Shoot First Eat Later

Barcelona: Park Güell

The places I most wanted to see in Barcelona were the works of famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Right after Montserrat we went to Park Güell, a park he designed initially as a housing complex.

We entered through the secondary entrance which was near the parking of all the tour buses. This thick and heavy metal gate seemed impossible to move but our tour guide Marta was able to push it with just one hand.

She showed us the secret which was it pivots on an anchor on the floor.

The park was originally part of a commercially unsuccessful housing site, the idea of Count Eusebi Güell, whom the park was named after. It was inspired by the English garden city movement; hence the original English name Park. The site was a rocky hill with little vegetation and few trees, called Muntanya Pelada (Bare Mountain). It already included a large country house called Larrard House or Muntaner de Dalt House, and was next to a neighborhood of upper class houses called La Salut (The Health). The intention was to exploit the fresh air (well away from smoky factories) and beautiful views from the site, with sixty triangular lots being provided for luxury houses. Count Eusebi Güell added to the prestige of the development by moving in 1906 to live in Larrard House. Ultimately, only two houses were built, neither designed by Gaudí. One was intended to be a show house, but on being completed in 1904 was put up for sale, and as no buyers came forward, Gaudí, at Güell’s suggestion, bought it with his savings and moved in with his family and his father in 1906. This house, where Gaudí lived from 1906 to 1926, was built by Francesc Berenguer in 1904. It contains original works by Gaudí and several of his collaborators. It is now the Gaudi House Museum (Casa Museu Gaudí) since 1963. In 1969 it was declared a historical artistic monument of national interest. Wikipedia

Gaudi believed in combining nature and architecture. He didn’t believe in straight lines and used a lot of stone, mosaic tiles and old pieces of pottery and tiles.

planter’s viaduct

Gaudi created several viaducts around the park. They were all wide enough for carriages to pass.

Rochelle and I take a seat and photo-op on the natural stone ledges.

Carob’s viaduct

viaduct of the museum

This is the main entrance to the park.

principal entrance

This is the grand staircase and the most famous and most recognized part of the park.

the staircase

This was the first fountain on the staircase.

The second fountain was the famous mosaic salamander ofter mistaken as a dragon and called “el drac.” That’s our friend Bettina posing with the lizard.

Gaudi’s salamander or “el drac”

Above the staircase is the Hispotalia room. Rochelle took my picture from entrance of the Hispotalia room while I took hers from the stairs.

At the top of the staircase is a seating area. On the right is a picture of our guide Marta and my two nephews, Kevin and Ryan.

From this picture you can see Nature’s square on top of the Hispotalia room.

Hipostila room

This room with 86 columns was supposed to be the marketplace for the residential community. The columns provided an important function of not only supporting the square above it but it also served as a drain from the rain water collected. The water is filtered then goes throught the columns into a chamber under the room that served as a reservoir.

The ceiling was decorated with colorful mosaic tiles.

A free school for the local children is located inside Park Güell.

Baldiri Reixac school

This is Nature’s park right on top of the Hipostila room.

Looks like a beach right? Quite an unexpected sight.

nature’s square

The unique shape of the serpentine bench enables the people sitting on it to converse privately, although the square is large. The bench is tiled and in order to dry up quickly after it rains, and to stop people from sitting in the wet part of the bench, small bumps were installed by Gaudí. Wikipedia

serpentine benches

We were pressed for time so we didn’t get to go in the Gaudi museum.

Gaudi museum

Other than the extreme heat I really enjoyed seeing my first Gaudi work. Coming up are two more of Gaudi’s masterpieces.

Barcelona: Day Tour Part 1 – Montserrat

One of the most popular attractions in Barcelona is the famous pilgrimage site up in Montserrat, a mountain located 30 miles from the city and houses the Abbey of Montserrat and La Montera or the Black Virgin.

We booked a day tour with Barcelona Day Tours that also included an afternoon city tour. Since our group consisted of 18 adults and kids we had a small bus to ourselves. Our guide was the very knowledgable and friendly, Marta. Be sure to ask for her when you book with this company.

Our group stayed in three different hotels and they picked us up from each hotel. We were also able to tailor the tour to our preference. We paid €55 per person which was a very good deal.

