Mouth-watering delicacies by the sea
Text Jessica White
One of the top beach clubs on the Coast, Ocean Club is a firm favourite of both residents and visitors who want a day of relaxation, good food and a great party atmosphere.
The beach club, for those who may have not visited, is situated on the beach in Puerto Banús and includes a large dining area and swimming pool in the centre, with crisp white beds surrounding this area to enable guests to enjoy the best of both worlds when going to the beach.
During the week the beach club remains cool and relaxed with tunes played out by the resident DJs but on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the party atmosphere is turned up a notch and you can enjoy the amazing sounds of the Brazilian drummers and their equally outstanding dancers who congo around the pool, creating that all-important party mood for guests.
Luckily we were able to visit the club on a Friday so we enjoyed some great cuisine then moved to the bar to watch the amazing dancers and drummers – really impressive and exciting to watch.
The kitchen, run by head chef Stephane Bruylant, who has worked all over Spain and has extensive experience with fine dining, creates some fabulous dishes that make the mouth water just reading the menu. These include many different fish dishes such as salmon, Alaskan king crab, cod and sole; salads including the original chicken Caesar and Maine lobster salad with Xeres vinegar dressing; and sharing platters such as the Ocean sushi mix, the Royal seafood platter, chateaubriand and sea bass “gros sel” baked in a crust of salt.
There were three of us dining so we decided to share starters as we couldn’t decide on one each and wanted to sample as much as possible from the delectable menu. The sushi menu is also extensive and after much deliberation we settled on California roll sushi with crab meat, cucumber, avocado and flying fish roe to accompany the tempura prawns with sweet and sour sauce and the Japanese-scented Vietnamese nems wrapped in lettuce and mint leaves. To accompany the meal we chose drinks from the cocktail list and had three variations of mojitos: classic mint; raspberry; and elderflower – all of which were delicious.
The main courses were equally as sumptuous as our starters and, having decided not to share, we each chose something different. The OC burger with caramelised onions, cheddar cheese, salad garnish and hand-cut French fries and the Asian chicken satay served with basmati rice, vegetable mix and fresh coriander sauce were savoured by my dining companions. My choice was the truffle-perfumed fillet of sea bass “in papillotte”, which was cooked to perfection – and I have to say probably the best fish I have ever tasted.
After two fabulous courses we thought perhaps it was best to share a dessert and one that would cleanse the palette, so we enjoyed the assortment of sorbets with fresh fruits served in a flower cookie – an excellent choice for dining beside the beach and the perfect end to a great meal