Rosalyn Lee
Google
this meal was underpar and i gave my opinion to the lovely wait staff who asked for it. yet i still feel compelled to leave a review because it was my first meal on my first ever day in Sevilla and it does not and should not represent this city.
food is complicated, subjective and we all have our biases/preferences - i did not enjoy the food at Ispal but the american couple at the table next to mine seemed to love it. so ill try to be objective.
first, the good stuff: the two servers working the dinner shift on 11 sept 2024 were AMAZING. super attentive, warm, and served my dishes quickly and efficiently as per my request. i think in terms of michelin-level service standard, both servers hit the mark.
second, the music playlist. it was loud and giving cheap karaoke pop song covers. after an hour in, the cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn played for the second time. its fun for a cheap and cheery diner, very jarring for a white tableclothed restaurant. but the food was so underpar i found myself lipsynching to Coldplay’s Fix You about 45mins in. also the trolley which was used to serve wine. its NOT a wine cart. its just a regular trolley, used in place of a serving tray, to serve a glass or two of wine. it was so loud id jump a lil cuz it sounded like a train was approaching from behind me.
finally. the food:
1. PLATING - its giving early 2000’s michelin. dry ice, sauce smears and spatters, gold dust… except for one duck dish which came adorned in pink feathers which my friend accurately said was “giving 1999 from the reduced section in a cheap teenage clothing store”. too many biscuit tuilles.. the dessert one didnt break so the mousse under it pushed thru like pus. plating is the first sign (to me) of whether a restaurant’s got originality or if its trying too hard. often times when the plating’s off, the food usually follows suit.
2. TASTE - simple dishes that any good tapas bar can churn out much better versions of. most disappointing was the 36hr slowcooked pig… tough for something thats slowcooked. but the worst was the trout roulade - dry trout with dry rubbery tasteless bits of lobster innit, served with vanilla sauce… i sent back 95% of that dish. overall: flavours were largely unbalanced and chef was heavy-handed on salt and acid.
finally, and this is my bias: im a discerning singaporean diner who just got off a long flight and wanted to treat herself to a nice degustation meal. i dont trust Michelin Guide so i turned to the Eater guide which pointed me to Ispal - the guide’s usually on point but in this one instance it failed me. i shouldve read the google reviews - esp the one from Euna Cho.
i hope the rest of my week in Sevilla would yield better meals but my hardcore foodie friends said Sevilla aint San Sebastien. ah well.
