Cocteleria Baritimo – Barcelona

November 6, 2013December 10, 2014Leave a comment

Finally after a week of traveling in Valencia and Ibiza, I finally returned to Barcelona, where it would be home for the next 4 months. Weather is absolutely beautiful here, and it’s hard to remember that I’m actually here for school, because every day seems like a vacation here! I hadn’t gone out much since arriving as I was nervous to explore the city alone, but when my roommate U arrived, we headed out to see Port Vell along with her father. Port Vell is the major waterfront port built due to the Olympics and is a major tourist point as it also has a large shopping centre. We headed over to the Maremagnum Mall and as it was a boiling hot day, we sat down at Cocteleria Baritimo on the second floor for a drink.

U and I both ordered a glass of Sangria. This would soon be my go-to drink here in Barcelona as you can get it for really cheap. However, the one here was quite pricey, but I have to admit it was really good. I don’t think they used really cheap wine, hence it tasted much better.

We sat right against the water where we were elevated from the ground as we were on the second floor. The view was truly amazing and with the sunny weather, I see why people always want to relax here! Amazing place if you want to grab a drink, have some tapas and enjoy the beautiful view. Of course, it comes with a slightly higher price, but so worth it!

Rong Hua – Valencia

October 27, 2013Leave a comment

IMG_4523[1]

Yes..who knew I would be eating Chinese food on my trip in Europe. Well, personally, I had tried to avoid it, but M here clearly cannot live without his Chinese food, and persuaded us to try it. We found Rong Hua while walking towards the old city area in Valencia and it was among some boutiques and shops in the La Xerea neighbourhood.

IMG_4524[1]

Surprisingly, the restaurant was filled with Chinese diners, which is always a good sign. I hope they were locals though, because I could not really tell if they were just tourists desperate for Chinese food. The inside definitely reminds me of a traditional Chinese restaurant and the employees were Chinese as well. They also have Wi-Fi here which is always a plus for travellers with no data like us!

IMG_4525[1]

Fried Rice

Of course M would get his beloved Fried Rice. It actually looked pretty decent and was an okay portion. I believe it was under 5 euros, which isn’t too bad I guess.

IMG_4527[1]

Chicken Curry

S and I decided to share a Chicken Curry and we also ordered some White Rice to go with it. It was nice to finally have some white rice again, but the curry was just…unspeakable. It was basically watered-down curry – probably one where you put powder and water, but it wasn’t even thick. You really had to slather the chicken in the sauce to get some flavour, but even with that, it was really flavourless. It was worse than some of the one’s I’ve had at food courts…

IMG_4526[1]

Caramel Pudding

Lastly, S and I decided to share a Caramel Pudding, which is essentially their flan. This was the best of our whole meal. Smooth and creamy, this totally satisfied me.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend Rong Hua based on what I had. I sense that the food is catered for the Spanish population, and isn’t traditional Chinese food. Oh, how I miss Chinese food in Vancouver so much!

La Surena

October 24, 2013October 25, 2013Leave a comment

La Surena is inside Centro Commercial El Saler in Valencia. This mall was near our hotel and on a rainy evening, M and I decided to look for nearby food. We ended up in the mall and on the floor where all the food stalls and restaurants were. We came across La Surena and thinking that I knew all the Spanish in the world after just taking Spanish100, I decided to attempt to translate the menu. I read chicken and fish and all, and naively thought that I would be having a fantastic meal for a ridiculous price. Yea right… So our meal came to $11 euros and that included 2 large pints of beer.

And this is really what he had ordered… 7 mini sandwiches and a salad for S (which was also the most expensive item on our bill). So apparently on specific days, you can get mini sandwiches for just 1 euro! Yea, and they were filled with all the ingredients I had attempted to translate…So I hadn’t exactly gotten the translations wrong, I just didn’t know they would be coming inside a sandwich…a mini one to be exact. And although M hates sandwiches, he admitted that these were pretty good! The ingredients and sauce inside really made it delicious. I actually wouldn’t mind having these agin to be honest. Just funny how I sort of tricked M into getting sandwiches when I really didn’t know. The place was packed and their other popular items are nachos which are also dirt cheap. This would be the perfect place to grab a quick snack and a beer. On different days, they also have other deals such as a bucket of beer for a really cheap price.