Even if I’m not Catholic I really enjoyed the drive up the mountain, the scenery, the architecture of the beautiful Basilica and the serenity of the place.

This is L’Escolania de Montserrat, a choir school for young boys. They perform at the Basilica everyday but unfortunately they were off school the day we were there.

In the Apostles’ Square is the work called “Stairway to Understanding” by sculptor Josef M. Subirach. The monument was inspired by the thinking of Ramon Llull.

The Abbey of Montserrat is a Benedictine abbey located on this mountain with beautiful rock formations.

This building called “Apostles Lookout Point” had restaurants, cafeteria and retail shops as well as terraces where you can see magnificent views. We bought sandwiches there for a quick lunch after our tour.

A small market sold cheese and dried fruit. Rochelle and I were able to buy stinky goat cheese and a fig bar while the rest of our group was walking.

There was a funicular that brought one up 820 feet above the monastery that led to the St. Joan chapel as well as several scenic hikes in the area. We didn’t have time to do this.

This work of art was created by Josep M. Subirach, a Catalan sculptor known for his work in Sagrada Familia. This cross is dedicated to San Miguel, the Patron Saint of Montserrat. The meaning of the name of the Archangel Michael is “Who is as God?” and it is engraved on the cross in several languages.

What do you think does the rock formation looks like?

Here’s another work of Subirach of the Virgin. Look at the eyes and move. You can almost see the eyes follow your movement.

Sta. Maria Square

Atrium’s Entrance

In this atrium is the baptistery with its door which has a representation of the cycle of Church sacraments according to the catechism beginning with baptism. source

The original church from the 11th century was destroyed in the war and this neo-Romanesque church was built only in 1850.

The Atrium

This impressive facade was restored in 1968.

Initially our guide Marta said there was little chance for us to see the Black Virgin since we were on a time schedule and the lines were usually long. But Marta saw an opening in the line and quickly gathered us to stand in the queue. We were very, very lucky to get in.

When we went in we were able to see the Basilica on the left. The Basilica was consecrated in 1592 and rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. The main altar (1959) was from an 8 ton block of stone from Montserrat. source

The Basilica

The line went very slow but nobody minded since there were so many things to see.

Look at the details in the marble.

Legend has it that the Benedictine monks could not move the statue (12th century) to construct their monastery, choosing to instead build around it. The statue’s sanctuary is located at the rear of the chapel, where an altar of gold surrounds the icon, and is now a site of pilgrimage. source

The ritual gesture used to venerate the image is to kiss or touch the right hand which holds a sphere which is a symbol of the universe.

We exit to the Throne’s Chapel decorated with ornamental motifs by a very young architect named Antonio Gaudi.

Throne’s Chapel

Candles were sold for €1.80 and you can place it here along with your prayers and offerings.

On the left is a bronze statute by Manuel Cusachs (1933), dedicated to the Abbot Oliba, founder of the Monastery.

We all bought sandwiches in the cafeteria. I chose the Jamon Iberico with Camembert which was a bit salty and a slice of delicious almond cake.

Jamon Iberico & camembert cheese sandwich

After our quick lunch we left Montserrat to continue with our tour of Barcelona.

Barcelona: Hotel Barcelona House, Las Ramblas, Plaça Reial

Houma and her two boys who are friends of my cousin Sidney and his family joined us in Barcelona. After our dinner in Moncho’s she showed us her hotel right next to Plaça Reial and a few meters away from the famous tourist attraction Las Ramblas.

At night the tree-lined 1.2 km. pedestrian mall known as Las Ramblas (or La Rambla) was lit up beautifully and had many stores and eateries on both sides. As beautiful as it was I was deathly scared to bring out my camera to take pictures. This was the only one I took. A lot of guides I read online warned tourists that there were a lot of pickpockets in the area since the place was teeming with locals and tourists the whole day. We all had a deathly grip on our bags and cameras. It worked since we managed to leave with everything we owned.

The Hotel Barcelona House was located in a busy street with restaurants and bars. If you like to be in the middle of a lot of activity this would be a good place to stay. I just don’t know if you can hear the noise in the room. Personally I wouldn’t stay here since I would have to pass Las Ramblas everytime I leave and go home and my nervousness about the potential crime would be too stressful.

