Vioko and Cremeria Toscana

you can't go to Barcelona and not eat ice cream. I favour Cremeria Toscana de to the fact that it has a more creamy consistency. My favourite flavour combo is a scoop of coconut and of plum. The little one inhaled the dark chocolate ice cream and woudl up-end the container to get every last drop.The two locations, one diagonally across from Paco Meralgo and the other in Born are also quite handy. Vioko is on the other end, v modern with some unusual flavours like lavender and black pepper. The portions are huge so get one between two! Its great for the beach.

hisop

Pinotxo, of course.

Another of my favourite places, especially for breakfast. A glass of cava first thing in the morning, how civilised! The chickpeas are my idea of heaven. I think the secret ingredient is morcilla. They, along with some padron, followed by a cortado make a perfect start to the day.



Juanito, the owner, is a icon in his own right. The deal is stand behind people who are seated at the counter. It looks chaotic but Juanito will know you are there, and seats people in order. Once folk stand up he will gesture you to sit down. I always prefer to sit at his end. Even though I only know a few words of Catalan I love watching how a bunch of complete strangers, most of whom are local, strike up animated amusing conversations which Juanito participates in.

Hisop II

What can I say. The environments of Cinc Sentis and Hisop are similar. Cool white interiors, minimal decor. The staff are equally friendly knowledgeable and accommodating. All this for 48 euros, it's a pretty good deal in my eyes.


Our first amuse bouche. Oyster with almond and something else I can't remember. This was very good but my oyster was slightly salty, the almond went well though.


This was amazing. Percebes juicy and tender and the water melon juicy and crisp.


I substituted the prawns and 'cap i pota' ravioli for the rice, baby squid and truffle as I had had the former the last time we were here. It was yum.


Again, my john dory with Girolles was perfect


HI's hake with morels and Escorzonera (black Salsify). Very good too.


The lamb with sweetbreads and asparagus was tasty but a little rare for my liking. A reflection of my lack of sophistication I think.


Pre dessert palate cleanser of a 'Mojito' very good. Light and fresh


pudding in a very trendy kiln jar a mixture of strawberries,cocoa and roses. liked it but not as much as the Maresme strawberries.

This meal at Hisop was inventive and probably a bit more daring in terms of combinations of flavours. Whilst we were there a well known Catalan restaurant critic was there with his son. Oriol and Guillem came out of the kitchen to greet him. He took notes and seemed to delight in many of the dishes. However,for me, it lacked that sheer happy tummy feeling that some of the dishes at Cinc Sentis had.

Bar Mut

I really liked this place. I don't know if it was because the first night we went we were slightly tipsy having just been at Dry Martini for some excellent cocktails. We got there about ten and had to wait ten mins, beer in hand, for a seat.



The place had a really nice buzz to it and I like the open shelves and cluttered look. When we were seated it was opposite each other in front of a piano which was kinda cute. The menu is written up on blackboards dotted about the ceiling. Our waiter spoke excellent English and went through most of it for us. We started off with two salads the first was a guacamole and green bean salad



You can guess who ordered that and the other was a tuna tomato and onion salad which had me drooling after it the rest of the week. You know you are abroad when such a simple combo of ingredients tastes so good. It was so good I don't have any photos of it or what came after, either. We were hungry. An drunk. I then had the solomillo thinking it would be like the one served in Paco Meralgo. It turned out to be a huge chunk of fillet. I wasn't complaining as it too was perfectly cooked but it didn't hold a candle to the PM one. HI had a foie and duck burger which turned out to be a very rich tartare. It was very tasty. The food wasn't cheap and the only thing that annoyed me was or waiter who I started off liking took the liberty of taking his tip put of our change before giving it us back. I think he must have thought we were too drunk to notice.
Initially I didn't want to go back but the tuna salad had me good, so we went back twice more. Once for lunch. We had the salad again



and a yummy fried egg and chorizo dish and a dish of very tasty mussels.

The last time we went back was a bit of a farce. I had read about the Sunday 'Vermut' tradition and we had been told it opened at 11.30am on Sunday so we turned up thinking that would be a lovely start to our last day. We asked for Vermut to be given pint-glass of the stuff. It was actually quite pleasant.



You get a siphon of soda and it makes it taste like juice! Boozy juice. Half way through, I tried to order some food only told be told the kitchen didn't open till half one. I had been for a run and had drank a pint of vermouth. I was starving! I was a bit sad as I had really been looking forward to my tuna salad but it was not to be.

Tipsy at noon we trotted off searching for some much need sustenance.

Paco Meralgo: umami-tastic

We ate here four times. We liked the setting, the bustle, the efficiency. And of course-the food! We found our perfect combination for happy tummy city.



Padron, Jamon, Pan amb tomate and Steak tartare-just right



Tallerines- I loved sucking these juicy little morsels form their shells, dripping with olive oil and lemon juice. Finger licking good.


Solomillo with pepper and Pepito our favourites!



What can I say? I have never had beef cooked this perfectly. Very very tender, very rare, yet peppery and seared on the outside. One of my favourite dishes of the week. One that could make me sit in happy, contented silence.



