Smoked kimchi, confit garlic alioli and lime might not sound like the most traditional companions for a plate of patatas bravas, but Alicante diners have spoken.
Vino y Más has won the first Alasbravas competition, taking the popular vote for the best patatas bravas in Alicante after a three-day festival at Plaza Séneca.
The inaugural event proved hungry work for Alicante. Visitors polished off more than 10,000 portions of potatoes during the festival, alongside plenty of other tapas, sandwiches and sweet treats.
And the winning bravas will soon get another outing.
Smoked kimchi takes the top prize
Vino y Más took first place with a bravas recipe combining smoked kimchi with confit garlic and lime alioli.
Rather than leaving the decision to a judging panel, Alasbravas put the result
in the hands of the people eating them.
Festival visitors voted using a QR code, rating the competing dishes on presentation, flavour and how well the potatoes themselves had been cooked.
Cheos finished second with Patatas arrugadas más bravas by Cheos, while Brasad’or took third place with its Patatas Bravasador.
The three restaurants emerged at the top after thousands of people visited Plaza Séneca during the festival.
Winning bravas head to Alicante Gastronómica
The prize also gives Vino y Más another opportunity to put its recipe in front of hungry visitors.
The restaurant will have a space on Alicante City Council’s stand at Alicante Gastronómica, which takes place at IFA-Fira Alacant from Friday 2 to Monday 5 October.
Plans also include a showcooking session where visitors can see how the winning dish comes together and taste the recipe for themselves.
That means anyone who missed Alasbravas will not necessarily have to wait until the next edition to discover what smoked kimchi does to a plate of bravas.
More than just potatoes
Alasbravas ran for three days at Plaza Séneca and centred on one of Spain’s most familiar tapas.
More than 10,000 portions of potatoes sold during the event, but the menus stretched considerably further.
Visitors could also choose from dishes including steak tartare toasts, sandwiches, shawarma and ear stew, alongside gluten-free choices and desserts.
Workshops, music and tastings completed the programme.
Organisers Alicante Street Style and Alacant Street Market created the festival with support from Alicante City Council’s Commerce and Hospitality Department.
The same organisers previously launched Alacroqueta, another festival format built around a Spanish favourite, this time croquetas.
A popular vote decides Alicante’s favourite
Hospitality councillor Lidia López congratulated the winners following the competition and highlighted the variety of food available during the weekend.
For Vino y Más, however, the first Alasbravas title belongs to its decidedly unconventional combination of flavours.
Kimchi and patatas bravas may not be the pairing most people expect when ordering a tapa in Alicante.
More than 10,000 servings later, the city’s first bravas festival has shown there is plenty of appetite for experimenting with a classic.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Vino y Más has won the first Alasbravas competition in Alicante.
- Its winning bravas combine smoked kimchi with confit garlic and lime alioli.
- Visitors chose the winner through a public QR-code vote.
- Cheos finished second and Brasad’or took third place.
- More than 10,000 portions of potatoes sold during the three-day festival at Plaza Séneca.
- Vino y Más will have a space on Alicante City Council’s stand at Alicante Gastronómica.
- Alicante Gastronómica runs from Friday 2 to Monday 5 October at IFA-Fira Alacant.
- Plans also include a showcooking session featuring the winning bravas recipe.
