Disclosure: I received a discount on my meal at Mundaka. No other compensation was provided. All thoughts are my own.
You know we recently spent the night in Carmel-by-the-Sea, we stayed at Hofsas House Hotel. Now I’m gonna tell you where we ate while we were in Carmel. Hofsas House owner/mgr, Carrie Theis, suggested Mundaka Tapas. Having never been to a tapas restaurant, I was excited to try it. What are tapas? Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger food that originated in Spain. You order a variety of them, and they are brought out to you one or two at a time. It’s a great way to try a bunch of different menu items. Here’s my little man, standing next to the Mundaka chalkboard sign right outside the restaurant. (The restaurant can be seen towards the back in this pic.)
We had a reservation for 7:30pm, but we actually arrived closer to 7:00pm, we were still seated right away. Our waiter, Robert, was very friendly and helped us decide what to order. He explained the menu items to us, and did so with a smile on his face. He was very outgoing and full of energy, which I loved!
I must tell you that their menu states they use “fresh, local, organic, biodynamic, free-range, line-caught, sustainable, fair-trade, home made, from scratch ingredients. No antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, high fructose corn syrup or artificial anything!” Yay! 
We placed our order, and kicked back & waited. While waiting, I had a chance to take a few pics. Mundaka is a very laid back, chill type of restaurant. Comfy pillows on the bench seats, cool lights along the wall that change colors, and sweet tunes piping through the speakers. 
And now, the moment you’ve waited for, photos of the food! First up, we tried the Padron-Padron Peppers & Maldon Salt. I was a little afraid of this one, I don’t do peppers! Our waiter, Robert, assured us they weren’t hot… and I believed him. You know what? He was RIGHT! No heat, none! They tasted like Okra to me, without the slime. Tasty little snack!
After the Padron, we had Bravas– Fried Potatoes, Brava Sauce & Aioli. These were good, we were all sharing and everyone liked them.
My little guy decided to make his own special plate & asked me to photograph it. So I did! He took one of the potatoes and a couple of the peppers and put them atop the bread they had given us. Little Chef in training. 
Next up, the Albondigas– Chorizo Meatballs, Clams & Saffron Couscous! I don’t think I’d ever had couscous before, if I had, it wasn’t memorable. This dish right here… My, My, My! It was delicious! I wanted it all for myself, but I was good & shared. We all but licked the plate clean! 
Another very popular item were the Hamburguesas– Mini Lamb Burger, Pickled Cauliflower & Truffle Fries. My little one had two all by himself! I did not get to try this one, but everyone said it was delicious. It sure LOOKS good! 
My favorite of the night, (besides dessert!) would have to be the Pato– Duck Leg Confit, & Bacon Leek Puree. My niece and I almost came to blows over this one (not really, but you get the point!) It was like butta! So amazingly good! We ordered several! (And, yes, I sopped up all that puree with my bread!) 
I must mention the hot tea we ordered. The’ de Menta– Pot of Moroccan Mint Tea. It had just the right amount of sweetness. It went down smooth, sometimes hot tea can be a bit tart or bitter & leave an aftertaste. This tea was fabulous and we drank it all down. 
We also ordered the Mozzarella Tomatoes, but I was using my cell phone & the pics didn’t turn out very well. The dish itself was yummy. I completely forgot to take pics of the Bomba– they were Mashed Potato Balls with House Made Sausage inside, tasty! Another item we ordered, that I did not get a pic of, was the Pastel de Gengibre– Ginger Cake with Lemon Chantilly Cream. OMG! We took the cake to go, once we got back to the hotel, we took it out of the box and tried it. It was on! We were all trying to get a piece- delicious! You gotta order the Ginger Cake! My last pic is of the dessert we ate at the restaurant, Flan, -Orange Cardamom Flan with Chocolate Shavings. Another home run! My taste buds were doing a happy dance! 
I hope you’ve enjoyed my little culinary tour of Mundaka. It is a must anytime you are in Carmel-by-the-Sea. You can reach them at 831-624-7400 or on their website. Be sure to tell them Lynda from This Mama Can Cook! sent you!
