SOMETIMES small bites are all you need to tide you over till dinner time. This is especially so when you have had a hearty breakfast and want to have a light lunch at a later time.

That’s why we found sharing tapas at the new AC Lounge at AC Hotel Kuala Lumpur so pleasant. (AC stands for Antonio Catalan.)

Crispy boneless chicken with aioli was tasty and easy to like, then the braised beef cheek of slow-cooked black angus just melted away at the bite.

We had a fruity drink to accompany this, but it could have just been a non-alcoholic mojito, sangria or strawberry margarita.

Albondigas or wagyu beef meatballs simmered in tomato sauce, served with sliced baguette, were excellent.

I loved the texture: firm yet tender, and the sauce was a perfect complement to the meat. You would want to mop up the sauce with a slice of baguette.

The classic tomato bruschetta, which had toasted baguette heaped with chitose tomatoes marinated in olive oil, herbs and garlic, was simple and delightful.

The bread crunched in my mouth, tumbling in the sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes with the herb and garlic dressing. It was so satisfying.

Gambas Al Ajillo presented prawns tossed with chopped garlic in garlic-infused olive oil. It’s a classic tapa that you would enjoy, then dredged a slice of bread through the flavourful olive oil.

Of course you should have the AC grazing platter, with cheeses, smoked salmon, lamb prosciutto, grapes, strawberries, dried fruits, nuts and crackers. They made such enjoyable nibbling.

There are main courses on the menu such as pies, pasta pizzas and paella. We had the seafood paella – saffron-infused rice with prawns, squid, clams, mussels and vegetables.

It’s a flavourful rice to fill up on, after all the tapas.

Churros with chocolate sauce were lightly sweet, dusted with cinnamon sugar. They made crumbly, crispy bites.

Our tapas interlude was relatively inexpensive. They range from RM15 for the tomato bruschetta, to RM25 for the chicken with aioli and RM45 for the wagyu meatballs and braised beef cheek.

The name tapas may have come from the Spanish word “tapa”, which means to cover.

It used to be the practice then in Spain to place a piece of bread over a drink to block out dust and flies. That certainly won’t be a problem at the spacious AC Lounge with its super clean, white shiny tables.

Tapas are available at the AC Lounge from 2.30pm to 10pm. The same tapas are available at the other AC Hotels in Penang and Kuantan.

AC Hotel by Marriott Kuala Lumpur is at 8 Jalan Lumut, off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur. – May 25, 2024.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.