Shoot First Eat Later

Barcelona: Gaudi’s Casa Batlló

We had a free day and Rochelle and I chose to go shopping along the famous Passeig de Gracia. I don’t even remember where my other cousins went. When we went out one store and was about to cross the street Rochelle looked ahead and said, “That looks like a house Gaudi would design.”

We quickly crossed the street and shrieked with joy, it was Casa Batlló, a building owned by Mr. Josep Batlló and renovated by Gaudi from 1904-1906. I wanted to see all of Gaudi’s works but we didn’t have time so it was an amazing bonus to see this building. We were the only ones who got to see this. See, shopping has it’s benefits!

The facade of the building is covered with mosaics made with glass and ceramic tiles.

Surprisingly there was a very short line so we paid for our tickets and got an audio guide.

Just like Gaudi’s work at Park Güell he seemed to avoid straight lines in this private residence.

A perfect secluded spot for courting couples [is] tucked away in the romantic mushroom-shaped fireplace, which is flanked by a bench on either side, one for the chaperone and the other for the couple being chaperoned. source

fireplace

Gaudí created large oak doors with organic shapes into which are set panes of stained glass. These doors, as well as separating the three rooms, allow a single light-filled space to be created. source

The ceiling is wavy, in allusion to the sea. It features an ingenious whirlpool effect which Gaudí achieved using an esparto plaster filling and which evokes the power of the sea. source

central light well

There were really cute souvenirs in the store.

I really liked the scale models of the chairs but they cost more than €200 each!

skylight

The loft is one of the most unusual spaces, and is a delightful combination of the aesthetic and the functional. It was formerly a service area for the tenants of the various apartments in the building and housed laundry rooms, storage areas, etc.

It is characterised by the simplicity of its shapes, its Mediterranean influence through the use of the colour white, and its all-pervading light. It features a series of 60 catenary arches, creating a space which evokes the&nbspribcage of an animal – perhaps the dragon which sits above it, on the roof terrace, which is accessed by spiral stairs. source

chimney

We took the tiny but well maintained elevator to the ground floor. It was a great tour of another Gaudi masterpiece. I wish I got the chance to see Casa Milà too. I’ll put that on my list the next time I go back to Barcelona.

Casa Batlló
Passeig de Gràcia, 43 – 08007 Barcelona
telephone: +34 93 216 03 06
website

Barcelona: Sweet Treats

Right after our super delicious lunch at Santa Maria del Mar Restaurant we went in bubó, a pastry shop by Catalan pastry chef Carles Mampel, which was nearby.

I’ve never seen so may different colors and unique flavors of marshmallows before. I wonder what gourmet marshmallows tasted like. I wish I bought some to try.

Guimauve (marshmallow)

macarons

I can’t believe I left the store empty handed. I was too full from lunch to to decide among all the gorgeous looking pastries.

pastries

I love these stairs in a store we went in to. It showed the calories you will lose with each step up the stairs.

I wasn’t really planning to eat gelato in Barcelona since I was saving that for Italy but the display was at Tomo II was so unique it drew me into buying a small cup.

The gelato was kept in this huge space age looking freezer.

When you choose a flavor the server hits a button and the display will spin and stop at the correct flavor. Neat huh?

The gelato was superb. One of the darkest and richest chocolate gelatos I’ve ever eaten. This was not for the chocolate wimp.

extra dark chocolate gelato €2.80

We kept walking to burn off the calories and found this beautiful gothic church, Barcelona Cathedral.

Catedral Basílica de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral)

Beside the church was this structure that housed Gaudi’s studio.

I really wanted to go in but we couldn’t find an open entrance. We even walked around the whole building.

El Taller De Gaudi (Gaudi’s Studio)

I wouldn’t dream of eating McD in a country abound with spectacular food but the pastries displayed at this McCafe along Passeig de Gracia was too pretty and tempting to ignore.

McCafe Barcelona

Was I dreaming? The cakes looked amazing.

chocolate cake & tiramisu

brownies & cupcakes

muffins & cupcakes

I bet you can guess what I bought.

easy order

Rochelle tried a pistachio macaron. It wasn’t horrible but it was nothing we would buy again.

pistachio macaron €.75

My cookie was a bit over baked but it was good enough to satisfy my chocolate and cookie cravings.

triple chocolate cookie €1.50

bubó Born
Caputxes, 10 08003 Barcelona (Spain)
telephone: 932 687 224
website

Tomo II
Calle Argenteria, 61 08003 Barcelona
website

Dinner at BBQ Republic

For the past couple of months every time I passed by Wilson St. or whenever I go to Animal House I’d see the sign of BBQ Republic. From the logo I surmised it would be one of those chicken / pork barbecue with java rice kind of place. When I went there a week ago for my birthday dinner with my parents, an aunt and an uncle I was surprised to find more than I expected.

