Street XO

Spanish twist in Far East food

Street XO kitchen

Street XO is a tiny tapas bar inside a shopping centre right in the heart of Madrid, it is a super popular venue to the locals as well as tourists. Operated by the 3 Michelin starred chef David Muñoz, I was meant to visit his flagship restaurant Diver XO but unfortunately they were still on summer holiday when I visited Spain, so I settled for Street XO to get an insight to the style of the cooking David has on offer and it was such a fun experience.

smoked razor clams, shisho and coconut cream

fried calamari, fermented truffle emulsion 
and tamarillo ketchup

Most dishes were served not with plates, instead, on a piece of paper with the chefs going creative with the presentation, almost like contemporary painting. I was a big fan of the smoked razor clams with coconut cream. the charcoal aroma plus the herbal shiso worked great together and the razor clams themselves was sweet and tender. Baked mackerel was another solid dish, the coals aroma plus the smoked bonito and salty miso combined nicely together with the cool and rich taste of the trout roe contrasted the dish.

mackerel, miso, smoked bonito, picked onions and trout roe

hot and sour ramen, pork, egg yolk and sweet papriika

roasted butter fish, Chinese BBQ, anissed and yuzu salad

pad thai paella version, rice noddles with shrimp,
 mussels and omelette

Pekines dumpling was both fun and tasty, who would every thought of pigs ear and strawberry inside the same plate? But it worked, the fruity and sweet strawberry hoisin sauces were flavoursome and went nicely with the light and smooth texture of the confit ear. Chilli crab was basically a Thai/ Southern Asia dish, pan fried with a full blast of fire, the blend of the chilli sauces was top notch, lovely sweetness and sourness with the spices not overwhelming the sweet and dedicated fresh crab.

squid wok flased with sambal oelek, wheat and sheep milk

Pekines dumpling, pig confit ear and strawberry hoisin

fire away!

chilli crab, chipotles

Street XO was really a fun and interesting encounter, it had a heavy Asian influence in its cooking as well as creative presentation and use of ingredients. I also really enjoyed the high energy vibe and buzzing atmosphere within the space. Street XO will be hitting in London real soon and unlike Ametsa, I can see it working well in London due to its focus on bold usage of flavours rather than the fine small detail of haute cuisine. I can definitely see it can create a real buzz to the London crowd.

Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£30 per head with a beer

Average cost without drinks and services :
£25 - £35



El Corte Inglés de Callao, 
Plaza del Callao s/n, planta9, Madrid, Spain