The hotel lobby was small but very modern and colorful.

We all had a geeky time admiring the lighted elevator floor.

That’s Houma below showing us her room. It was quite roomy and had 3 beds. I think she paid only €100 a night and that was a good deal.

Her bathroom and shower was definitely better than the one at our hotel.

This restaurant was just outside the hotel.

We then walked to the Plaça Reial (Plaza Real), a square located next to Las Ramblas surrounded with restaurants. It’s a popular tourist attraction specially at night.

We passed by this organic food store called Artisa. I wanted to have dessert there since the pastries and the apple pie looked really good but my cousins suggested we walk around and look at the other options.

Artisa

It’s nice to have a big open square in the middle of a busy city.

Plaça Reial

We didn’t find any place to have dessert at the Plaça Reial so we went back to Las Ramblas and saw Cafe De L’Opera De Barcelona, a nicely decorated restaurant which had some customers so we assumed they would have decent churros.

Like the online guides said beware of peddlers like this guy who went in the restaurant and tried his best to sell us roses.

Even though we kept saying no firmly he still put the roses on our table. After more vocal and louder “No” and various hand signals he finally left us in peace.

This had to be the most awful churros and chocolate ever! The chocolate was thick from cornstarch period. There was no chocolate taste at all. The churros were obviously just re-fried and was still doughy inside. I just took a bite and had to spit it out. The next day our tour guide told us not to eat any establishment in Las Ramblas. I wish we knew it beforehand. Oh well it was an experience I want to forget. We should eaten at Artisa!!!

Hotel Barcelona House
C/ Escudellers, 19 08002 Barcelona
telephone: + 34 933 437 167
website

Art i Sa Barcelona, S.L.
2 Colom street (Next to Plaza Real)08002 Barcelona
telephone: +34 931 863 623
website

Cafe De L’Opera De Barcelona
La Rambla, 74 08002 BARCELONA
telephone: +34 933 177 585
website

Barcelona: Buffet at Moncho’s

Our group in Barcelona had grown to 21 less 2 who couldn’t join us for dinner. Sha thought a buffet dinner would be more efficient for such a big group and Moncho’s was suggested by a local tour guide.

I wasn’t expecting much from a buffet and I was right. The food wasn’t very good except for the seafood.

Paella

I’ve always wanted to try Paella Fideuà which is a also a classic dish made with thin pasta instead of rice. I was just scared to order it in a restaurant in case I didn’t like it. It was ok but I still like the rice version more.

Paella Fideuà

There were lots of cold salads which I skipped.

The usual salad bar and this took up more than half of the buffet table.

None of the hot entrees looked appetizing either.

You can’t go wrong with simply steamed seafood and there were a lot of choices.

shrimp

crab

conch

tortilla

pizza

These were on our table. On top was the classic tomato bread which was soggy and yucky. The potato chips didn’t fare any better.

Different kinds of meats were brought to our table. It wasn’t good either.

My first plate.

I really, really loved the super sweet crayfish!! Can you believe there was NO dessert in the buffet? Not even fruit.

The sausages were not edible either.

You get what you pay for. The price for the buffet cost €17.30 for adults and only €8.80 for kids. At least this was our first and last buffet. All our other meals in Barcelona were so much better.

Moncho’s Barcelona
Travesera de Gracia, 44-46. 08021 Barcelona
telephone: 93 414 66 22
website

Barcelona: AC Hotel Sants

Our home in Barcelona was another Marriott / AC Hotel chain located right across the Sants train station. The location was quite convenient to the major tourist attractions in the city by train or cab.

Wifi was free in the lobby.

Stark, simple…

Nice, spacious room with laminate flooring. Quite clean and modern.

The table was perfect for our luggage.

Everything in the mini bar was free!

The only thing we disliked was the open bathroom, the laminate counter, and the transparent and small shower stall.

That’s Rochelle, fully clothed, demonstrating the shower without any privacy.

You can slide the mirror to the left but for what? Still no privacy.

At least there was a hair dryer and a digital safe.

