Jose Garces. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the staff is friendly and professional and the food is absolutely amazing! My husband and I ordered the Chef's selection as we had never eaten authentic Spanish tapas before. They brought out three separate courses, all small plates of tasty foods, unique salads, lamb meatballs, flatbread, shrimp, etc. Everything tasted exquisite. Every time one of the staff members brought out a new dish they gave a brief explanation of what it was, how it was made, etc. Not to mention their signature drink "Sangria" is soo good! We didn't get to see the Flamenco dancers, but maybe next time. For anyone looking for a truly unique restaurant, place this at the top of your list - You will not be disappointed.
05/08/2008 Posted by crimekate
I love spanish tapas, and have been dying to try Amada ever since it opened. What a disappointment! The food was just...wrong. We ordered some traditional tapas as well as two of the "flatbreads". The pan con tomate was tasty, but not authentic - it was more like a bruschetta. Traditionally it's a garlic-and-tomato rubbed toast, here it was covered with a thin layer of well-seasoned tomato puree. That was the best thing we ate. The duck flatbread (the menu identifies it as coming with dates, serrano ham, and cabrales) was an abomination.. When it arrived it was soggy, covered with orange zest, and there was no cabrales in evidence, thought there was some kind of bland cheesy substance. After tasting it I asked the waiter about the cabrales and he said "oh, it's cabrales CREAM'.' (It doesn't say that on the menu, btw) I wanted to say - "what, made with monterey jack?". The serrano ham was completely unecessary and clashed with the other flavors (there were too many ingredients to start with). The beef-horseradish-bacon flatbread was a little better, though I didn't taste any bacon, and only a little bit of horseradish in one bite. That was also covered in orange zest, and soggy. Yuck. The fried baby anchovies, when they arrived, looked like Andy Capp's hot fries. They were completely coated with smoked paprika. Why? Smoked paprika is a strong flavor that can easily overpower a dish... especially something as delicate as fresh anchovies. Inexplicably, there was a soft-fried egg perched on top of the pile of neon-red fish. It was, in a word, disgusting. Completely inedible. The ham croquettas were also inauthentic and not very good. In Spain, I fell in love with these creamy fried wonders... here, they were too gamey, flavored with waaay too much serrano ham, and greasy. They just didn't taste right, or even good. I guess they're trying to impress with high quality ingredients, but flavor and authenticity ought to count for something.
Cons: food is not authentic, and not good
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