Txapela (2) – Barcelona

February 23, 2014Leave a comment

I had wanted to take N to Ciudad Condal because it’s my favourite and I had been raving about it to her, but unfortunately there was a huge line up and I didn’t see my favourite salmon montadito. We were hungry since I got off school really late, so it was already almost 9pm. Typical Spanish time for dinner, but not so much for us! We wandered around Passeig de Gracia, and we walked in Txapela. I had previously blogged about Txapela here: Txapela, and while this one was also on Passeig de Gracia, we later found that they had two locations! This one was much smaller and more like a bar. When we went in, it was basically empty to my surprise..

Pintxo Gernika – Crab Salad

We sat at the bar and they had some pintxos already pre-made sitting in behind the glass counter. They looked pretty and appealed to us, so we got some. We chose the Pintxo Gernika, which was an imitation crab salad topped with mini massago. This was refreshing. I do find that the bread at Txapela to be much thicker than the ones at Ciudad Condal. It makes you much more full. Something about the fact that they were pre-made and with the lack of customers made me question how fresh the food was. I mean, the food at Ciudad Condal sits at the top of the counters too, but there’s a constant flow of people, so the food turnovers quite quickly.

Catalan Sausage Pintxo – Catalan sausage tartar with tomato and virgin olive oil and Pintxo Bidasoa – salmon roll stuffed with crab and mayonnaise

Another few also caught our eyes in the counter. N chose the Catalan Sausage Pintxo. She said it tasted like beef tartar but the seasoning was good. Not exactly sure what was on top of it though. We both got the Pintxo Bidasoa. I thought it looked a little like a carrot! No carrots in this pintxo, but smoked salmon! I’ve found a new love for smoked salmon since my time in Barcelona, so it was a must order. I find that the smoked salmon in Barcelona is not salty at all like the ones we have in Vancouver. Imitation crab salad was wrapped with the piece of smoked salmon. It was placed on top of a piece of lettuce and drizzled with mayonnaise and topped with some caviar. Again, I thought this was great, but I found it a little cold. It would’ve tasted much better if it was at least slightly warm.

Croquette Pintxo – Iberian Ham Croquette and Pintxo San Fermin – Crispy Chicken with “Chistorra” Sausage and Pepper

We decided to order some off the menu, which is on our placemat. I suggested N to try the Croquette Pintxo, since croquettes are very popular and typical in Spain, and most of my friends had enjoyed them. This was one filled with Iberian Ham. Came on top of a piece of lettuce as well. Again, it felt like it wasn’t really fresh. The croquette was just warm, and not hot. It felt like the other Txapela location had more people, so the food was much more fresh. N also ordered the Pintxo San Fermin, which had some mayo at the bottom, a crispy chicken on top, then a padron pepper, and lastly topped with a “Chistorra” sausage. She enjoyed it and said the sausage reminded her of those Chinese sausages you find at barbeque pork houses.

Kebab Pintxo – Marinated Pork Loin Brochette

For myself, I got the Kebab Pintxo. Wasn’t sure what sort of meat it was when I looked at the picture, but it turns out to be pork loin. It was marinated in a feisty and slightly spicy sauce. We both thought it was really delicious.

Overall, I found this Txapela location to be a little disappointing. Service was great since we were bascially the only diners. They even helped N change her Fanta at no extra cost when we found a fly had flew into the drink. The only issue for me personally, is how fresh their food is.

Tapas 24 – Barcelona

February 17, 2014Leave a comment

On exchange, I was able to meet some amazing friends from all over the world. I was especially happy to have met C, who was from my hometown and was also a fellow food blogger! It was great to have someone understand the time we go through to write these posts and why we could take minutes just trying to take a good picture of our food. I have to say, C is a serious foodie compared to me! You can check out her food blog here: http://cherriehui.blogspot.ca/She definitely did her research, and suggested we go try out Tapas 24 as it is owned by Chef Carles Abellan. Carles is a Catalan chef who was trained at elBulli, which is a former restaurant famous for their molecular gastronomy. Now, Chef Carles has several Michelin star restaurants all over Barcelona, and Tapas 24 is just one of them. It’s probably one of the most casual and affordable restaurants he owns. The restaurant is always packed and we luckily got a seat outside.