At least the toilet had privacy.

There was no free breakfast but there was free coffee via a Nespresso machine at the lobby restaurant from 10:00pm to 7:00 am only. That motivated Rochelle to go down before 7 to get coffee for the both of us. There were also some crackers and pastries for free.

The hotel was pretty nice for the price we paid but we just hated the bathroom. If you don’t mind the open bathroom then this hotel is a good place to stay in when you visit Barcelona.

AC Hotel Sants
Passeig de Sant Antoni, 36-40 · Barcelona, Barcelona 08014 Spain
telephone: 34-93-4324512
website

Lunch at Wildflour Cafe + Bakery

For me bread is the reason why Inquirer calls Wildflour Cafe + Bakery the hottest restaurant in Manila. It was indeed hard to make a reservation even for a 1:00 pm lunch on a weekday. Luckily they took pity on our group and we got in.

Located at the ground floor of the modern and all glass Net Lima building in The Fort it still managed to look like a cozy bistro inside.

Seeing this reminded me of La Boulange and other cafes in San Francisco.

The cafe wasn’t that big but they managed to squeeze in a good number of tables.

Breakfast is served from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.

They had a small amount of of pastries which were definitely more American in influence. That sticky bun continues to evade me. They ran out when we wanted it for our dessert and when I went back a second time to buy bread.

After this lunch I went back just to buy the cranberry walnut bread and baguette. Both were excellent but I just loved the crusty cranberry walnut bread. Although it was quite pricey for a small loaf I would buy it again and again. A simple spread of peanut butter and marmalade or even just a slice of cheese made for a wonderful meal.

I hope they add to their bread repertoire. I would love to see flaky croissants – plain, cheese and specially almond and other French pastries.

ciabatta P55 cranberry walnut bread P145

baguette P95

My friend Tisay treated us to a bottle of Colombelle. By the way you can bring your own wine to Wildflour and they don’t charge corkage. Update: As of 2/2/13 they now charge P500 for corkage.

Tarte flambée is an Alsatian classic similar to pizza. This tarte measured maybe 6 inches long and was a nice appertizer for sharing. Of the two varieties we all liked this one wtih sweet caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese and for contrast salty, smoked bacon. The crust was incredibly thin and crisp. I initially thought puff pastry was used.

tarte flambée, caramelized onions, bacon & gruyere P425

This tarte was mostly sweet from the caramelized onions and apples. The brie and arugula didn’t add any salty component which we found lacking. But if you’re a vegetarian this is a perfectly good dish.

tarte flambée, caramelized onions, brie cheese, apple P425

I would skip the bone marrow. Just like the one I had at Stella it was dry and a bit hard. Is it the quality of local bone marrow or is it just simple over cooking? Take a look at the bone marrow I had in Marlowe in San Francisco. The marrow was thick, jiggly and definitely spreadable. The ones in Manila look and taste exactly the opposite.

bone marrow P350

A better choice for appetizers was this olive oil poached tangy tuna salad which tasted unlike any tuna salad you’ve ever hard. Instead of canned tuna with mayonnaise I assume fresh tuna was poached in olive oil which gave it a freshness and richness not found in canned tuna. Plus there was no ‘tin can’ taste even though it was served in a tin can. And of course it was a perfect way to enjoy more yummy bread.

olive oil poached tuna salad P280

In my opinion the popular croque madame was highly overrated and overpriced. The sandwich was made with a thick, soft sweetish brioche and ham and topped with bechamel sauce, Gruyere cheese and a fried egg. As you can see from the picture there was hardly any bechamel sauce and the Gruyere cheese wasn’t very generous. It wasn’t bad but I found it very boring. It was the only thing we didn’t finish.

croque madame P420

For a better sandwich I wholeheartedly suggest the jamon et fromage. While both sandwiches contained the same ham the choice of bread and condiments made a whole world of difference.

This typical French sandwich used a baguette which I’ve grown to love from my recent trip to Paris where even a cold, refrigerated sandwich was better than anything I’ve eaten in Manila. I thought I would never have the chance to eat good baguette sandwiches until this I tried the one at Wildflour.

