Cerveceria Catalana - a perfect meal

To me, there's no place in the world that encapsulates joie de vivre as much as Barcelona. It's a city that doesn't start to wake up until 10 am, enjoys a long leisurely lunch followed by a nice afternoon siesta, then really starts to come alive after 6 pm. It's a city where wine is literally cheaper than water, where jamon refers to fresh slices of rich, salty Serrano or Iberico ham cut straight from the hindleg of a pig that sits on a counter, hoof and all (rather than processed, oversalty, oversweet Oscar Meyer American ham), and where even the humblest loaf of bread is made magically delicious with a little bit of tomato, olive oil and salt. 

What I love best about Barcelona is its approach to food: simple, fresh, pure in flavor. One of my favorite places to eat in Barcelona is Cerveceria Catalana, an insanely popular casual eatery among locals and tourists alike. If you get here after 9 pm, you will have to wait outside with legions of other people waiting to grab a seat at the counter or a table. If you're used to eating at more "normal" hours (i.e, dinner before 8 pm), you'll fare better and should be able to snag a seat at the counter. Cerveceria Catalana is also open for breakfast and lunch - you can't go wrong any time of day, but for some of the best tapas in Barcelona, try to fit in at least one lunch or dinner.

Montaditos (mini sandwiches) available at breakfast. The full menu is not available at breakfast, just sandwiches, pastries, fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee (and wine and beer, if you want)


Tapas offerings at the bar during lunch and dinner - if it's your first time, the best seat in the house is at the counter where you can simply point to the dishes you want (most of them are not listed on the printed English menu). You choose what you want, and the servers will start cooking/preparing your tapas - the green peppers above (pimientos de padron) would be fried with olive oil and sea salt, the goat cheese skewers covered with almonds would be deep-fried into a lollipop with soft gooey cheese covered by raspberry jam - decadent and delicious.

Pimientos de padron

 Marinated vegetables topped with goat cheese disc - the cheese is torched before being served so that it is soft and melty.

 Mini hamburguesa with cheese and caramelized onion - absolutely recommended!

Food rating: *****
Bang for buck rating: 5

The essentials:
No website
Location: 236 C/Mallorca, Eixample, Barcelona, Spain
Average price of meal for two (including drinks): 30 euros

Txistorra with fagioli beans and bell pepper

The first time I tried txistorra was in Valencia at Casa Montaña, a fantastic tapa bar near the beach. It was presented simply on a white plate, fried in hard cider. Txistorra is a cured sausage from the Basque country, seasoned with garlic and paprika. It's fantastic for frying and serving with eggs for breakfast or as a tapa. Because it's rather fatty and salty, I like to fry txistorra with either mushrooms or beans, both of which mellow out the salt and spice. I've prepared txistorra a half dozen times now, but this recipe, which I assembled from what was available in my fridge and pantry, is my favorite so far. I served this dish for brunch along with Spanish tortilla, roasted asparagus and fruit salad.

Ingredients/Sources in HK

Txistorra - Available in the refrigerated cured meats section at CitySuper IFC

Fagioli beans - I used a can of beans that I picked up at Oliver's

Yellow bell pepper - anywhere, but try to get organic

Olive oil
Red wine 

Preparation

Heat a pan over medium heat and add about 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Chop the txistorra and add to the hot oil, lower heat to somewhere between low and medium. The sausage should slowly brown, and the spices should be seeping out so that the olive oil is a bright burnt orange color. Drain the can of beans and rinse well. Chop the bell pepper into thin slices. Once the sausage has browned around the edges, add 2-3 tablespoons of red wine and cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the bell pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the drained beans and continue to cook until beans start to brown (but they should not get mushy). Turn off heat and serve immediately.

Gazpacho, a taste of summer in Spain

I fell in love with Spain from the moment I arrived in Barcelona the first time, back in 2006. Since then, I've tried to visit at least once a year - my trips always include a new part of Spain I haven't been to previously, but also always include at least a couple days in Barcelona, my happiest place on earth. This past summer, my annual pilgrimage to Spain included a drive down to, then back up to Barcelona from, the Costa Blanca, with stops in Alicante, Denia and Valencia, and ended with the requisite couple days in Barcelona.

Gazpacho is the ultimate summer food in Spain - refreshing, light yet deeply satisfying. There are many variations to gazpacho, but my favorite is a nice and simple traditional version made with day-old bread that cuts the acidity of the tomato and vinegar and makes the cool soup creamy and smooth.

My recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver's jamie does...spain, italy, sweden, morocco, greece, france. After fiddling with the recipe, I found that adding a handful of marcona almonds to the blend makes the soup even creamier, and really gives the dish a nice richness.