It’s cute how your utensils come in a little envelope with the menu on it. As you can see, prices are above average for small portions. It’s quality over quantity here, so definitely don’t come with an empty stomach unless you’re ready to empty your wallet.

Sangria de Cava

We got a pitcher of Sangria de Cava for drinks, which is Sangria but instead of red wine, it’s champagne. Therefore, it’s a bit fizzy! This was good!

Bikini Comerc 24

The Bikinis are one of Tapas 24’s most well known item. In Spain, Bikinis are essentially sandwiches with ham and cheese. Inside this prized Bikini, is a white mild cheese, jamon iberico, and flecks of black truffle! The sandwiches are cut into little pieces, and you can basically finish it in two bites. Extremely small for around 8 euros, but so worth it! The bread was toasted perfectly and the truffle flecks made a simple sandwich full of flavour. A must order!

Les Braves

Braves are one of the most popular tapas in Spain. Chunks of bite size potatoes which are deep fried. They were topped with a garlic mayo and ketchup. The sauce was excellent and the potatoes weren’t oily. Excellent!

McFoie – Burguer

The McFoie is also extremely popular at Tapas 24. I didn’t expect the burger to look like this, but it tasted so good! It’s essentially a beef patty mixed with foie gras and this is filled inside the burger like a pocket. I can’t even really describe how the outer burger was like. It’s definitely not a burger… It was crispy, warm and soft. It also came with a dipping sauce which was made of foie gras. It was like foie gras heaven. A small portion, but so good and well worth it if you’re a foie gras lover!

Pan amb Tomaquet

Bread brushed with tomatoes is eaten at almost any Spanish restaurant. It’s interesting to note that Tapas 24’s menu is all in Catalan, so the menu names are a little confusing sometimes for a Spanish reader. However, our server was really nice and basically went down the whole menu and translated it into English despite her running around for several minutes before helping us. These were toasted to perfection and lathered lavishly with tomatoes, olive oil and lightly seasoned with salt.

Alitas “coreanas”

These were Korean inspired Chicken Wings! This was off their regular menu and on a menu they had written on the chalkboard. Definitely one of our favourite dishes. The sauce had an Asian flare to it and was a little spicy. I loved how the chicken wings had the bones removed so it was easy to eat. The skin was slightly crispy and the meat was tender and moist.

Sepionetas

These were baby grilled cuttlefish and they were also a big hit at our table. Cuttlefish in Barcelona are so tender! These were slightly grilled, topped with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lightly seasoned with salt. My favourite!

Xocolata amb Oli

And for dessert, we got their signature Chocolate with olive Oil. Who would have thought olive oil would go with chocolate right? Well at Tapas 24, they know how to play with their ingredients. It was essentially scoops of chocolate mouse and it was drizzled with olive oil. On top, they placed pieces of thinly cut crostinis so you could scoop the mousse. The mousse was already smooth, and along with the olive oil, it was just chocolate heaven! It was also topped with some salt, so it was a mixture of sweet and savoury, which was unexpected, but somehow worked!

All in all, Tapas 24 is worth a try if you’re ready to try something different and challenge your taste-buds. Their menu is very limited, but they do have some daily specials which are worth trying. It’s a cheaper alternative than trying the other elBulli restaurants which could really break your bank! And to finish today’s post off, is a view from the top of Montserrat. Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain just a few hours away from Barcelona. If you’re ready for a hiking activity, challenge yourself by climbing to the peaks of Sant Jeroni for a spectacular view. If hiking is not your thing, then visit the Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary. The mountain is known for its religious significances in the past, but for myself, I was wowed by the beautiful formations of the mountains. Not exactly the same as the mountains in British Columbia, and the hike itself was actually pretty easy! Nothing compared to the Grouse Grind, so definitely check it out if you want a physical activity here in Barcelona.