As I bit into the bread I heard a loud almost artificial sound of cruuunch then my teeth sank into a soft and dense pillow of bread flavored with butter and mustard. Just the perfect vehicle for lean ham which wasn’t too salty and was moist. It didn’t really need the brie or pickle but it was a nice touch. The first bite exploded in my mouth and instantly brought me back to my trip in Paris where we had our share of sandwiches. I really loved those simple sandwiches we had in Paris and I thought it would be long before I get to eat it again. Thankfully I can now get the same if not a better version of the sandwich in Wildflour.

jamon et fromage P310

The burger was just ok for me although my friend Tisay loved it. I prefer the burger of ‘Cue. I think I was so enamored with the ham and cheese sandwich that nothing came close to it

California burger P450

Peanut butters lovers rejoice Manila finally has a dessert worthy of Elvis’ praise. A very potent peanut butter layer atop bananas and cream. Simple but very fulfilling for peanut butter lovers like me and Elvis.

peanut butter banana cream pie P180

Their chocolate eclair was more American style than the usual thin and firmer French style. But I’m not complaining since we all loved the thick chocolate topping and the rich, creamy custard filling.

chocolate eclair P110

I love cornbread and I eat it whenever I’m in the US. My favorites are from Founding Farmers in DC and Whole Foods. I was overjoyed to finally find it in Manila until I tried it. It was quite disappointing since it didn’t resemble any cornbread I’ve tried. Even Kenny Rogers’s corn muffins tasted better. I think it lacked cornmeal. Only my friend Pat liked it.

cheesy cornbread P130

The tres leches came out cold and it was quite good. The blend of three kinds of milk in the cake cubes wasn’t overly sweet but we were already too full to give it any justice. When I tried it again after several minutes it became watery and too sweet. I suggest eating this dessert right away to enjoy it’s correct flavor and texture.

pastel del tres leches P170

You all know how obsessed about coffee I am. Whenever I’m in another country I would walk miles just for coffee. I was so excited that a new place offered pour over coffee complete with a Hario kettle other than UCC which is more popular for siphon coffee.

I smelled the coffee when it was poured in front of me and I didn’t smell a thing. I tasted it and found it lacking in any semblance of coffee flavor. It was so mild it almost tasted like colored water. It’s like they didn’t use the correct quantity of ground coffee or the coffee was just inferior. Please please please improve your coffee Wildflour.

royal supreme coffee P95

In spite of all the tea light candles on our table it didn’t help ward off numerous flies that were quite irritating.

There was a fly on the menu on the left!

Wildflour’s menu (click for full size)

I’ve never been to Church and State in Los Angeles where the owner US based Chef Walter Manzke used to work but this restaurant is so similar to several of the restaurants I’ve eaten at in the US. The short one page printed paper menu that suggested constant updates, French food in a casual setting and the inclusion of all American baked goods, pour over coffee are common in the West Coast and I gladly welcome to Manila.

I plan to go for breakfast one day just to catch the sticky buns and I’ll bring a thermos of my own coffee to avoid disappointment. I’ll also go back for the sandwich in my dreams, jamon et fromage.

Wildflour Cafe + Bakery
Ground floor Net Lima Building
4th Avenue corner 26th st. Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
telephone: 856-7600
Facebook

San Sebastian: Gran Bar La Espiga and Rojo Y Negro

Goodbye San Sebastian! These were our last meals in the city that topped the poll as the greatest gastronomic destination in the world. San Sebastian beat out Tokyo, Sydney and Paris for the top spot for foodies and I agree 100%!

From Michelin 3 Star restaurants to pintxos bars the food never failed to amaze us. I almost made a grave mistake in not joining my cousins for our last dinner since I was honestly still full from our 9 course lunch at Akelaŕe and I was tired from shopping in the afternoon. But since the restaurant they chose was just across our hotel I went at the last minute and I’m so glad I did.

They had some cold pintxos on the bar.

Since we were a big group with kids they led us downstairs to sit.

