Restaurant review: Comida, Adelaide Central Market

Don’t expect fast food at this Spanish bar in the Adelaide markets. Instead, expect world-class paella and tapas.

Take a pew: at Comida, good things come to those who wait. Picture: Keturah de Klerk

Acurious would-be customer wanders over to the glam "stall" that is Comida, drawn to the intoxicating smell of chorizo, onion and garlic frying in a monstrous paella pan. "Is it ready?" she asks.

Sitting there patiently at this little Spanish outpost within Adelaide Central Market's thrum, waiting for my own paella, it takes restraint to not blurt: "But she hasn't even added the rice yet, give it a break."

I don't, of course. Well, not audibly. I wait for the rice, followed by stock, and the 25 minutes it will take for the socarrat — a caramelised crust, mark of any true paella — to develop. Patience, reward.

And what a reward: a truly excellent pile of rice/crust, mussels, chicken, sausage and other stuff arrives in front of me with a wedge of lemon and a $15 price tag. Wow.

Lunch at the market? Why not?

Keep an eye on your cliche detector, but I'd honestly rate a lunch at Barcelona's La Boqueria in 2014 — perched on stools that we'd waited 30 minutes for, dribbling with Pavlovian anticipation as things such as razor clams came off the grill — as one of the best food experiences of my life. Of course it was Day One of two weeks of brilliant eating and drinking.

And perched on a stool here in Adelaide, surrounded by whole legs of local jamon dangling from the rafters, watching chef/proprietor Brad Sappenberghs prepare late morning morsels from the day's list of "tapas y raciones", the same giddy excitement sets in. Adelaide Central Market is a special place, and discovering Comida made it just that little bit more.

Sappenberghs, who was chef at Adelaide's Mesa Lunga for six years, produces superb, remarkably nuanced food. Not just gutsy, rustic stuff smeared with user-friendliness, but dishes that reek of a mature, light chef's hand. Like perfectly fried, crumbed goat's cheese croquetas — small, golden spheres of lactic happiness drizzled with warm Kangaroo Island honey infused with fresh thyme. And little baguette-style toasts topped with discs of fried chorizo and a tangle of almost raw, linguine-like ribbons of squid dressed with chive, black salt and chardonnay vinegar. Crikey.

Quality morcilla (black pudding) comes in pan-fried discs with a smothering, light sauce of egg white, fresh herbs, almond and breadcrumbs, the pile finished with Jerusalem artichoke crisps. Peeled Spencer Gulf prawns bob around in a bath of olive oil filled with wafers of pickled garlic and chiffonade parsley, a scattering of WA truffle slices adding the luxe touch. And pieces of spice-crumbed quail come out of the fryer, get a layer of beautiful, fleshy jamon and a snowstorm of grated manchego.

Cutlery's a waste of time.

There's more cured pig (cheek) with excellent fillets of pan-fried Coorong mullet served with a creamy ajo blanco, pan-fried brussels sprouts leaves and another blizzard, this time of microplaned raw chestnut. Then sherry-braised lamb shoulder with soft spelt grains, quince, blackened onion fronds and kale oil. It sings like Carreras.

Finally, sweet seared duck breast, thickly sliced, draped in pickled mustard leaf and splattered with a sweet/tart raspberry vinaigrette (pictured). And that paella, with a glass of Vinteloper Touriga from the Adelaide Hills. It may be noon here, but right now, my head's in the Barri Gotic and it's vinos time, all right.

Go to Comida. See if I'm not right. But be patient.

Seared duck breast. Picture: Keturah de Klerk

AT A GLANCE

COMIDA ****

Address: Stall 11, Adelaide Central Market

Contact: comidacateringco.com

Hours: Breakfast, lunch Tue, Thu-Sat; dinner Fri.

Summary: Brilliant food, outstanding value

Typical prices: Tapas $5; larger dishes $17

Like this? Try ... Bomba, Melbourne; Bodega, Sydney