Amanda’s Birthday Lunch

Today was Amanda’s birthday. I’m not going to disclose how many years she’s now got on the clock, primarily because it would be rude, but also because she’s always six months behind the same anniversary of my birth.

When we’ve been back in England, and I’ve enquired as to what she’d like to do for her birthday, she has almost always said ‘go to the coast’ and this year was no exception.

This year, however, we’re a forty minute drive from the sensational Galician coastline with its secluded coves, golden untouched sands, and a whole host of brilliant little restaurants which at least equal the experience of Fish & Chips while being attacked by seagulls on Whitby Harbour.

It was warm enough, but the sunshine hadn’t quite made it through the clouds for our walk on the beach, which preceded a lunch at a little bar/restaurant/hotel five minutes down the coast from the now famous As Catedras beach (due to popularity soon to be restricted to ticket only access in the summer months).

After deciding that the tide was coming, and not wishing to spend the afternoon trapped waist deep in a rocky cave,  in we retreated to La Yenka, a place we’d visited a few times and been amazed at the never ending procession of free, and top class, tapas that accompanied a coffee or a glass of coke.

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The set menu was just €12.50 each for three courses, bread, coffee and a drink of your choice. It turned out to be stunning value.

My beer was big enough to last the meal, and Amanda got an empty glass and a bottle of wine from which she could take as much or little as she liked, it ended up being two glass fulls for the birthday girl.

From a choice of six starters and six mains Amanda selected Cod Potage and Lamb, and I plumped for Seafood Soup and the Dorada, a fish I’ve often seen on fish counters but never tried.

We were each served a tureen of our chosen starter with a ladle and a bowl and could simply eat our fill, an alien concept for a British restaurant but common practice in Galicia.

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The mains were equally generous, and we both finished with  the TripAdvisor patron recommended Cheese Cake, which while plain was delicious..

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We sat by the window and watched the waves roll in, and the sunshine try its best to peak out from behind the clouds, to give Amanda the dream birthday lunch, perhaps with the exception of the company!

In my defence I had enquired as to whether Enrique Iglesias would like to join us, but sadly he had a prior engagement!

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