You order at the counter fast food style and they bring your food to the table.

Sure it had chicken and pork on the menu but the cut of the meat and size of the portions on the stick were definitely Japanese inspired. Think of those grilled yaki tori and exotic innards you’ve seen on Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Tokyo.

There was a monitor for you to see what you ordered and how much is costs. What a great way to avoid any misunderstanding with the order taker.

I loved the graphics on the wall designed by young graphic designer, Ben Lim.

Even the rice container carried the theme and logo of the chef that could be Italian Japanese.

BBQ Republic’s menu (click on the picture to enlarge)

Since I wasn’t really sure how many sticks the six of us can eat I decided to order two set meals which included unlimited rice and soup and the rest different kinds of bbq sticks so we can try more variety.

I liked how their menu was organized. It gave good value for heavy rice eaters and more options for non rice eater like me.

BBQ Republic- fried chicken karaage meal P149

I was told their bestsellers were the chicken karaage, bacon wrapped fish and beef with garlic. Each stick contained two bite sized pieces of fried chicken thigh. Since I don’t eat dark meat I couldn’t comment on this. The others liked it enough.

fried chicken karaage meal P149

If you have kids who don’t eat fish then you have to let them try this. Don’t tell them what it is they’ll never guess. They’ll be swayed by all the lovely glistening bacon and totally ignore whatever is inside. If you like bacon then this is for you.

bacon wrapped fish meal P179

I liked the beef best among the three bestsellers. It was tender, well marinated and just delicious when eaten together with the sliver of garlic.

beef with garlic P50/stick

My aunt’s ultimate favorite were the chicken hearts. She ate two sticks all by herself so we had to order more. The pork belly had the most meat per stick and it tasted like your typical Pinoy bbq. It’s actually the only Pinoy bbq in the menu.

chicken liver, chicken heart, pork belly P25/stick

For the rest of us our favorite was the chicken liver. One stick turned into five as I kept ordering more. I don’t really eat chicken liver unless it’s in the form of paté but this was just divine. The buttery liver had a salty sweet glaze on it and I specially enjoyed the crisp burned edges. I should ordered some chicken tail (pwet ng manok) too. That’s next on my list.

chicken liver

When I thought our dinner was over I spied some baby squid on the next table and ordered some. These babies are on limited quantities daily so make sure go early and order it fast. I wouldn’t be surprised if this doesn’t become their next bestseller knowing the Pinoy’s penchant for grilled squid.

stuffed baby squid P45/stick

The delicate flavor of the baby squid stuffed with onions and tomatoes was just explosive.

It was only while eating the squid that I found myself reaching for the sauce. All the others were just right on it’s own. I tried dipping it in the Pinoy sauce first. Oh wow! I loved the perfect blend of soy sauce and calamansi and whatever else they put in it. It wasn’t too salty or too sour.

Next I tried the Japanese sauce. Double wow!! It was sweet and savory just like teriyaki sauce. I wanted to eat the sauce on it’s own. I’m sure it would be great doused on rice. Doused I tell you. Top it with some spicy togarashi and you have a semi-Japanese rice in a flash.

sauces

BBQ Republic is owned by the Lao brothers, who happen to be my 2nd cousins, and some of their wives. Even if I’m related to them we paid for our meal. Business is business right?

BBQ Republic’s Lao brothers

Youngest brother Chris is in charge of the recipes and the kitchen. Good job Chris!

The meat are grilled in this high tech ceramic griller that goes around and drops the finished bbq down the chute. No charcoal, no carcinogens. Just good grilled flavor.

The only thing I see missing in the menu are veggies. I suggest grilling fresh shiitake mushroom skewered with some onions and peppers or grilled corn on the cob would be great. How about a kani salad or cold cucumber sesame salad as side dishes? Maybe we’ll see shrimp in the future too?

Whether you want a full meal, a light snack or just some pica pica then BBQ Republic is the place to go. Just don’t forget to order the chicken liver and baby squid and say hi to my cousins when you go there. They’re very friendly guys.