Pepito-veal fillet in brioche, this was one of HI' favourite dishes of the week. It was decadent, rich and soo tasty. Buttery juice oozed down your fingers when you took a bite.

All washed down with cava.

Excellent.

Barcelona I: Cinc Sentits or mouthfuls of loveliness

We have already been back two weeks and I still have not written up our Barcelona trip. It was full of some excellent food and some excellent cocktails, not to mention great weather and lots of relaxing. This time I was a little more laid back about the eating schedule and tried to have only one proper meal a day with tapas the rest of the time. As you will see it is probably more correct to say we had small plates than tapas, but whatever they were they were helpful in tricking our poor over-worked tummies into thinking they were not having to work that hard! Many people write about the fact that Barcelona is not really a city for tapas and that Madrid is where one should go.. Maybe next time.

Anyway, optimistic as ever I had booked us in for lunch at 2pm at Cinc Sentits, the day we arrived. This would be my fourth time eating there and HI's third. We first ate there about four years ago and really liked it. It is a family owned and run concern, with Jordi Artal in the kitchen, his sister Roser as Sommelier and mum as one of the lovely wait staff. We came back the year after but the menu had not really changed and I thought we should try some new places, so it never made it back on my list till I read this blog post by Trig, also known as Aidan Brooks.

Aidan is a trainee chef who, although in his early twenties, has worked in some pretty good restaurants including Commerc 24 in Barcelona. I think his post, elaborates in an altogether more articulate and technical way, what I hold to be true. That if the ingredients are good there is no need for fancy combos or to hide behind foams and airs and that the chef's skill is in a simple showcasing that enhances the innate flavours of the ingredients.

Well, I think that's what he said, and if it's not it's what I am saying. A case in point will be to contrast this meal with a meal we had at Hisop later on that week.

Cinc Sentits is modern enough for me, the environment is contemporary, the menu doesn't rely on foams and airs and nitrogen as I said, but it is obvious that skill lies behind what is put on your plate. Perhaps the skill is in making something that tastes so good look so simple. That to me is the test- I know that I wouldn't be able to make any of these dishes at home. Now I am not a chef, just a intermittent cook, who is not completely clueless. I can turn my hand to most things and from the reactions from my friends it seems to work out for the best, most of the time. So I can replicate most dishes at home, but not these dishes.

Modern, thoughtful cooking that doesn't distract you with odd colours or 'interesting' combinations, is what I like and that is what we got.

We rushed there from the airport and found ourselves to be the only people there. Given it was their first day back after their holidays, I guess it's not too much of a surprise. The white minimal interior was a welcome haven from the heat outside. We had a number of menu options but decided to go with the lunch menu which allowed you to pick you starter, fish, main and pudding from the ala carte menu. It said they were half portions and I don't know if that is true, because the portions we got were pretty generous.

What followed was probably the best meal of the trip.



The most delicious olives I have ever eaten, better than those at Alkimia and they were pretty darn tasty too. They were big, juicy and tasted a little of orange peel.



Our first amuse bouche: Jordi's now famous maple shooter with cava foam and sea salt base. This tasted better than I remember it too, as if it has been refined over the years. Really good mix of sweet, savoury and salt.

(I need to apologise for the odd light in the photos, it is an entirely white restaurant with spotlights placed over the tables, therefore the photos seem overexposed)



Amuse bouche: Jordi's take on a deconstructed Pan amb Tomate. I prefer it to the version at Alkimia. The tomato sorbet was intensely savoury and worked well with the fuet/salchichon crisp and olive oil base.



low temperature egg baby garbanzo beans from alta anoia, chorizo sauce, "migas" and quince
HI's starter. This was very moreish. Something homely done in a sophisticated manner.



Foie Gras "coca" thin pastry crust, balsamic-glazed leeks, burnt-sugar shell, and chives
This is one of my favourite dishes here, and my most favourite way to eat Foie Gras. As you can see it is quite a substantial portion but the combination of the sweet cocoa the savoury leeks and crispy base made it difficult not to finish.



Sea bass and shellfish "fideuà", foamed "allioli", and squid ink
as it was the first day back there wasn't any sea-bass so they substitued a local white fish which was very similar. The white fish worked very well with the strong flavours of the squid ink and the fideua. Very umami.



Tuna very rare, with smoked tomato water, whole lemon confit, and black olive salt
Just look at how the Tuna is cooked. Perfect. And the tomato water. I could have eaten a bowl of that alone.



Iberian suckling pig crisp and succulent, with apple in two textures and "ratafía"
As it says crisp and succulent at the same time. Beautiful porky goodness. It seemed unfair to compare it to the next dish which I can only describe as mouthfuls of loveliness



Galician veal cheek foie gras and bacon "migas", parsnip purée, and summer truffle glaze
This was amazing. Slightly odd given the weather outside, as it made me want to be holed up with a big plate of it, all tucked up and warm inside as it snows outside. The meat was so tender it fell part and it was just one mouthful after mouthful of satisfaction.