Tapasbar – Valencia

October 24, 2013October 24, 2013Leave a comment

Finally posting some of my Europe food adventures! First stop was in Barcelona, but shortly after getting settled down, I met up with S and M to bus to Valencia. The next day, we would head to Bunol for the famous Tomatina Festival, where it is a food fight of throwing tomatoes at each other. In the meantime, we were in beautiful Valencia and were taken to the beach area. We wandered looking for food and settled at the Tapasbar.

The place was quite packed, and they offered a set menu, that I would quickly learn is extremely popular in Spain. The menu here wasn’t too cheap, and cost $13 euros. It included an appetizer, main course, dessert, bread, and a drink.

Prosciutto and Melon

For my appetizer, I chose the Prosciutto and Melon. Thinking of any type of ham now actually sort of makes me sick. It is so popular in Spain, that I kept eating it the first month and I’m at the point now where I don’t usually choose it anymore. The ham jamon wasn’t as smooth as I would’ve liked it to be, with the edges being very fatty and tough. It worked well with the melon though, and the plate was extremely large for an appetizer. As for my drink, we got a jug of sangria between the three of us, which gave us around 2 glasses each. Sangria is so popular in Spain, that I end up ordering it most of the time.

Grilled Lamb Chop with Fries and Grilled Vegetables

For my main course, I chose the Grilled Lamb Chops. Probably shouldn’t have chosen this as it was extremely tough. Shouldn’t have expected any good lamb for the price I was paying. It was full of tendons that were not edible and the meat was overcooked. The grilled vegetables were also a bit burnt, so I didn’t really enjoy them. We all agreed that the fries tasted sort of different from our North American fries. We came to the conclusion that the potatoes in Spain must be of different origin. They had a distinct taste that we weren’t quite used to. The other odd thing is they don’t supply you with ketchup unless you ask. I guess ketchup and fries are an American thing..

Tiramisu

For dessert, I chose the Tiramisu although I know it doesn’t originate from Spain. I just craved it and thought it would be a safe choice. Indeed it was. It was soft and creamy with just the right amount of liquor in it. It wasn’t too sweet which I liked. Not bad!

Flan

S chose the Flan for her dessert and I decided to get a picture of it too. I’ll soon realize that flan is extremely popular in Spain and also one of my favourite desserts. It was smooth and creamy and of course sweet! Yum.

Overall, Tapas bar was just mediocre for the price I paid. Definitely not worth it because there are actually much better deals around town. We were hungry and most restaurants had large lines, so we settled for this. Also to remember is to give yourself lots of time for meals, because service in Spain is ridiculously slow.

Thai Son Restaurant 泰山越南牛肉粉

October 16, 2013Leave a comment

My parents asked me what I would like to have for lunch before I left to the airport, and surprisingly, it wasn’t Japanese food, but some pho. I guess I had been craving some Vietnamese food for some time, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get some good quality ones while I was gone. Off we went to Thai Son, which is one of my favourites. We ordered two House Special Phos, Deep Fried Spring Rolls, Salad Rolls, and a plate of Grilled Pork Chop with Egg on Rice. The House Special Pho wasn’t too bad, but we agreed that the broth wasn’t as good as the one at Lan. It was a little less flavourful, but ingredients-wise, there was a good amount and the beef wasn’t old. Both spring rolls were done very well, and the deep fried one came with a fish sauce vinaigrette, while the salad roll came with a peanut sauce. Both were filled with lots of ingredients and would get you really full. Lastly, the Grilled Pork Chop with Egg on Rice surprised us as it was a large plate. Pork chop was grilled to perfection so it was tender and the flavours were right on. I also loved that they topped the egg with some grilled onions and when all mixed together, it was just delicious. And there we had it! My last meal in Greater Vancouver in the next 4 months. I can’t wait to share my food adventures with you guys in Europe now! But I have to say, I miss the variety of cuisines that Vancouver offers, because you can really find any cuisine you want, and they are often of good quality.