BBQ Republic (now closed)
229 Wilson St., 1502 San Juan, Philippines
Weekdays: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Weekends: 11:00 am – 12:00 midnight
Call 2342209 for take outs or pick ups
For deliveries, pls. call CityDelivery at 87878
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Barcelona: Best Paella at Sta Maria Del Mar Bar – Restaurant

If you’ve been following my European Vacation posts on this blog you must think we are the most boring diners since almost all of our meals in Spain include paella. That’s because we love paella and we’ve been obsessed looking for the BEST paella. This was our last paella in Spain and thank goodness it was also the best. Read on and find out who the chef was.

From the Sagrada Familia we all took the metro to Place de Sta. Maria where some wanted to go to the Picasso museum while the rest just wanted to eat lunch. Our tour guide Marta suggested the area as a good place to find good eats.

These huge dumpsters were common around the city. Not a pretty sight but obviously an effective solution since the city was quite clean.

Their pedicabs/rickshaws had a nice design unlike the ones we have in Manila.

There was a wedding at the Santa Maria Del Mar church, one of the most beautiful churches in Barcelona with a Gothic style of architecture.

We peeked in this restaurant to see what it offered.

Outside we saw a Filipino guy and asked where’s a good place to eat and he said at the restaurant where he worked, Sta Maria del Mar restaurant. He told us the chef was Filipino too and we jokingly asked him to tell the chef to make our paella extra good and to give us more.

An order of paella costs €10.80 and was good for 2 people so we ordered two paelleras of black rice with cuttlefish.

menu (click to enlarge)

We sat outside and was literally across the church.

We’ve grown to love marinated anchovies and ordered it every time we can. Such a simple dish but bursting with flavors from the vinegar and olive oil.

marinated anchovies

We finally ordered chorizo. It was delicious with bread.

chorizo

Even their gambas was yummy.

gambas al ajillo

When the paella arrived we were shocked at how plenty it was. How on earth were 4 people supposed to finish an order let alone two. We asked the Spanish waiter if this was really good for two. He said normally an order was only half the depth but the Filipino chef gave us more. Even the cuttlefish was plentiful. We didn’t expect them to take us seriously but we’re glad they did.

Words cannot describe how good the paella was. The rice was soft without being overdone. It wasn’t too wet nor too dry. The cuttlefish was as tender as fish and there was a piece with every spoonful of rice I ate. The flavor of the squid ink and the broth used were intense without being overpowering. In short it was just perfect.

black rice with cuttlefish (paella negra) €10.80

What made the paella over-the-top freakin’ good was the aioli which was so much lighter than regular mayonnaise. It had the texture of whipped cream and the garlic intensity only a Filipino would understand. No mild garlic flavor here. This was ‘not on a date’ aioli that Ilocanos will be proud of.

aioli

Eating the paella negra with the aioli was a gourmand’s wet dream. Imagine finding the best paella and it was cooked by a Pinoy.

This is what we managed to consume and we still had a whole paellera untouched. What did we do with it? My cousin Sha mixed in all the remaining aioli in the paella and we had it wrapped up. We kept it in our hotel room’s refrigerator not knowing how to reheat it.

While eating we were entertained by these two buskers. The lady on the left reminded me of Jennifer Garner.

After singing and playing around with a ball they came to our table with their hats turned upside down asking for donations.

Finally the bride and groom come out.

After lunch we went to the kitchen at the side to thank the chef. Their entire kitchen staff were Filipinos. The chef used to be a nurse who became a cook. We bowed at his feet for his excellent cooking.

To all the Filipinos in Barcelona please do visit this restaurant and let them know I sent you there. I told them their pictures will be on my blog. You will not regret it. It may just be the best paella of your life too. The Spanish manager of the restaurant was obviously proud of his staff too.

The next day we had the leftover aioli infused paella reheated by our hotel’s restaurant and it was just as good. After lunch we still had a container left so we brought that with us on the plane ride to Florence. Yes, that’s how precious it was to us.

I can’t find any address or telephone number for this restaurant. Just go to the Santa Maria del Mar church and you will see it. Say hi to all the Pinoys there for me!

Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia

For me the most important attraction in my entire European vacation was La Sagrada Familia. I was just awed by Antoni Gaudi’s masterpiece and the history behind it.

The most important tip I can give to anyone planning to go to Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) is to buy your tickets online and to get an audio guide or even better a guided tour which I plan to do when I go back to Barcelona. As concise as the audio guide was I felt it was lacking in information that only a seasoned guide can give. Also don’t forget to print your tickets which most of us forgot thankfully Sha had the foresight to print everyone’s tickets. There was a long, long line of people who were just buying their tickets on site.