Strawberries from the Maresme, mascarpone sorbet, fennel, and rosewater
This was a standout dish. So much so I dragged HI back for lunch again later in the week. Primarily so I could eat this. Light, sweet. And if that is sorbet I will eat my hat. It was so delicious I thought it was ice-cream.



Grand Cru chocolate 67% instant soufflé, arbequina olive oil ice cream, shattered bread, and sea salt
I can appreciate the sophistication of this dish the chocolate and the salt with the olive oil but in comparison to the strawberries it was way too much.

So, at the end of the meal there were many highlights, many moments of delight and satisfaction. Many moments of contemplation and mmmh-ing.

It set the bar high for the rest of the trip, and given the fact we ate very well, and have eaten well in the past, it is testament to the Jordi's skill that it is one of my best meals to date.

Barcelona: the last day: Tapac 24. Finally!

Since it was the last day we had to go to Pinotxo for brunch. 2 plates of chickpeas, some aubergine, anchovy and peppers and some padron later we headed off through the Gothic quarter to do some shopping.

One of my favourite places to stop off, sit, people watch, read and drink caipirhinas is a place called Antiquari on the Placa del Rei. They do a mean cortado and if you are lucky a very tasty bocadillo with jamon. We then headed to the Born area stopping of at Taller de Tapas for some tapas. Given this is a chain we thought it was actually not that bad.
We then sat and celebrated Choiti and Rachel's purchases with a bottle of white Rioja and some jamon La Vinya del Senyor.

We had to get to the airport for 7pm so we thought we better have one last meal and so we finally made it to Tapac 24.
I love this place. I wish we had found it on Friday night.



We had the patatas bravas, just and excuse to eat very good chips with aioli and spicy sauce,



The Mcfoie burgers R and C loved these but I could only manage a bit as they are so rich



However the Bikini 24 loved loved loved this. Cheese, jamon and truffle in a toasted sandwich. Yummy! So much so I took one back to the hotel for HI. Talk about that for home delivery!



The entrana con chimichurri was also excellent.



R and C shared some calamari which was declared excellent and we shared some pan am tomate.


I would go back here like a shot if only to have the bikini. The next time we are in Barcelona this is going to be my first stop off as I want to work my way through the rather cool menu which comes as a paper bag, in which your cutlery is provided.



A winner, and a fitting last meal for a spectacular weekend.

Barcelona: Part V: Can Fabes or the most expensive bread in the world.

This was our splurge meal. The only other 3 star that HI and myself have eaten at is RHR and that was about four years ago. In fact, I think it was what started our foray into the world of fancy food. Since then we have been to other high end places such as Per Se and unfortunately at this end of the price spectrum I always come away feeling that I was expecting a bit more from the food. This was no different. (I feel the need to add an amendment: having realised that Michelin have been to New York now, both Per Se and Le Bernardin are 3 starred..)

We took the train from Barcelona Sants and after figuring out how to buy a ticket got the train to Sant Celoni. 50 mins later we wandered round the very sleepy Monastery town. It's kind of an odd place to find a 3 star Michelin restaurant but I guess it didn't start out that way. Given it was Sunday everything was shut apart from one little cafe which saved our lives. It was very hot and we had an hour to wait till our 1.30 pm reservation. R and C had not had churros so despite the fact we were about to have a very expensive tasting menu they ploughed on in. You gotta love those girls..

The restaurant itself has an old fashioned bit and a more modern bit. We got sat at a table right in front of the perspex fronted kitchen which was a great experience.



I was very pleased about this. The menu was in Catalan but our waiter tried hard to explain it and we opted for the summer menu. We got a bit stung by saying yes to the bread which we worked out ended up costing us £28. For bread!! In total our bill came to £152 each including 2 gin and tonics, the bread, 2 bottles of wine and 4 tasting menus including cheese. You get a lot of food for this. So much so that by our first pudding I think we were about to burst and wanted to get up and walk about.

The service is what you would expect-unobtrusive, choreographed, attentive. The napkins are mysteriously re-folded and fresh for you when you come back from the loo. All that was missing was a seat for our bags.




Foie gras with fig, the foie had a flavour to it that I couldn't pick out. It was pleasant but not special. Again, you can have too much Foie Gras.


A beautiful selection of fruit canapes each with it's one savoury twist.


The bread! and butter and oil. Notice the lovely orange Baccarat water glasses.



Our first starter, thinly sliced octopus with truffle.



A smoked cod dish that I ate all of but didn't actually like.



The standout carrot, cebolla and prawn dish



A very good salmon dish, barely cooked again but with salmon that is a good thing



Hake, gnocchi and mushrooms



Suckling pig, with the little ribs still in, had too much fat and paled in comparison to the version at Hisop. I left most of it.

All said and done, it was a pleasant way to spend four hours but although the food was more the style I prefer, it was not that exciting and there was only one dish the carrot, onion and prawn dish, that stands out..As you can see the menu was quite heavily fish orientated, reasonable for a summer menu but, I prefer more meat. Again, I am glad we went but don't think I would make the trip again.