I have confession to make, and I cannot be the only one, but I suffer from chronic food envy, writes Steve Zacharanda.

I order something and when it comes I immediately want what a fellow diner has ordered, and then I stew in my own disappointment.

Hence, tapas could have been invented to me. The Spanish way of eating means that I can gorge myself and tuck into multiple plates.

There are tapas restaurants in Birmingham, the best thing on the menu is usually the meatballs.

But El Borracho de Oro, Edgbaston, is taking tapas to another level in the city now the new chef Ignacio Castells from Barcelona making his mark on the menu.

I did not know whether to laugh or cry when looking at the food I could dip and out of. Dishes included sirloin steak, black pudding, pork ribs, fish, chicken skewers and a plethora of vegetable dishes.

The Cochinillo Asado, roasted suckling pig with apple puree and kumquats, sat there like a winning lottery ticket on the table. From the first mouthful I knew this would be a special few hours eating fine food.

The Lubina Adobada frita y Lactonesa de Pera Asada, deep fried marinated seabass with roasted pear emulsion, was a favourite of my dining partner.

But as I've said, the great thing about tapas is that I could get involved too. I've never tasted emulsion before, and I can confirm it is a notch up from any sauce.

We let the chef pick a dish for us and he chose the Rabo de Toro, slow-cooked ox-tail, sweet potato puree and shallots in crème de cassis. And what a revelation, the meat fell off the bone like a silk negligee from a moonlit body in a Rossellini movie.

Halesowen News:

 

The meatballs, so often the lynchpin of a Brummie tapas meal sat there alone like a smelly boy at his prom. However, the beef and pork in tomato and basil sauce were, of course, delightful. But they did not stand a chance against the speciality tapas dishes which will rightly get food lovers queuing at the door of El Borracho de Oro.

The Harborne Road restaurant has a elegant gold and wood decor which can cater for cosy meals for two or a family celebration.

The specialty tapas dishes are priced around £12 and the rest are around £6, there is also a lunch offer currently running.

I'm just wracking my brain for another excuse to go back and try the rest of the dishes I missed out on.

As the place is a real gem in the ever-improving food scene of Birmingham.

Visit www.elborracho.co.uk to find out more about El Borracho de Oro.