La modeling the audio guide

Construction commenced in 1882 to a bland and uninspired neo-gothic design by Francesco del Villar, who left the project a year later with only the lower part of the crypt built. The young Antonio Gaudi was called in as replacement architect in 1883 and immediately began his radical transformation of the design, discarding Villar’s dull plans and completing the crypt and apse walls in his own version of gothic, though this was still conservative compared with what was to follow.

Gaudi always knew the project was too vast to be completed in his lifetime and was expecting other generations to finish what he had begun. Very little of the overall church then existed, he left us only the crypt, apse walls and one of the three facades, but plans and models indicated what was to come next, and also how much revision his original, more conservative concepts had undergone. The overall plan of the building follows the traditional cathedral layout with nave, transepts and apse. However Gaudi was adding much more, with protruding chapels, an encircling cloister and no less than 18 steeples, all symbolic with 12 for the Apostles, four on each facade, one over the apse for Mary, and four representing the Gospel Writers surrounding thetallest and largest of all over the crossing represening Christ. The three facades were to be adorned with sculpure on different themes, the Birth of Christ (Nativity Facade, east/’south’ transept), the Passion of Christ (Passion Facade, west/’north’ transept) and the Last Judgement (Glory Facade, main south/’west’ facade of nave). source

This was the second façade to be built following Gaudí’s original project. The architect, who only left the decorative part annotated, foresaw that future generations would make interventions on it according to the aesthetic tastes of the moment. Such is the case of the sculptural decoration by Josep Maria Subirachs and the stained glass by Joan Vila-Grau.

The Passion façade is so called because it represents the Passion of Jesus, in other words, the pain, the sacrifice and the death, as staged along the twelve stations of the cross, expressed in highly dramatic and emotionally intense sculpture groups. source

Passion facade

Works of Subirachs

The bronze doors made by Subirachs contained text from the gospels of Matthew and John recounting the last days of the life of Jesus.

These scale models of the church which is scheduled to be completed in 2026, a hundred years after the death of Gaudi, show the different facades including what the Glory facade will look like when completed. Even with today’s modern equipment the minute details Gaudi planned will still a long time to construct.

Glory facade (left)

This is the uncompleted Glory Facade.

This door was just put in for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in November 2010 when La Sagrada Familia was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica.

This is the main façade which will be the entrance to the church when it is finished. As it is so important, Gaudí included in the project the construction of a great exterior flight of steps that provided access to the church with a solemnity befitting the place.

The Glory façade was given that name because it represents the situation of man within the general order of creation: his origins, his problems, the roads he must take and his purpose. Like the other façades, it will have three entrances (a main door dedicated to charity and two side doors dedicated to hope and faith), and a porch with seven columns that will symbolise the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and present the virtues opposed to the sins.

The façade will have various sculpted elements and on the upper part, above the roof of the narthex, stretching along the four bell towers there will be stone clouds bearing the Credo written in large letters. The bell towers will be consecrated to the apostles St Andrew, St Peter, St Paul and St James the Great, ordered from left to right.

The Glory façade faces south so that the sun beats down on it for most of the day, in harmony with its significance: the exaltation of its strong life and joyous spirit. Gaudí himself said: “Glory is light, light gives joy and joy is the happiness of the spirit”. For technical reasons it is the last of the three façades to be built and its architectural and decorative design follow Gaudí’s original idea. source

Glory facade

According to our tour guide Marta this building right in front of the Glory facade will have to be destroyed when the time comes since the facade’s walkway will extend up to there.

This side entrance to the church was the first to be built and the only one Gaudí completed in his lifetime. The architect represented Jesus more human part and celebrated his birth by depicting an exultant nature on a Gothic base. The Nativity façade faces east, which is where the sun rises every day, so that it symbolically expresses the birth of life.

The Nativity façade is so called because it presents the birth, childhood and young manhood of Jesus. The entrance to the church from this façade is through a central door and two side doors dedicated to the three theological virtues: hope, charity and faith, the names given to each of the three doors. These three virtues are vital in the life of Jesus, in analogy to St Joseph, Our Lady and Jesus. At the top rise four bell towers, dedicated to the apostles St Barnabas, St Jude, St Simon and St Matthew, from left to right. source

Nativity facade

Shepherds & Angels

The details are just intense.

Angelic Choir

Nativity Group

Presentation

There were also lots of astonishing architectural details inside the church.

