Tuesday 24 June 2008

Barcelona: Part II: Alkimia: or 'curious eater' my ass..



Now, HI have often debated our preferences when it comes to modern vs traditional, and I have come to the conclusion that I am an old fashioned girl at heart. However, I will try out places that will push my boundaries just in case I am wrong. But generally I think I know what I like. Just like the most satisfying meals and not the most expensive, the more cutting edge does not mean the most tasty. In fact it might mean the least tasty, but anyway..
Alkimia, for me was one of those meals. I liked some dishes, was peturbed by others and at the end knew I wouldn't come back. But it was an experience and I am glad I went. It is owned and run by Chef Jordi Villa, one the the champions of modern catalan cuisine, which to most people would be exemplified by Ferran Adria at El Bulli. For us we have our boy Heston back home. Again, the Fat Duck is a place I would like to try but have a sneaking suspicion I would come out of wanting an MIC..
So Friday lunch came, Rachel had been good and went on the bus tour whilst the rest of us hit the roof top terrace we then made our way to Alkimia for our 2pm reservation.
As with other restaurants at the fine dining end it had a cool, minimal interior which was the ideal antidote to the sunny blue 35 degrees outside, and agin it doesn't have a website that works. We had a large round table at the back of the restaurant and our waiter helpfully translated the menu into English for us. Unfortunately, I did not ask for a copy of the menu nor did I take notes, so that along with the two bottles of wine we had, means that some of the dishes may be lost in translation..



To start what may be the best olives of the whole trip and bread sticks



Then the infamous de-constructed pan amb tomat-good



Foie gras with apple-good but just as you can have too much cava you can have too much Foie Gras, the best version of late has to be at Glenapp.



Escalivada, I think, it was a tower of anchovy, pepper, onion and I think there was salt cod in there somewhere..good
then there was the most memorable, least favourite dish of the whole weekend
oyster, clams, percebes in blue soup.



Very fresh and ozoney, but not something I or any of the others wanted more of..interesting but not moreish.



Tuna with olive and strawberry. It is something that I have not come across often, the use of strawberries in savoury dishes but it was a combo that seems quite popular at the moment in Barcelona. I was dubious but have to admit happily that it worked.



Choiti had gambas with arroz con pimento as she is allergic to tuna



This was clever. Bacon foam for the white, the yellow yolk was actually the white, coloured (with tumeric?), and inside was a soft runny yolk. Lovely.



Pork made to look like roast beef, I think, served with goat's cheese and some crunchy stuff that we can't remember what it was.. It was tasty anyway.



Langoustine cooked on a fragrant salt bed, with clove, cinnamon and lime.



Again slightly on the undercooked side for our ( maybe, unsophisticated) tastes, and mine was pregnant which really put me off!
This caused the first of many exclaimations of 'curious eater my ass".

You know what they say about blue food, or grey for that matter... which is a shame really as the sauce was lovely.



The monkfish, generous in portion, and again under-cooked with cauliflower cous cous, lemongrass and coconut sauce.



Pigeon with cherry and a foam that didn't taste of much..



melon, mint, lemon spongy thing



vanilla, xuxu, and apple sauce yum yum



Petite four-the best thing was the blueberry ice cream bon bon. Very sharp and refreshing

The bill came to 95 euros each including water and tow bottles of wine. It was a very pleasant dining experience but in comparison to other places maybe not one I would repeat. Maybe that says more about me than the venue..

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Maybe ur lucky if u got half of the half (of the half) of what u have eaten. =)
Again, that proove that English people don't have taste at all ^_^
i'm sorry cause u spent 95 euros without really understand..