Yes, my friends, this restaurant exists in Madrid. Their distinctive sign caught my attention two nights ago near Tirso De Molina and I returned there last night. The proprietor spoke a rollicking Spanish accompanied with gestures, so I understood him well enough and followed him to the back. Bypassing the lovely front dining area, I was greeted by a spacious room featuring low seating, bright paintings and ornamentation, and comfortable lighting. I took off my shoes, set them on a shelf, and found a seat to survey the room. There were many decorations, but they didn't clutter. The seats, though low, were quite comfortable. I sat as if I were a lowbent kid inspecting a snail.
Yatiri features an a la carte and menu of they day for €11. I went with the latter, ordering Guiso de Lentelas (lentil soup with carrots), Arepa con Berenjena al Graten (arepa topped with eggplant and cheese), and Gelatina de Remolacha (beet jello). The lentils were great, resting at the bottom of their deep bowl. It came with seeded bread, dense, slightly moist. It reminded me of home and my mom's attempted at homemade spelt bread. Then the open faced arepa came. The crunchy corn gave way to a more chewy topping. Dusted with herbs, I enjoyed the eggplant. It was topped with cheese. From the taste, I think it may be faux cheese. The gelatin was the strange one. I didn't know what I ordered and finally looked up remolacha once home. I tried to place the subtle sweetness with that final flavor essence. It makes sense now. Beet!
Overall, I had a great time. I want to go back and take some pictures. It seems I found my first blog worthy place in Madrid. read more