Spanish Paella @ La Cocina , USJ 10, Subang Jaya

It was Father's Day last week, and my old man has decided to visit a family favourite that we have not visited in a long time, La Cocina.

The busy lower dining area

Famous for its authentic Spanish dishes and warm charm, we have been coming here for small celebrations and dinner with friends for quite some time. With a 15 year history, it has become part of the Subang culinary scene, and a staple with the locals. Years have passed since our last visit and we decided to return once again. As expected for Father's Day, the place was packed with people, being a very popular eatery for days like these. So if you wanna come here during Valentines, do come ultra early.

The Stupendous Six

We ordered our usual, which is the Valencian paella set meal which comes with 6 tapas. A grand feast for a family of 4. Although we were warned by the waiter before hand that there will be some delays in the food as the kitchen was busy, it came relatively fast and arrived within 25 minutes rather than the forewarned 45 minutes. Mad props.The tapas selection was great and encompasses the usual suspects: fried calamari, potato omelette aka Spanish tortilla, garlic chicken, grilled brinjal, lamb meatballs and mussel and prawn croquettes. 

All of them were delicious and came with a serving of bread. If you like to dunk your bread in gravy then you are in luck as the garlic chicken sauce was something noteworthy to eat with that sort of technique. Imagine garlic butter with chicken stock. Yeap, that was how it tasted like, and the description is as delicious as it sounds. 

My personal favourite was the croquettes as it was minced mussels and prawns patted down into a mussel shell before it was fried. Sweet and slightly salty, it was what a seafood delight should taste like. A kick of spiciness was evident, which I believe would come from paprika powder. A completely interesting take on the dish, I have yet seen any other place that cooks deep fried dishes with the shell still on. Thumbs up for the creativity indeed. 

The star maker right here!

The paella was no slouch either, which is their trademark specialty. A real treat to have, the rice was cooked perfectly and had a texture of a fluffy risotto. It was cooked in the pan that it was served with. 

You can see the ingredient better once it is up close. 

Hints of garlic and saffron can be felt when chewing on the grains and the combo of chicken and seafood flavours marries well with the texture of the carbohydrates. Although not so obvious to the naked eye, bits of prawns, squid and chicken were everywhere in the paella. A mad combination of textures and flavours, this was a real meal that is worth shouting about. Even my parents feel that its better than the ones they had in an trip they had in Spain before. That is a huge testimonial, but its no surprise. The food here is always top quality.

The place has a cozy outside balcony as well. 

They serve an array of desserts here as well, but as this was such meal we would put that aside for now. Even though this was a bit more expensive than I would have remembered, the establishment is famed for making authentic Spanish meals to the masses. Reasonably priced and killer dishes, this is a Spanish restaurant I come again ever so often for a special treat or for a small celebration.

A well decked out bar. 

If you are a wine connoisseur and would like to have some tapas as your nibbles on the side, the place has got you covered too. Decked with a proper wine bar and room, you can come here for a light meal and have your favourite wine in tow. In fact, there were some people who come here just for the wine while watching the World Cup matches while chowing down. 

If you would like to visit this fine establishment, which I really believe you should, the address is as follows:

No.1, Jalan USJ 10/1E 

Taipan Business Centre 

47620 Subang Jaya 

Selangor Darul Ehsan