This is a family run restaurant and they make everything on site. Ingredients change based on what’s available at the market. The most memorable experience was when I went for dinner with my brother-in-law. We had gone for lunch a few times, but this night we wanted something more substantial and the rest of the party decided to call it a night.
Speaking Spanish, the owner was over joyed. We would get their very best
while we talked about Canada and things to see in Barcelona. I was happy to practice my Spanish too!
First they brought the Foie gras ravioli with truffle oil. My brother-in-law and I were surprised. This wasn’t what we expected as it relates to
Spanish cuisine, but we were game to try just about anything. Well, we were both dumbfounded. The raviolis were perfectly cooked. You could tell the pasta was homemade as was
the filling. They melted in your
mouth. Truffle oil can be quite over
powering, but this one was very mild with notes of wild mushrooms. The foie gras filling was delicable, unlike
anything I’ve ever had. The owner wasn’t
sure how to read us, but was overjoyed when I told him it was the best meal
we’d had in Barcelona and that was only after the first bite! The plate was artfully decorated with fresh
chives and the truffle oil was drizzled in a creative design on the plate and
over the raviolis. It was so beautiful
you felt bad disturbing the food.
The second course was a salad. It
was a fresh crisp course, but I think we both would have preferred more
raviolis! Not long after came the
salted cod or Bacalao. This is a staple
and traditional dish. Some make it with
a red or tomato sauce others with a pil-pil or green sauce. This was the more common version with tomato
sauce. The salted cod is soaked in water
for days to remove the saltiness. They make the tomato sauce using fresh
tomatoes, onions and peppers along with various spices. It is simmered for hours to just the right
consistency before adding the cod which is floured and quickly fried first,
then added to the sauce so that it absorbs the flavours and cooks through
before serving.
The cod was delicious. I almost
started to cry. It tasted identical to
my mother’s and I’ve never met anyone that could duplicate her recipes
exactly. It was like Mom was reaching
out and hugging me. This dish was
comfort food for us growing up. We also
had it at Easter. I hadn’t had bacalao
like this since before Mom passed away. The
fish fell apart in your mouth. It was
tender and perfectly seasoned. The sauce
was thick and very flavourful. The owner
was touched when I told him it tasted just like my mother’s. He could tell I was being honest as I was very
emotional. I ordered some to bring back
to our apartment for my sister. She
absolutely had to try it, I knew she’d agree with me. My brother-in-law loved it too. There was nothing left on our plates, the
owner insisted on bringing out more. It
brought him great joy to watch us enjoy our meals.
We sat and chatted for a while then the owner instructed the waiter to
bring out dessert and coffee. Didn’t
matter that we were beyond full, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. They brought out flan or crème caramel as we
call it in Canada and Crema Catalana. Oh
my goodness, we were in gastronomic heaven.
Good thing it was a beautiful night and our apartment was several blocks
away. No bus or subway, we needed to
walk all of this food off!
My sister was shocked, the bacalao did taste just like Mom’s. The kids loved it too!
If ever you venture over to Barcelona, you have to try this restaurant.
It’s been in operation since 1976 and I can see why it does so well. As they say in Catalan, the food is “deliciós”.
Hasta pronto!
Carm the Foodie
Hasta pronto!
Carm the Foodie
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