Ingredients:

2 2-inch slices of day-old bread (I like to use rustic country bread - cut the crust off and just use the white part)

5 or 6 medium ripe tomatoes, the sweetest ones you can find

1/3 of an English cucumber or 1 kirby cucumber

1 bell pepper of any color, deseeded and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed roughly with the side of your knife

A glug of good-quality Spanish EVOO

Apple cider vinegar

Maldon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

A small handful of marcona almonds

Garnishes: mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, olives, chopped boiled egg, hardboiled quail egg, herbs, croutons, Iberico or Serrano ham

Sources for ingredients in HK:

• Bread - I love Po's Atelier, tucked away in a secluded, cozy corner of Sheung Wan. The fromage stick accompanying the gazpacho in the photo above is from Po's Atelier. 62 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan http://www.facebook.com/posatelier
• Tomatoes  - I usually buy tomatoes still on the vine from CitySuper at IFC or Oliver's in the Prince's Building
• Cucumber - buy organic, the firmest and freshest cucumber you can find. You can usually find decent ones at CitySuper
• Bell pepper - most of the international grocery stores around town stock organic green, red and yellow bell peppers
• Spanish EVOO - ok, so it doesn't have to be Spanish, but if you're making gazpacho, it just seems more authentic to use Spanish olive oil. You can find good variety at CitySuper
• Apple cider vinegar  - I like the bio-dynamic apple cider vinegar from Mock Red Hill stocked at 360 in the Landmark
• Maldon sea salt - you can find this at any of the gourmet international grocers (Oliver's, 360, CitySuper)
• Marcona almonds - CitySuper stocks these. I suppose you could use regular almonds, but make sure they are skinless

Preparation:

Cut off the crust of the bread and soak in a bowl of water. Prick each of the tomatoes with a sharp knife, then put in a bowl and cover with boiling water for about 20-30 seconds. Drain, then peel the skins off the tomatoes. In a food processor or mixer, add the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and garlic. Top with the soaked bread, and pour in a generous glug of EVOO and a little apple cider vinegar. Go easy on the vinegar - you can add more later if you like it more tart. Blend until smooth, add salt and pepper to taste. If you really need to, you can add a pinch of sugar, but if the tomatoes are sweet, it will not be necessary. Add in the almonds and blend again until smooth. The color will be a cool orangeish pink, slightly creamy looking. Add more EVOO or vinegar to your liking and blend. Put into a bowl or jug and cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.

I like to serve this topped with a little bit of chopped hardboiled egg or half a hardboiled quail egg, a bamboo stick skewer of sweet cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls and olives, and a freshly baked crouton or fromage stick from Po's, as pictured above.

Bikini Tapa

I often wax poetic about how brilliant (just brilliant!) Spain is, and so much of that has to do with its simply amazing and amazingly simple cuisine. I've spent about 5-10 days out of every year for the last several years in Spain (most often in Barcelona), and the other 355-360 days looking for restaurants that replicate the unique joie de vivre and deliciousness that are characteristic of eating out in Spain.

I've searched high and low and found that a truly authentic Spanish meal can only really be had in Spain (the experience isn't just about the food, but savoring each bite, each moment shared with friends, enjoying life!). BUT - there are experiences that come close.

At Bikini Tapa, the mood is boisterous and convivial. The iberico jamon is shaved directly off the pork leg sitting on the counter. The cava is bubbly and refreshing. And the pintxos (Basque-style tapas), tapas and paellas are well-executed. If you take a swig of tinto (red wine) and close your eyes, for a second, it feels like you're in Barcelona. Except that you're on the fourth floor of a shopping center in Shibuya.

Boquerones (anchovies in olive oil) and pimientos de padron with sea salt

Typical pintxo - various meat/seafood toppings on a slice of crusty bread, often with a healthy dose of mayonnaise, speared with a toothpick

Grilled vegetables

Gambas al ajillo

Crema Catalana - Catalunya's version of creme brulee

Food rating: *** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
www.four-seeds.co.jp/brand/bikini_tapa
Location: 4F, Mark City, Shibuya
Average price of dinner for two (with drinks): 8000 yen (~$90)

Bodega Santa Rita

I've been known to wax poetic about Spain. I've called it my soulmate (if a country could be a soulmate). I've called it the most brilliant country in the world. And in the last two or three years have traveled to and throughout Spain four times. So if you don't know by now, I love Spain. And I love Spanish food. Jamon iberico, queso manchego, paella, arroz negro, fideua, gazpacho, tapas, rioja, cava...I love it all.

In my experience, "jamon iberico" served anywhere outside of Spain simply falls short. It's usually too salty or not silky enough. But Bodega Santa Rita's jamon iberico was a perfectly opaque-thin slice of velvety just-right cured saltiness. The tortilla Espanola was cooked perfectly. The gambas al ajillo came sizzling in a clay dish swimming in garlic and olive oil. And the lamb skewers came topped with a thin slice of delicious foie gras. Even though I was in a shopping/restaurant complex in the middle of central Tokyo, the authentic flavors, combined with a couple glasses of tinto (red wine), transported me to Espana.


Jamon Iberico


Tortilla Espanola - the most humble yet delicious (and ubiquitous of Spanish dishes) - a thick wedge of eggs, onions, potatoes, olive oil and salt


Gambas al ajillo


Broiled scallops on the half shell


Grilled pork skewers with roasted red peppers


Grilled lamb topped with foie gras

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://br-miyakawa.hp.infoseek.co.jp/bodega/
Location: first floor of Garden Terrace in Tokyo Midtown complex, Roppongi, Tokyo
Average price of meal for two: 11,000 yen (~$120)