El Vaso de Oro – Barcelona

February 5, 2014Leave a comment

My sister had met up with her coworker and wife, and they had asked me where to eat… We were near Barcelonetta, and I was not very familiar with the restaurants in that area. A quick search on Tripadvisor suggested us to go to to El Vaso de Oro. It’s extremely close to the Barcelonetta metro station, but when we got there, we questioned if we were at the right place. From the outside, the wooden signage makes it look like an old pub. Peeking in, you’ll see a line of chairs against the bar. Locals all having some beer and tapas. Along the wall, you’ll see a few tables with no chairs. But don’t make that be the reason you leave, because it offers some of the best food! You’re going to have to squeeze yourself here to even find a spot to stand… Yup, we ended up standing by one of the bar stools, because there was no room at the long bar table. Worth it though!

We had no idea what to order and with the menu being all in Catalan, it was quite difficult for me to understand anything. Service isn’t amazing or anything because it’s extremely busy in here, but this old Spanish man who worked behind the bar was really nice and would pop by to help us out. We asked what he would recommend, and with his limited English abilities and some finger pointing, he ordered several dishes for us to share. We got some complementary free baguettes, which were typical. Then, we got some Iberian Ham Croquettes. We also got some Iberian Ham Montaditos. Very typical Spanish tapas. I really enjoyed the croquettes since they are a little cheesy with the hint of ham. The Iberian Ham Montaditos were just alright. I’ve learned that I’m not a huge fan of Iberian Ham. I find it very strong in the pig flavour, and it’s not something I’m entirely into. It can also be quite tough sometimes and if there’s fat, then it’s very hard to chew. I’m more into the prosciutto type of ham, where it’s sliced very thing and easy to chew.

Next up, we got the Russian Salad. This is also a typical Spanish tapa. It’s basically like a tuna salad. It came with these little baked pieces of bread, so they were super crunchy. The only thing was there was more salad than the bread, so you would get so much leftover salad to eat on its own. Putting the salad on the bread was so much better because you get a crunch as well. I would recommend getting this salad!

Lastly, we got the Steak, which is what this cerverceria is famous for! Honestly, I didn’t get how good steak could be when I was reading the reviews. In fact, the steak isn’t that cheap either, and you only get around 8 pieces. But holy….these were heavenly. It’s cooked to perfection at medium rare and were the most tender pieces of steak I’ve ever had. They come already cut into cubes so it’s easy to eat, and there isn’t too much seasoning or what, but the flavour of meet just bursts in your mouth. Super juicy and is a must order! They also have steak with foie, but our friends were not big fans of foie. I could only imagine how great that would taste. We ended up ordering another plate of this steak because it was so good. I could seriously just come here to have a plate of this to myself and being fully satisfied.

Overall, extremely satisfied with El Vaso de Oro. We almost came back here another time because we were craving the steak so much. Even my Spanish professor recommended this spot for good steak. Super local place where you’ll here Spanish or Catalan only. I don’t think I saw any tourists when I went! It’s not the cheapest place to get tapas, but I think the quality of food makes it worthy. Good place to just grab a snack, but maybe not get full.

Alta Galicia – Barcelona

November 13, 2013December 10, 2014Leave a comment

When U and her dad arrived, I joined them for meals quite often as I I didn’t know my way around the city much. One night, we wandered near our neighbourhood to look for dinner. Past the park near Clot, there is a street full of restaurants and cafes. Around dinner time, the waiters try to lure you into eating at their restaurant. Many also have outdoor seatings since the weather is perfect for eating out.

After walking for a while, trying to figure out where to eat, we ended up at Alta Galicia. We pretty much got lured into it by the guy saying they had the best seafood and paella, but honestly, every single restaurant says the same thing. It actually gets sort of annoying since they don’t leave you alone.

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Pa amb tomàquet

After placing our order, they brought over some baguettes with brushed tomato on top. It’s a famous tapa called Pa amb tomàquet that the Spanish eat and are often provided for free. I’m not a big fan of tomatoes, but these have just a light taste of tomatoes along with the seeds so it’s not too strong.