Spiral Staircase

Aisle Windows

Red Window

Since Sagrada Familia is an expiatory church it relies only on donations for it to be built. I was happy to find this from the Filipino community.

ground plans & columns

Can you believe the details on the ceiling?

Aisle Vaults

forest of columns

The galleries which wrapped around the church could hold 1,000 choir singers.

Vaults & Choir Galleries

Apse & Ambulatory

The highlight of the altar is this suspended crucifix.

Altar with suspended crucifix

Cloister of Our Lady Rosary

Museum

There were several pictures in the museum showing the early stages of construction.

This is a picture of what the Glory facade will look like when completed.

The church was packed to capacity when Pope Bendict XVI consecrated Sagrada Familia.

The pope shown in this picture entering through the bronze doors of the Glory facade.

Choir singers filled the galleries that Gaudi designed.

scale model of a nave

We finished the audio guide tour in a little over an hour. I wanted to stay longer and explore more parts of the church but the group had other plans. I wasn’t able to go to the crypt either. The visit to La Sagrada Familia was definitely the highlight of my trip to Spain.

We have plans to return to Barcelona in 2026 to see the completed La Sagrada Familia. But I want to go back sooner than that to see all the places I missed and maybe go to other parts of Spain too.

Read more about La Sagrada Familia here.

Barcelona: Dinner at La Fonda Del Port Olimpic

Before parting with with our tour guide Marta we asked her for her restaurant recommendation at the Olympic Marina. She suggested La Fonda Del Port Olimpic so that’s where we went. It was a short walk from my cousins’ hotel.

The Olympic Village is a young neighbourhood which offers visitors a whole host of possibilities for their leisure time. Overlooking the sea, it is the ideal place to enjoy a stroll while admiring the cutting-edge architecture, enjoying a delicious meal in the marina or a dip in the sea along the Barcelona coastline.

The Olympic Village was created in the Sant Martí district for the 1992 Olympic Games, when the decision was taken to build an entire neighbourhood by the sea to house the athletes who were going to take part in the sporting competitions. This major urban-planning project brought about the regeneration of large areas of the city’s coastline and reclaimed a derelict industrial site. The leading architects of the time were chosen to design housing blocks, and Barcelona gained a residential district as well as new beaches, spacious landscaped areas and public amenities.

A number of chimneys still dot the skyline, providing a reminder of the industrial past of a neighbourhood that offers Barcelona’s best leisure opportunities. Looking up, you’ll see two skyscrapers towering over the Olympic Marina, the Torre Mapfre and the luxury Hotel Arts, which stands 144 metres in height. Below it, a giant goldfish, designed by Frank Gehry, overlooks the sea. The Olympic Marina has over 40 bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious meal at any time of the day.

And the beaches, which stretch out on either side of the port, invite you to take a cooling dip or a stroll along the seafront. The area also offers a wide range of water sports and sailing activities. source

Without Marta’s recommendation we would have had a hard time choosing from all these restaurants.

This looks like a nice place to go drinking at night.

Frank Gehry created this goldfish sculpture and placed it at the foot of the hotel. The sculpture is 56 metres long and 35 metres high.

Peix (Fish), Frank Gehry

a rare cousins picture

These were displayed outside the restaurant. The cochinillo (baby pig) wasn’t even fully cooked yet.

olives

I really enjoyed the traditional pan de tomate or toasted bread rubbed with garlic, tomatoes and drizzled with olive oil. I must have eaten 2-3 slices. I thought these were free since we didn’t order it until I saw the bill.

Pan de Tomate €1.62*4=6.48

Sha ordered these two extra appetizers. I liked the razor clams a lot.

navajas plancha (razor clams) €13.50

anchoas de l’Escal €9.21

We all ordered this set menu. It came with bottled water and bottles of house wine.

La Fonda Del Port Olimpic’s menu €17 (€18.36 with tax)

We ordered per family of 4. Each group got the same salad, squid and mussels. We ordered different entrees so we could try more kinds of food. With just the starters I was already more than half full.

ensalada de la Fonda (mixed salad)

The shrimp and mussels were fresh and well cooked.

calamares a la Romana (batter fried squid)

mejilones a la marinera (mussels fisherman’s style)

One person had the baked fish which I wasn’t able to try.

baked gilthead

The rest ordered paella. The portions were quite generous and it was quite good. Not the best but definitely more than edible.

paella de marico (fisherman’s paella)

arroz negro (black rice)

This gentleman even serenaded us. He reminded us of Palito the Filipino comedian.