The jamon croquetas were for the kids but they kindly left one for me. Not the best I’ve tried.

croquetas €7.20

antxoas fritas (fried anchovies) €9

These were the best anchovies I’ve ever eaten. What made it different from the others I’ve eaten were the addition of crispy garlic on top. It really added an extra flavor dimension asides from just vinegar and oil.

antxoas Getaria (Getaria anchovies) €9

We all went nuts over the extremely tender squid cooked in it’s own ink and served with a tiny amount of white rice. Naturally the rice wasn’t enough so we had to make do with dipping the bread in the super delicious sauce.

txipirones tinta (squid in black ink) €14.50

The carnivores in our group specially the kids loved the steak.

entrecot con patata (steak & potatoes) €13.50

One last cochinillo. After the unusual and out of this world cochinillo from lunch this paled in comparison but still it wasn’t bad at all. We let the guys who skipped lunch eat this.

cochinillo asado (roasted baby pig) €19.50

The guys who didn’t join us for lunch at Akelaŕe were teasing us that our dinner for 8 adults and 4 kids cost less than what one person paid at Akelaŕe. True but we don’t regret our spectacular lunch experience at all.

Gran Bar La Spiga’s Tapas menu

(click to enlarge)

My cousins had a nice chat with the friendly owners of Gran Bar as we left the restaurant. I was outside watching their kids.

The next day we decided to have a quick lunch before we separated ways and meet up again in Barcelona. One family took the train while La and family and our group drove to Barcelona.

We chose Rojo Y Negro which was right beside Gran Bar La Espiga.

I was wary of the ready cooked tapas on the bar since I didn’t have a very good experience the night before in this kind of a set-up.

It turned out to be very good specially the one on the left, jamon topped with foie gras and balsamic glaze. It was awesome!!!

My cousin chose this octopus with potatoes. Unbelievably tender.

I didn’t like the croquetas though.

Finally dessert on the pintxos bar!!! I loved the apple cake with a layer of custard in the middle. Fantabulous, another slice please.

Dark chocolate mousse on cake? Yum!!!! What a marvelous end to our quick 3 day stay in San Sebastian. It was way too short and I will definitely be back.

Gran Bar La Espiga
Calle de San Marcial, 48 20005 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
telephone: 943 421 423
website

Rojo Y Negro
Calle San Marcial 52, 20005 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
telephone: 943 431 862
website

San Sebastian: Supermarket Finds

Whenever I go to a different country I make it a point to visit their supermarket. I like to see the products they sell, even the layout of the store and how it differs to what we’re used to fascinates me.

Just a couple of blocks from Hotel de Londres was this really nice shopping area that was off limits to cars. It was just for pedestrians and a few bicycles.

The supermarket was located in this area. On the ground level were these stalls that sold fresh vegetables in the morning only. In the afternoon all these stainless tables were empty.

I guess small time producers sold their newly harvested vegetables here.

Also on the ground level were several stalls selling cured meats and cheese. We bought chorizo and Idiazabal cheese here because the guy behind the counter was nice enough to let us try it.

Next to the cured meats was this lovely chocolate store with free samples!!

I bought the orange rind covered in dark chocolate. The nice lady gave me a whole piece of dried orange slice covered in dark chocolate to try.

Next to the chocolates were these freshly baked French pastries where we bought mini croissants for our breakfast. The multi cereal croissant I bought was crisp and flaky for two days even without reheating.

Those giant chocolate covered palmiers kept tempting me but I never gave in.

Down one level was the actual supermarket. Rochelle bought some fruits that we didn’t have in Manila like the figs and nectarine.

Their escarole was packed in big bags. In Manila I can hardly find this variety of lettuce.

So much cheese I didn’t know what to buy! From Manchego to Idiazabal and other Spanish cheeses.

Cured ham, chorizo, salami….

There was so many things I wanted to buy but I couldn’t since I still had two weeks to go in my vacation. I also saw several canned goods and confectionary that are available in Manila.

Pastoret Yoghourt

Obviously I’m not on a diet anymore but I still TRY to eat healthy specially for breakfast. When I was in Europe I still made it a point to eat yogurt every morning together with espresso and a baked pastry. I just loved trying all sorts of yogurt around Europe and trust me not one of them was low fat.

I take yogurt for breakfast for the calcium and protein it gives me. It keeps me full longer too. In Spain my favorite brand was Pastoret. We only found Pastoret yoghourt in specialty stores and in Mercado San Miguel in Madrid. I didn’t see it in the supermarket.