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Steamed Mussels

For my entree, I chose Steamed Mussels and they were just okay. The ones I had in Paris years ago were so much better and I still crave them today. I found that the mussels were not cleaned properly hence it still had that tough part on the side. It also had a bit of sand in it, so it was sort of gross. I would’ve also expected a type of sauce but it was literally just steamed mussels seasoned with salt. It also did not come with fries, which is often common.

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U got the Mussels in Marina Sauce which was much more flavoured, and her dad got a Tomato Soup.

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Calamari

We also got a plate of Calamari to share. They were tender and the batter wasn’t too thick. It would’ve been nice to have some sort of dip like an aioli sauce, but they didn’t. Just a slice of lemon.

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At the end of our dinner, they offered us shots. I didn’t know what to get so I left it to U’s dad to choose. He got a lemon drop for himself, and for us girls, we had a shot that I forgot the name of. It had Bailey’s in it and some sort of chocolate flavouring. It wasn’t too strong and was much more creamy.

All in all, I wasn’t too impressed with the food at Alta Galicia. It seems to be a tourist trap in this street full of restaurants, although it’s not even an extremely popular street. One thing to remember is that they charge an extra 1.50 euros per dish if you sit outside. Pretty ridiculous and they don’t tell you that before you sit down. We had no idea until we opened the menu and saw the two price differences. This is often the case in Europe, so be careful. Also, it literally took 20 minutes for them to give us our bill. In Canada, I would’ve probably walked out already if it takes so long. I mean, isn’t collecting our money the most important thing for a restaurant?! Our restaurants usually try to rush you to pay the bill since they want you out so they can serve more customers! This slow efficiency is really getting to me, and it’s one I definitely cannot get used to. Another tip is that water costs money in most European countries, so I often end up drinking alcoholic drinks, since it costs around the same.

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!

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.

Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee

August 23, 2013Leave a comment

J always craves shaved ice, but doing a quick Google search of shaved ice locations in Richmond, I found that most of the best ones seemed to be at food courts. And others, of course being at typical bubble tea shops, which we’ve probably all been to by now. Since most malls close by 9:00pm, the food court wasn’t really an option for me, so I ventured out to look outside of Richmond. I found Tealips, which had pretty good ratings, and although it was a 30 minute drive to Burnaby, I gave it a shot.

The place actually seems to be Korean-owned, and they offer not only shaved ice, but waffles, coffee, tea, and other bubble tea drinks. The place also has wi-fi so you will see many customers with their laptops. The environment actually reminds me of Blenz, except they serve drinks and food other than coffee. It was quite busy the Friday night we went, but we luckily still found a two-seater table.

After placing your order and paying at the cash register, you are given a buzzer, much like the one at the Cheesecake Factory down in the States. I love how Korean restaurants always know how to utilize technology to their fullest. Super convenient and efficient way and customers don’t need to stand around waiting for their orders to be called.

Matcha Shaved Ice

There were only three types of shaved ice to choose from: red bean, match, and cocoa. As usual, I suggested we get the Matcha. They say that their shaved ice is an “Authentic Korean Dessert called Bing Soo”. And they also claim that there is 100% pure Japanese green tea. And it definitely was. Because even the Ice Cream on the top was just vanilla ice cream, but covered with match powder. and the shaved ice was also mixed with matcha powder. You could definitely taste the flavour of the tea and its hint of bitterness. However, it was fine because it was balanced out with the condensed milk and sweetness of the other ingredients. There were red bean, thinly sliced almonds, mochi, and an abundant of fruits. The fruit included chopped up strawberries, bananas, and my pineapples. I really enjoyed the pineapples and it was really sweet. The mochi was green tea mochi that were orginally a big ball and they were cut up into little pieces. They also sold these mochis separately. I wish that they had more mochi in the shaved ice though.

All in all, the shaved ice was quite delicious and refreshing. It is a very large bowl, hence priced at around $9, but is perfect to share with a friend. I hear that their bubble tea is also pretty good, so I would love to come back to try some.