We were even given 3 kinds of dessert.

pudding

chocolate mousse

Everyone’s favorite was the crema Catalan similar to crème brûlée.

crema Catalan

As a bonus the waiter even gave us ice cold apple schnapp and limoncello. Yum!!!!

apple schnapp & limoncello

Chee, Ethan, Erin and La

For roughly the same price as our buffet at Monchos the food at La Fonda was far superior and everyone enjoyed the meal.

Across the restaurant we all gawked at the giant croissant and asked permission to take pictures.

They even gave Erin and Ryan a small piece of croissant.

La Fonda Del Port Olimpic
Moll de Gregal, 7-10, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
telephone: 93 221 22 10
website

Barcelona: Hotel Arts Barcelona

In Barcelona our big group of 15 stayed in three different hotels depending on each one’s budget. Rochelle, Sharon & I stayed in AC Hotel Sants which was moderately priced, sized and quite clean. Houma and her two sons stayed in the middle of La Ramblas at Hotel Barcelona House. My two cousins, siblings La & Sid stayed in the luxurious Hotel Arts Barcelona.

We took a cab to Port Olimpic where the hotel was located to see how the other half lived. Our taxi’s meter was on the rear view mirror. Isn’t the tray table at the back of the chair so cute?

I couldn’t resist taking this picture.

Just from the lobby it was obvious how elegant the hotel was.

Just like the bathroom in our hotel the door provided little privacy.

Our entire room could fit in this bathroom!

My cousins had two kids each and they needed a big room to fit.

I loved the Bang & Olufsen stereo!

I helped myself to some espresso. Later on my cousin-in-law Chee kindly informed me that the coffee was billed to the room. I was shocked. Usually the coffee in hotel rooms with Nespresso machines are free like here and here. At least in our hotel the Nespresso coffee was free in the lobby at odd hours. (insert grin)

Sidney’s room had a better view of the marina and the beach. Yes, the hotel was located next to the beach which the kids went to.

If you have the budget then this hotel is a lovely place to stay in. A caveat is it’s farther to the city but it has access to the Metro. There are also many restaurants in the area which is a big plus.

Hotel Arts Barcelona
Marina 19–21 08005 Barcelona, Spain
telephone: +34 93 2211000
website

Barcelona: La Boqueria Market

I’ve read from several sources that the best food can be found in La Boqueria Market in Barcelona. Aside from selling all sorts of produce, fish, cured meats and candies there were also several tapas bars in the market.

We went to La Boqueria right after eating churros and espadrilles shopping. Even if I was still full I was hoping to try some tapas. When we got there around 6:00 pm and all the tapas bars were already closed! They close around 3-4 pm. What a big disappointment. We didn’t have time to go back so I have to go back to Barcelona for this among other things.

cured meats

Several stalls sold fruits, fruit juice, fruit shakes and cut up fruit.

It was a real market but it didn’t smell like our own wet markets in Manila. The Mercado San Miguel in Madrid was a cooked food market while La Boqueria combined raw and cooked food under one roof.

Spaniards have an affinity for sweets. This was just one of the many, many stalls dedicated to sweet treats.

chocolates

This stall sold typical Spanish sweets like torrones and crema de Catalan which I bought since they had free tastings.

This had to be the most charming egg stall I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know there were that many kinds of eggs and so many different colors and hues too.

eggs, huevos, uovo, oeuf, itlog

bacalao or salted cod

moxama or dried pressed tuna

anchovies (anchoas)

These unique looking creatures are called percebe cantabrico or goose barnacles.

shellfish

spices

I was tempted to try a fruit popsicle or helado. It’s also known as paleta in Mexican.

nuts galore

chili peppers

This guy was a friendly Pinoy so I bought some fruit jellies from him.

fresh fish

This was the first time I saw ham and salami packed together with cheese. It would be convenient for picnics or even lunch packs.

I wish a bought some churros with honey. I wonder if they taste as good as churros covered in chocolate.

churros with honey

baklava

These uniquely shaped tomatoes are called Montserrat tomatoes.

Like I said, more candies!!!

Picture on the left are cousins and on the right are batch mates. I wonder what the batch mates were laughing at.

La Boqueria Market
Rambla, 91 Mercat de la Boqueria
(Edifici Direcció, 2a planta)
08001 Barcelona
Telephone: 93 412 13 15
website

Around Barcelona, Xurreria, La Manual Alpargatera

Our day tour of Barcelona booked with Barcelona Day Tours and led by the fountain of knowledge named Marta took us to Montserrat, Park Güell and ended with a drive around famous places around Barcelona. We opt not to go to Sagrada Familia since we were going there on our own the next day.