Sun Sui Wah 新瑞華海鮮酒家

October 15, 2013Leave a comment

IMG_4381[1]

Roasted Squab

Still catching up on my Vancouver posts! Anyways, the night before I left for Europe, my family took me to eat what would be my last legit Chinese dinner. It’s definitely true that I can’t find quality Chinese food over here. We went to Sun Sui Wah, where I had dim sum here recently, but I don’t remember when the last time I had dinner here was. It was very packed and we had to wait a little even though we had reservations. First up, we had the Roasted Squab, which was roasted till crispy and golden brown. It wasn’t too salty but still flavourful. Really enjoyed it.

IMG_4382[1]

Fish Maw and Fresh Crab Meat Soup

Next, we were served the Fish Maw and Fresh Crab Meat Soup. I loved this and it had an abundance of seafood. The perfect way to start dinner off!

Lotus Root, Snow Peas and Black Fungus

For vegetables, my mom decided to order the Lotus Roots, Snow Peas and Black Fungus, but it was definitely disappointing. I found it bland and it was something you could make yourself at home. The lotus roots were also cut in really big pieces and it was difficult to eat.

Deep Fried Fish Fillet

For seafood, we had Deep Fried Fish Fillet and the batter was light and fluffy. The fillet was fresh and tender and the garlic chips and spices made the dish more feisty.

IMG_4385[1]

Honey Garlic Spareribs

Lastly, we had the Honey Garlic Spareribs, and this was also another favourite. I loved the sweetness to it and each sparerib had good amount of meat.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal and writing this post makes me miss Richmond and Vancouver food so much! Soon, you will hear about my Asian food stories here in Europe, and they are definitely not too great.

Vancuver Food Cart Festival 2013

October 10, 2013Leave a comment

Ever since I left for Europe, I have been traveling so much or so busy with school that I have totally neglected this blog. I feel terrible and now that I have finally settled down and won’t be traveling as frequently, I am going to promise that I post at least once a week or more frequently! I am already more than a month behind, hence I am still posting about Vancouver food I ate before I left…

Anyways, in August, I finally went to the Vancouver Food Cart Festival by Olympic Village. I had wanted to go the previous year, but because they only operate on Sundays from around end of June to end of August, I never was able to attend due to my work schedule on Sundays. Every Sunday, over 20 food cart vendors meet at this area along with other craft food, art, and community vendors. There’s music and also kids activities, so perfect for some family fun. I was here, obviously because of food! There were many that I could find right in the hot spots of downtown, but also some that I had never heard of.

Mogu Japanese Street Eats

First up, we decided to try Mogu Japanese Street Eats. I always see this when I go shopping in downtown, but have never came to try it. They are also featured at the Richmond Summer Night Market this year, so it is actually quite easy to try it. I did find that the pricing is quite high for a burger, but to be honest, most of the food trucks price their food relatively high.

Pork Miso Katsu – breaded deep fried pork cutlet, housemade red miso sauce, Asian hot mustard coleslaw

We got the Pork Miso Katsu Menu, so it also came with two pieces of Chicken Karage and a small drink. People have raved that Mogu has one of the best Chicken Karage, and I did enjoy it a lot. It is sweet and spicy because it comes with a house made sweet chili sauce. Definitely enjoyed it and I would put it as one of my top favourites for chicken karage.

This was the Pork Miso Katsu Burger, and the pork was cooked tender and moist. The bread was also soft and the sauce really made the burger stand out. I didn’t necessarily taste much miso flavour, but you could get the Asian feel to the burger.

