By Jade (smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2008-01-14 11:58

The newly opened Zoco is not a restaurant you can just stumble upon, although the positive and negative buzz already generated by the place should be enough to compel you to seek it out to see for yourself. A neon sign on the outside of a residential area just off of Julu Lu is its only giveaway. Walking through the residential area, I was a little confused but then finally came across another neon sign which was, this time, attached to a club house. Inside I was confronted with the strong smell of chlorine from a swimming pool. To get to the actual restaurant you walk past squash courts and up a flight of stairs. It is on the stairs then, that you're finally hit with the aroma of tapas.

The initial trek to the entrance was slightly disconcerting, but upon stepping aside, the furnishing inside was warm and welcoming. The chairs were big and bouncy and the room has a regal Spanish feel about it. A joint of Palma ham garnishes the bar and dark red colours and chandeliers ornament the restaurant.

There are two menus, one for mains and one for tapas. The wine selection was reasonable, and my guest and I started with a glass of dry Spanish white for 38rmb. The service was commendable with the wine arriving immediately, accompanied by a selection of bread, breadsticks, garlic and salsa dips.

I was in the mood for Paella but gave up looking for it on the mains menu as the lighting was slightly too dim and menu a little dark. This was not a problem with the tapas menu, and many of the items looked very appealing. Prices ranged from 38rmb to 128rmb for each dish, and there was a good selection of Spanish meats, seafood and a couple of vegetarian options. Unfortunately, they had not quite figured out what their "tapas special of the day" was, and this section was blank on the menu.

To share between my guest and myself, we ordered the Deep Fried Goat Cheese Dumplings served with Tomato Comfit, which arrived minimally presented on a simple, oblong dish. The taste was balanced and the bread crumb coating was light and crispy; the goat's cheese filling was just the right temperature to melt in the mouth. Next up was the Deep Fried King Prawn Tail in Romesco Bread Crumb Crust and Prawn Bisque. Again the presentation and flavor was immaculate. Each prawn was placed in its very own art deco dipping pot, although unfortunately, there were only three prawn tails to share. This may end up causing a little squabble between you and your companion.

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