We passed by Parc Joan Miró and saw this monument he completed just one year before he died at the age of 90. Joan Miró was a Barcelona born surrealist painter and sculptor.

These pictures were taken while I was in the tour bus.

Dona i Ocell’ Sculpture by Joan Miro

This used to be the last bullring in Barcelona. Now it’s a shopping complex. Too bad we didn’t have time to go shopping there.

Arenas de Barcelona

monument in Plaça d’Espanya (Plaza de España)

Montjuïc Telecommunications Tower

Olympic Stadium of Barcelona

The summer olympics were last held in Barcelona in 1992. We went to the well maintained and used stadium for a quick look. It’s also a popular venue for big concerts.

Next Marta brought us Montjuïc where we had a bird’s eye view of Port Vell and the cruise ports.

Port Vell

My cousin Sidney and his family took a Princess cruise a couple of days later.

From the hill we could see La Sagrada Familia.

Arc de Triomf

The bus then dropped us at Las Ramblas and Marta continued the tour on foot.

Las Ramblas

I will post about La Boqueria market separately.

Mercat de La Boqueria

Santa Maria del Mar

This narrow alley led to the Gothic Quarter which is the center of the old city of Barcelona.

This is dedicated to Senator Sotto. At least Spain is open minded and progressive enough to have stores like this.

After several disastrous churros in Madrid and Barcelona we begged Marta to take us to an authentic place. She brought us to this small hole in the wall without any tables or chairs.

Xurreria

patisset €1.20 & potato chips

The churros were made upon order. There was no hot chocolate though.

Who needs hot chocolate when the churro was light, not greasy and so crisp. Just a little sprinkling of sugar and it was perfect. All my bad churros experience in Spain was instantly erased. A bag of 5 pieces of churros cost only €1. If you really, really need hot chocolate go to La Granja five doors down and order a cup or two. I read from this blog that they allowed you to take the churros in their

xurros (churros) €1 for 5 pcs.

Initially we didn’t know what to expect with the chocolate covered churros so I bought 100 grams worth and shared it with my cousins and Rochelle. In a flash all my churros was gone and moans and groans could be heard echoing through the store’s walls. We all bought more until we depleted the store’s stock.

It was sheer genius to dip churros in chocolate. It was decadent and tasted better than dipping churros in hot chocolate. Amazingly the covered churros remained crisp and not oily. Although the batch we kept for breakfast the next morning became soft and greasy but Rochelle still ate it all. Anyone going to Barcelona has to go to Xurreria for these awesome churros.

xurros de xocolata €1.20 per 100 grams

These were all the women in our group all smiles after eating churros. Thanks Marta!!!

Next stop nearby was a popular store to buy espadrilles. Marta recommended La Manual Alpargatera as the best place to buy espadrilles.

Wow I’ve never seen espadrille booties. Cute!

Choose your color and size and the guy manning this wall of espadrilles will give you your shoes. Make sure you choose a size with a very snug fit because espadrilles will get loose with use.

The basic espadrille style on the lowest row cost only €10 each.

Almost everyone bought a pair or two except me. Both stores are closed on Sundays as discovered by my cousin La who went back for more churros.

Xurerria
Carrer dels Banys Nous, 8 08002 Barcelona

La Manual Alpargatera
C/. Avinyó, 7 – 08002 Barcelona
telephone: 93 3010172
website (not working)
Working hours: 9:30 am -1:30pm & 4:30 – 8:00 pm

Dinner at Maimee’s Garden Cafe

Last week I received a text from my friend Deb who invited me and my US based cousin, Stanley for dinner with some of his HS classmates. Since it was in a restaurant that was very near my house I quickly said yes. But then I hardly turn down dinner invitations – far or near.

I never expected to find a family home turned into a restaurant in the middle of Little Baguio in San Juan. Most of the house/restaurants are located in the Tomas Morato area in Quezon City. (Romulo Cafe, Bagoong Club, Taste of L.A., Napa)

Street parking was also available.

This was the outdoor seating area.

Inside was the air-conditioned dining room.

We sat in an enclosed function room. One of their classmates was the son of one of the owners and he joined us for dinner.

Deb said the iced tea was good and reminded her of butterfly iced tea.

Maimee’s special iced tea

The menu had mostly Filipino dishes with some pasta and international favorites. I didn’t expect to see an appetizer like brie. I wanted to try the nachos but Deb decided this would suit our older dining mates better.