Caprichos de Yoghourt translated to Yoghourt Whims based on their website. Rochelle chose the coffee toffee while I got the orange and chocolate which is my all time favorite flavor combination. I never thought in my wildest dreams that there would be a yogurt with this flavor. Finding ice cream with this flavor is hard enough.

Check out the heavy glass jar it came in. The bottom layer was an orange puree then the yogurt and the top was a thick chocolate sauce.

The chocolate was thick almost like a pudding. Surprisingly it wasn’t very sweet. It does look more like a dessert but it still tasted like yogurt. I loved it!!!!

We bought this lemon and mint in Madrid.

lemon and mint

I dream that one day this will reach Manila. Paging Rustan’s or Terry Selection. Please, please import this. Maybe I can find this in Hong Kong.

San Sebastian: 3 Star Lunch at Akelaŕe

As of 2012 there are five Michelin 3 star restaurants in Spain and three of them are in San Sebastian, Akelaŕe, Arzak and Martin Berasategui. Due to several reasons we chose to dine at Akelaŕe. We actually made a reservation there even before making hotel reservations and buying plane tickets like in my case. We wish we could have tried all three but we didn’t have enough time. This just means I have to go back!

Akelaŕe was a short cab ride from our hotel. We were lucky to get a Mercedes Benz van to ferry all of us in one trip.

My cousin Sidney and cousin-in-law Chee didn’t join us for dinner. They were nice enough to watch their sons so their wives will enjoy lunch. And enjoy we did.

Our table had this beautiful view.

We were given an appetizer to start our meal.

Sea Garden appetizer

Thankfully a very detailed description of our menu was placed on our table. It explained how to eat the food and what we were actually eating since nothing on this plate resembled food.

Everything you see below is edible from the prawn sand which had the texture of fine breadcrumbs but with the flavor of crushed prawn crackers. Next we had to taste the leaf and for it’s flavor and aroma. The piece of stone was actually a mussel! The sponge and the green pebbles were savory and crunchy. And last was the seaweed coral which was goose barnacles tasting tempura. We were all like kids giddy with amazement and joy exploring the flavors and textures of these ‘things’ that were food creations.

After this starter I recited this mantra in my mind – expect the unexpected.

Still high from the unusual starter we were served bread and a small container with a white tablet in it. We were all wondering what it was specially when our waiter poured liquid in the container and it grew. Watch this video. Was it space age butter?

Our space age butter turned out to be a disposable wet cloth!! We all burst out laughing at our provincial ignorance.

My ten year old niece was the only one who didn’t have a degustation menu but she did try all her mom’s dishes. She ordered a la carte.

Glazed Iberian Cheeks, Apple & Almond Cider €44

My cousin La chose the wines these are her comments.
The wines were chosen with the criteria of being off the beaten path, something that comes from uncommon wine regions that we cannot usually find on wine shelves so the sommelier directed me to Quinta Do Buble from the Monterrei region (in Spain near Portugal) and “An” from the island of Mallorca (where Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones own a vacation home).

2006 Anima Negra AN Vino de la Tierra, Baleares, Spain
Quinta Do Buble Godello

There were two tasting menus available, Bekarki and Aranori. After seeing the foie gras almost all of us chose the Bekarki menu blinded to all the other options.

Bekarki Menu (guide)

A good meal is one that tastes good and makes you happy. A great meal is one that challenges your senses and delights it in ways that you never expect.

Crab Essence, its Coral Blini and “Gurullos”

The first of nine courses was a piece of crab claw on top a coral blini served with gurullos or rice shaped pasta. I took a small piece of each and ate it together. So tasty and the crab so succulent.

The veal shank had a gelatinous texture that reminded me of beef tendon while the cauliflower looked and had the texture of white fungus popular in Chinese cuisine. It was an unusual and very flavorful pairing for the otherwise plain razor clam.

