Miguel Maestre names southside paella restaurant best in Oz

It’s not often a restaurant opens in Brisbane that’s endorsed by a celebrity chef but that’s the backing bestowed on this suburban newcomer.

It’s not often a restaurant opens in Brisbane that’s endorsed by a celebrity chef but that’s the backing bestowed on Coorparoo newcomer Paella Y Pa’mi.

It is the first venture for passionate foodie couple Kevin Fredes and Manuela Volpe, with Fredes training under TV chef and winner of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here Miguel Maestre at his Sydney restaurant El Toro Loco.

For Fredes, who was just 18 when he started with the Channel 10 presenter before going on to become his catering and festival sous chef, Maestre was a mentor and big brother of sorts.

The famous Spaniard was equally proud of his protege and when told Fredes would be opening his own restaurant, Maestre made this bold claim on social media: “(It) is gonna be the best Spanish restaurant of Australia without a doubt”. It’s a big vote of confidence to live up to, but the couple is starting small, with their restaurant just a tiny 12 tables.

Paella Y Pa'mi, Camp Hill. Picture: David Kelly.

The venue slots in under a set of apartments and is covered from the elements but quite open. There is a half wall down one side lined with plants, while the adjoining half wall at the front doubles as banquette seating facing a mix of low and high tables. The space is intimate with fairy lights twinkling of an evening against a colour palette of white, greys and midnight blue.

Its size means it’s bookings-only on weekends and a serious restaurant, but during the week it plays well into casual wine bar territory with a fabulous drinks list created by Spanish sommelier Juan Jurado Gomez. There are fewer than 20 vinos to choose from, but more than half are available by the glass and all are Spanish, giving diners the chance to move out of their chardonnay and shiraz comfort zones and into the likes of moristel, carinena and albillo real.

Alternatively, guests can dive into Spain’s love of gin and tonics with a half dozen Spanish gins to try, or sip white or red sangria by the glass or jug. It’s all great quaffable stuff to go with the venue’s “picar” or snack menu, which runs from dressed oysters and marinated olives to croquetas of the day; or their slightly more substantial tapas offering, such as empanadas of the day ($15 each) like our cheese-filled versions which unleash a string of oozy queso with every bite. Chicharrones – cured and fried pork belly – ($13) is a drink-friendly dish with the fattiness ready to be cut through with a glass of cava and played up with the accompanying spiced pear puree. But stealing the show is the salmon curado ($24) – thick slices of salmon cured and wrapped in dill with parsley oil and squirts of queso fresco whipped with squid ink to swipe through. Add in some salty pops of salmon roe and this is a light and bright dish that will transport you to seaside Barcelona.

The salmon curado. Picture: David Kelly

But the specialty here is paella. There are four: classic Valenciana inspired by the home of paella; seafood filled marisco; a frequently changing vegetarian option using only seasonal produce, and the signature Marysol meat and seafood mix named for the couple’s daughter. The latter ($57) is designed for two to three to share and comes with opened mussels and whole prawns amid glistening red-stained rice. Chunks of chicken and peas hide beneath the intensely flavoured exterior while the socarrat – the crusty bottom of the paella – has just formed, delivering deeply caramelised notes to the dish, uplifted by a liberal squeeze of lemon wedges semi-submerged within the pan. Great!

The Marysol paella at new Coorparoo restaurant Paella Y Pa'mi.

Charismatic staff make it impossible to say no to dessert and the crema catalana (Spanish creme brulee) is worth it with the custard silky and the sugar top snapping like a twig ($14).

There are a few misses with service during my visit, but with everything rectified quickly and kindly, I’ll put it down to teething issues as the restaurant only opened in early October.

While it might not be Australia’s best Spanish restaurant as per Maestre’s prediction just yet, it’s finding sincere local fans and shows great promise with time and a few tweaks.

PAELLA Y PA’MI

131 Leicester St, Coorparoo

0466 043 097

paellaypamirestaurant.com

Open Mon 5pm-9.30pm; Thu 5pm-9.30pm; Fri 5pm-10.30pm; Sat noon-3pm and 5pm-10.30pm; Sun noon-4.30pm

Must try dish

Marysol paella

VERDICT

Food 3.5

Ambience 3.5

Service 3.5

Value 3.5

Overall 3.5

For more reviews, visit delicious.com.au/eatout