It was just a store bought brie warmed in the oven and topped with honey, dried raisins, cranberries, mango and walnuts. What made it stand out was a spoonful of pesto. I’ve never tried the combination of pesto and honey and I must say it works! It was a really good starter. I just wish they provided more crostini since it wasn’t enough.

honey brie with crostini P250

They didn’t have any vegetables in the menu except for 3 kinds of salad. Deb chose this simple salad with sliced apples, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette.

Maimee’s garden salad P260

The gambas didn’t look like the typical gambas al ajillo since this version had lots of tomato sauce but once I tasted it I was instantly enamored. I simply loved the spicy sauce that I used the crostini above to mop up the yummy sauce. This would be perfect on pasta or eaten with lots of rice. With the crostini gone I proceeded to spoon the sauce into my mouth directly.

gambas al ajillo P330

The next three dishes are labelled Maimee’s Comfort food in the menu and I agree 100%. These dishes are meant to be shared and are on the small side. For our group of 6 guys and 2 gals we ordered 2 of each and there were NO LEFTOVERS!

I don’t normally order beef caldereta in restaurants since it’s a common dish to make at home but this version was SO MUCH better than any caldereta I’ve ever tried. The beef was tender but the real star was the mildly spicy rich sauce that seemed to have been simmering for hours. The flavors were bold and very rich. Rice was essential for this dish. “Sauce pa lang ulam na.” This is a MUST order.

spicy beef caldereta P350

I don’t eat callos so I don’t know how this tasted but based on the empty dishes I assumed they enjoyed it too.

callos a la Fernando P350

Kare kare or oxtail peanut stew is one of my all-time favorite dishes but I’ve been let down too often in many restaurants.

Maimee’s kare kare P370

This version did not disappoint. The sauce was thickened with ground rice and the sauce was very nutty without being overwhelming. It had just the perfect amount of sweetness too. I didn’t even need any bagoong to eat the ox tail and vegetables. I’m ashamed to admit I slurped the sauce too. That’s what happens when I don’t eat rice.

I forgot how many rice we ordered and to think half of the group TRIED not to eat rice.

garlic rice

The next three dishes are normally good for one and served with herb rice and a side dish but since we ate everything family style they served rice on the side.

The bangus (milkfish) was cooked like beef steak with soy sauce and onions.

bangus steak a la pobre P240

I was already so full when the boneless short ribs came out. I still tried a small piece and knew Maimee had another winner. Tender beef marinated in a Korean flavor marinade with some tendon and bits of fat was divine. It would make for a good pulutan (food eaten with beer or alcohol) too.

boneless barbeque short ribs P390

The chicken thighs were marinated in the same sauce as the short ribs.

barbecue grilled chicken P260

The dish that I liked least was the Butcher’s log or embotido but the others liked it specially when they learned the pork roll contained liver, mushroom and cheese and was wrapped in bacon.

butcher’s log P280

dessert menu

While I loved the food at Maimee’s I wasn’t happy with the two desserts we ordered. While the apple crumble was served was the apples and topping were both soggy and limp as if it were microwaved.

apple crumble with vanilla ice cream P120

The cheesecake was the no-bake gelatin kind which I can’t stand. I wish they served Filipino desserts instead like turon a la mode or even simple but well made leche flan. We only ordered one each and they more than half remained on the table.

blueberry cheesecake P90

Maimee’s Garden Cafe menu (click to enlarge)

One thing I really loved were the sauces of the viands specially from the gambas, caldereta and kare kare. If only I let myself eat rice I would have easily eaten 3 cups instead of 3 spoonfuls. I’m that type of rice eater, I need sauce to eat rice. I can’t eat rice with fried chicken, steak or barbecue or any viand without sauce for that matter. So you can just imagine how tempting rice was during our meal.

To my balikbayan friends and cousins I’m taking you here!!!!

Maimee’s Garden Cafe
20 E. Jacinto St., Little Baguio,
San Juan Metro Manila
telephone:724-1538
Facebook

opens from:
Lunch 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Dinner 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Closed on Mondays

These directions from Anton really helped me find the place easily.

Driving Directions:
From Greenhills Shopping Center, drive along Wilson St. and turn right into Jose Abad Santos (with Alex III as the landmark). After three blocks, turn right into V. Ibanez St. (after Ristras and Little Store). Turn right into E. Jacinto (which is the second corner after Barasoain St.).