Razor Shell with Veal Shank

The much anticipated seared foie gras arrived plainly on a large plate. I was eager to dig in when our waiter started pouring a generous amount of peppercorn and sea salt. I was about to stop him since I wasn’t keen on eating whole peppercorns. Thank goodness I shut up and discovered what the salt and pepper really were. The peppercorns were actually crunchy puffed black rice and the salt was sugar flakes. It was really a tease to my brain to see something that doesn’t taste like the way it should. I loved the texture of crunchy rice with the rich buttery foie gras and sweet wine sauce.

Akelare Bekarki Menu- sautéed fresh foie gras with "salt flakes & grain pepper"

Sautéed Fresh Foie Gras with “Salt Flakes and Grain Pepper”

The next two are fish courses. The first was fillet of turbot, the kokotxa or cheek and a crispy chip made from skin and bones. A turbot doesn’t have cheeks so a faux cheek was created by the chef for this dish.

Turbot with its “Kokotxa”

The cod was made to look like dried bacalao with salt but this fish was soft and not salty at all. The shavings were made of crispy pasta shreds and underneath was cod tripes in tomato water. At this point I was already beyond full.

“Desalted” Cod Box with shavings

For the meat course we had two choices, pork or beef. With all of us having been born and raised in the Philippines we naturally chose the cochinillo or roasted baby pig. But this was not your usual cochinillo. The pork was first cooked in Iberian broth and finished in the oven to get the crispy skin. I really liked their version with a more flavorful meat. It was also fun eating it with sweet tomato ball (bolao).

Roasted baby Pig with Tomato “Bolao” and Iberian emulsion

My nephew Kevin was the only one who opted for the beef. He gave me a piece to try and it was also good. He didn’t let me try the tail cake with foie gras though. Darn. The coppered potato and piquilo pepper crisps were yummy.

Carved Beef, Tail Cake “Potatoes and Peppers”

Our first dessert was an interpretation on the wine and cheese making. We were told to eat it from left to right starting with the grapevine made with curded sheep milk and walnut. Next was powdered fresh cream with chive and grapes. It was followed by Quark cheese with nutmeg, Idiazabal cheese with quince jelly and a strip of wine dust. Last two were brandy sirop with Gorgonzola cheese ice cream and a torts of Casar’s grape with soaked raisins in Pedro Ximenez.

This was one of the most exciting dishes to my palate. The flavors evolved from mild to bold. I admire the chef’s creativity.

Milk and Grape, Cheese and Wine in parallel evolution

Our three and half hour meal ended with a pleasant strawberry and cream dessert.

Layered Strawberry and Cream

Sharon was the only one who had the Aranori menu. It looked pretty good too with some dishes that looked better than the ones in my menu. In hindsight Rochelle and I should have ordered a menu each so we could try everything.

Aranori menu

The first course had a really dramatic table side cooking presentation. I couldn’t comment on what the dishes tasted like since I couldn’t reach Sharon’s plate to steal a taste or two.

Prawns and French Beans cooked in “Orujo” Fire

Molluscs in Fisherman’s net

Pasta, Piquillo and Iberico Carpaccio, Mushrooms and Parmesan

Hake in Monkfish “Habit” and Mussel’s Beans

Whole-Grain Red Mullet with Sauce “Fusili”

Grilled Lamb with Wine Less

Xaxu and foaming Coconut Ice Cream

Another Apple Tart

petit fours

After the last course was served Chef Subijana came out and patiently posed with all the diners. Naturally our table took the most pictures. I just adore his red eyeglass frames.

Chef Pedro Subijana and me

The nine course tasting menu cost €145 plus 8% IVA (about $200) and was well worth it. My cousins who are based in the USA said eating at Michelin starred restaurants in the US would cost more or not have as much courses. This meal was definitely the food highlight of my European trip.

Akelaŕe
Padre Orcolaga, 56 – 20008 San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa)
telephone: +34 943 311209
email: restaurante@akelarre.net
website

Sittings and closing dates:
13:00-15:30 and 20:30-23:00.
From January to June, we are closed on Sunday evenings, all day Monday and Tuesday.
From July to December, we are closed on Sunday evenings and all day Monday. (We do not close on these days if they are public holidays or the eve of a public holiday. On these occasions we close on the days following the holiday).
We are closed for annual holidays in the month of February and the first fortnight in October.