Lona
64-66 Acland Street, St Kilda
03 8592 4962
Bar Food, Spanish, Tapas
$$$
Food
- Croquetas
- Corn Cobs
- Nachos with Pulled Pork
- Calamari Fritos
- Fish Tacos
- Lamb Ribs
- Churros
The Good
It was off to a brilliant start with the Calamari Fritos. Lightly crumbed, the crisp outer have way to an incredibly soft and tender chunks of squid. This was well complemented by a good amount of seasoning, as well as a deliciously creamy citrus aioli that definitely made this a very appetising entree.
The generously served Pulled Pork Nachos was absolutely humongous. Piled high on top of a mountain of crispy, cheesy corn chips, the juicy and succulent pulled pork was liberally applied. The slight sweetness of the pork combined with its own juices offered up the perfect compliment to the cheesy, spicy goodness of the nachos. Combined with a refreshing guacamole and sour cream, this nachos definitely wasn’t shy on delivering on flavour.
The highlight of the evening must be the Lamb Ribs. Well seasoned and roasted to a perfect crisp, the exceedingly tender lamb protein quite simply fell off the bone with each chomp down. It’s clear that the double-cooking has done its job rather well, as the soft, tender protein was well complemented by bits of aptly rendered down, fattier bits that melted away in your mouth. Served alongside was a minted yoghurt and cumin salt, both felt aptly complimentary to the lamb itself. However, the lamb itself was simply so tasty in solitary, that we didn’t feel the other toppings were necessary at all to truly appreciate the beauty of this lamb.
We also enjoyed the Corn Cobs. Topped with an abundance of lightly shaved manchengo queso, as well as the occasional chilli, these iconic Spanish seasoning worked incredibly well with the pleasant sweetness of the corn. The slightly charred outer offered up an incredibly aromatic experience, as well as a satisfying and juicy crunch.
The Fish Tacos certainly didn’t disappoint either. Served on a soft and warm tortilla, we found an abundance of salsa and slightly spicy chipotle that added a satisfying kick in spice. This was well complemented by a fresh, crispy fillet of barramundi which was surprisingly soft and juicy. A thoroughly enjoyable taco, though we definitely could’ve done with a bigger fillet within.
It was dessert time, and our Churros most definitely hit the spot. The neatly stacked tower of fat and short churros were fresh out of the fryer. The crispness of the outer have way to an incredibly soft and airy inner, perhaps a tad too airy on this occasion I must admit. However, the lightly dusted icing sugar provided a pleasant sweetness to complement these Spanish donuts, and dipping each one into the Nutella and white chocolate served alongside definitely made this dessert incredibly enjoyable.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
While the dishes we sampled tonight weren’t strictly authentic Spanish cuisine, Lona skillfully incorporates Spanish and Mexican influences into an appealing modern tapas-style menu, and has achieved something rather remarkable.
The execution of the tapas were flawless for the most part, and with each item containing an intricate and unique twist, we certainly left very satisfied and enjoyed every last bite!
Would Penguin Eat Again?
You can count on it! With specials running all throughout the week, you can count on us to be back for more of those simply amazing lamb ribs!
Penguineats would like to thank Lona for inviting us.