I recently had the opportunity to check out famed chef and Ferran Adria understudy Jose Andres' Arlington outpost of his tapas chain, Jaleo (it's pronounced "Ha-lay-oh"). My sister, another friend and I stopped by for a quick dinner around 6:30 on a Friday to a packed house. The location is superb, right on a corner in the Crystal City shopping complex. The staff are welcoming, warm and friendly and the place was bustling with activity.
The corner location translates to floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows, bringing in an abundance of natural light. The ceilings are high and the interior of the restaurant is warmly decorated in bright reds and yellows, including a huge Chagall-esque mural above the bar. There are three seating areas: tables on the ground level, a bar and high tables (similar to those in authentic tapas restaurants in Spain) around which to congregate and a separate, private dining room off to one side of the bar.
As it's a tapas concept, small plates are in order. We started with the pan manchego, a bruschetta-like crusty bread spread with a flavorful tomato spread topped with sliced manchego cheese and drizzled with olive oil. This appetizer was the perfect start to our meal, light and savory but with a crunch and a bit of a kick.
Next I had the Salmorejo Cordobes, cool tomato soup with Serrano ham and a poached egg. Though the soup was served cold, the egg was warm and runny, which warmed the soup quite a bit. It was an interesting contrast in temperatures. The soup was also perfectly seasoned (yes, this is one of those restaurants that doesn't provide salt and pepper at the table).
The traditional Spanish omelette came next, which was just the right size for a small plate. It was delicious, with fresh eggs, potatoes, onions and rosemary. The bottom was just slightly crispy and the top soft and smooth.
Last but not least were the scallops: two huge diver scallops in a romesco sauce with a mojo verde. The sauces really make this dish! The scallops were cooked perfectly - seared on the outside and slightly soft inside. But the sauces were so rich and flavorful and they complemented each other perfectly.
For dessert, I had the fresh strawberry sorbet, which was served with two small biscotti-like cookies. Our server told us that the sorbets are made fresh daily on-site, and they sure tasted like it! You could really taste the freshness of the strawberries. Again, the complement of the crunchy, slightly sweet cookies worked well with the juicy strawberry flavor.
My hat's off to Jose Andres! He was the founder of the American tapas trend and Jaleo is his shining star. I can't wait to try his newest venture next: America Eats Tavern, a living history lesson in American cuisine housed in his old Cafe Atlantico space.