PazzaRella

Next, we tried PazzaRella which is famous for the Napoletana Wood Fired Pizza. It takes a little while since they actually make the pizza on spot and fire it in the oven. Pretty cool and one pizza will fill you up. So it’s best to share it with a friend if you want to try other food at the festival.

Prosciutto Pizza

We got 2 Prosciutto Pizzas to share between four, and it was more than enough. They are around $11 each, so you can imagine they are quite large. Extremely thin crust and easy to bite and topped with fresh tomato sauce, arugula and prosciutto. I did find that they burnt the edges a bit, so it was a little bitter tasting at the edges, but other than that, it was fine.

Dougie Dog Diner

Dougie Dog Diner seemed to be a crowd pleaser, so E decided to try it as well. They are famous for their innovative hot dogs and they also have their own root beer. Apparently they were on Dragon’s Den, so I thought that was pretty neat.

Charlie Mac Dog – bacon, Mac and cheese, melted cheddar

E got the Charlie Mac Dog which is loaded with mac and cheese and topped with more cheese. He thought that it was alright, but definitely not worth the price though. It’s something you can make at home if you really want to.

Overall, the Vancouver Food Cart Festival is pretty nice if you want to have a collection of food cart vendors in one area. However, to be honest, it’s hard to try every food cart because each item on the menu is fairly large. It’s basically one whole meal, and it’s also quite hard to share the food. There was also an entrance fee, but you got a discount if you went in a large family. Cool place to check out, but probably just once a year. Parking was also extremely difficult to find, and was mostly paid parking.

Toyotomi

September 7, 2013Leave a comment

Salmon Sashimi

I’m currently in Barcelona, so I’m super behind on my blog, so let me finish blogging some of the food back at home in Vancouver. Before I left, I basically tried to eat as much Asian food as I could as I knew I would miss it. Japanese is my favourite, so my mom suggested we try Toyotomi for lunch. We had gone there a few years ago, but now that they have changed it to hot pot, just a sushi lunch menu was offered. When we got there on a Saturday afternoon, there was literally no one. We ordered some Salmon Sashimi, and it came on the ice cubes, just like the ones you get during hot pot. It was fresh and each piece was cut thickly, but not to the extent of Banzai’s enormous portions.

Duo Dynamite Roll – imitation crab meat, cucumber, avocado, w/ spicy tuna and crispy, Maple Roll – special spicy tuna topped with crispy and salmon sashimi, Chopped Scallop Roll

We also got some rolls, and they all came together on a wooden plate. They seem to present their food in an appealing way compared to many other sushi restaurants. The roll in the front was the Maple Roll. It had spicy tuna inside, and was topped with salmon sashimi, masago, and some crispy flakes and green onion. It was full of sauce and you didn’t need to use any soy sauce for it. This one was one of my favourites. The Duo Dynamite Roll was a typical dynamite roll but with two tempuras in it. The portion was quite large, but was quite typical. Last, the Chopped Scallop Roll was just okay for me. I did like that they had black sesame on it, since that makes it a little more deluxe, but I felt like there was too much rice on it, so the texture didn’t taste quite good.

Beef Sashimi

We also got some Beef Sashimi and I believe this was only under $5 which was a steal because the dish was huge. There were tons of beef sashimi in it and they sliced it fairly large. The sauce was quite acidic, but it was really good at the same time. This is a must order.

Chicken Teriyaki Don

Lastly, we got the Chicken Teriyaki Don. It came sizzling in a clay pot and was a very larger portion. Tons of rice, but also a lot of chicken and teriyaki sauce. It also came with some ripped up seaweed. It was flavourful with all the onions in it.

Overall, we were quite pleased with the food. The food also isn’t that expensive, and you will get really full from it. Sort of awkward that there was only one other table of diners the whole time we were there and it’s already a weekend. I guess people usually just come here for the hot pot!