A Taste of Costa Brava

Costa Brava, which literally translates into "rugged coast," is in the northeasternmost part of Spain, bordering France. It has everything that I love--- a serious food culture, fresh seafood, charming vineyards, the Dali Triangle, quaint Medieval towns and an appreciation for la dolce vita.

GIRONA

 

Basking in the sunshine in front of the Girona Cathedral.

 

The Cathedral facade at night.

Looking back from the top of the stairs. They were very steep.

The Cathedral was surrounded by a maze of Medieval, cobble-stoned alleys, which were eerily deserted in the dead of the night.

And here was where I got bit by Dracula.

Those not bitten by Dracula were bitten by the love bug.

 

 This scene briefly reminded me of Florence.

 

Driving through the narrow streets of Girona was an adventure itself.

THE DALI TRIANGLE

 

Port Lligat, where the Dali House Museum is located. Port Lligat is right next to Cadaqués, a very small coastal town that served as a secluded get-away and source of inspiration for the likes of Salvador Dali, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso.

The first thing that greeted me at the Dali House Museum was this real, stuffed bear. Dali loved taxidermy.

 

Originals of Dali's last finished art works.

Every corner of his house was decorated with artistic treasures.

His house was constructed by combining several fishing huts, which explains the haphazard layout. His creative use of space was ingenious though.

Bedroom.

One of the buildings in the garden.

The view from the roof, overlooking a cove.

Yay, the Michelin man.

The Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres, the most important and visited museum in Catalonia. The museum itself is a piece of art, designed by Dali personally, to house his best creations and showcase the school of surrealism.

Besides stuffed animals, Dali loved eggs as well.

  

These are not poop! They are supposed to be lumps of bread (another of Dali's fascinations) organized into triangles (representing the Dali Triangle).

What's Abe doing in there?

Dali's largest painting ever.

 

As the day progresses, the projection of the glass dome moves along the walls of the atrium, as though the sun were resolving around us. Galileo was wrong and he did the right thing by repenting.

A melting, disfigured Jesus Christ.

On the ground level, these looked like random pieces of furniture.

But after climbing a flight of stairs and looking though a reverse telescope... It's all about the perspective!

Dali was a bit weird to say the least. Plus Chucky was featured in several of his works! Hm...

 

Not exactly sure what Dali was trying to convey through these statues, but I liked the color combination of gold, bronze and white. 

 

The Dali Castle at Pubol. Dali bought an entire Medieval castle, restored it and gave it to his wife as her private residence--- he wouldn't even enter the premise unless she invited him. What a rich, bad ass romantic.

 

The view of the surrounding village from the castle.

  

Intricate details on the bathroom tiles.

 

 Roar! More real, stuffed animals.

 

A stuffed white horse. Was Dali a prince?

Looking out into the peaceful Spanish countryside.

ROSES 

 

Roses was the last stop on our slow crawl along the Costa Brava towards El Bulli. Being only a stone's throw away from the food mecca, I could no longer rein in my excitement!

The Mediterranean Sea.

 

Roses, not unlike other coastal towns, lives and dies by its seafood.

One of the sun patios in our hotel at Roses. Magnificent view right? It came with every breakfast, lunch and dinner we had there. See those lounge chairs? I slept in one of them overnight.

Tapas for lunch by the sea.

Prawns.

Clams.

Squids.

Peseado frito.

Crema Catalana. It tasted like a cross between creme brulee and panna cotta. Compared to the French creme brulee, crema Catalana was lighter and more floral.

BEYOND ROSES

 

Winding roads tested our driving prowess.

 

This looked as though we were driving off the cliff into the great beyond.

As we were driving around, we came across town after town, all tugged away safely and sleepily in the nooks and crannies of the Mediterranean coast.

It was fairly common to see Medieval castles and homes converted to modern-day hotels.

I am a sucker for anything Medieval. (Disclaimer: I never played D&D.) But how can one's heart not be warmed by such charming small towns?

Gateway to another gateway to yet another gateway... Such is life.

 

Most of the Medieval town-centers were very well preserved.

At the top of hill was a church, which I entered being the good Catholic boy that I am.

BoTic (near Girona, Michelin 1 Star)

The restaurant was located on the side of a freeway, about 30 minutes away from Girona.

Catalan sausage with bread and tomato. The tomato was dried and pressed into a fruit loop like consistency, with a piece of Catalan sausage sandwiched in between--- a play on a classic appetizer combo.

Liquid ravioli of Bloody Mary. On first bite, the Bloody Mary exploded out of the ravioli and mixed with the extra virgin olive oil. The two liquids had slightly different viscosity, adding textural complexity, and their flavors were a match made in heaven.

Assorted crisp. From the top: sunflower seeds, Parmesan cheese and banana with curry. The intense flavors were out-of-proportion to the physical airiness of the crackers--- every bite was a "wow."

Martini with olives. A play on the classic cocktail: the "olive" was frozen gin and vermouth, while the "martini" was an olive puree.

Transparent gazpacho with tomato ice cream. The transparent gazpacho was in fact "tomato water," a new darling of chefs around the world in recent years. Both the gazpacho and ice cream were served cold, and had a clean, intense tomato flavor.

 

Pumpkin cream with lobster and idiazabal raviolis. Lobster bits were incorporated into the terrine and idiazabal is an unpasteurized sheep cheese from the Basque region.

 

Grilled octopus with asparagus and romesco sauce. This dish came with a translucent cover and I was suspicious that something deviously clever was lurking beneath. When the cover was taken away, a plume of smoke came gushing out--- smoke captured when the octopus was being grilled. The octopus tentacles were very thick, but were kept moist and non-rubbery. The asparagus sauce added yet another level of smokiness.

 

Foie texture. The foie gras was presented in 3 ways: moose, shaving and crumble. While all 3 were interesting in their own rights, the shaving was the most outstanding hands-down. The shavings were so thin that they melted and formed a coating the moment they touched my tongue, and since they were flat with a large surface area, the resulting burst of flavor was especially memorable. Littered around the plate somewhat subtly were "islands" of sweet complementary flavors, including raspberry, lemon, orange and figs.

San Pierre with barnacles, saffron and mushrooms. This dish, from the San Pierre fillet to the mushrooms to the barnacles, literally embodied a taste of the sea, a gustatory experience difficult to describe--- think seawater without any unpleasant fishiness. The hints of saffron from the clear sauce added elegance to the rawness, almost like a culinary Beauty and the Beast.

Upclose shot of a barnacle, which tasted like seawater (in a weirdly pleasant way) and had the same texture as the chanterelle mushrooms right next to it.

Marmite mead with mushrooms and quail eggs. I never had marmite before, which was a savory vegetarian spread. Not knowing what to expect, my first impression of the marmite was that it reminded me of spam. Just as I was about to write off the dish as an expensive version of spam, I poked the quail eggs and out flowed a stream of yolk. The yolk, when combined with the marmite, became exceptionally rich and savory,  instantly elevating this dish to Michelin-1-star standard.

Chocolate suprise with baileys cappuccino.

 

I mentioned in previous posts that I liked dining at restaurants owned by young chefs because they are usually hungry and ambitious. Case in point: we visited BoTic on a Sunday night, when most other restaurants were closed for the day. Albert Sastregener i Surroca, the chef, even took the time to speak to us, sign our menus and take a picture with us. BoTic is certainly a hidden gem and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for reasonably-priced food made with love and dedication.

El Celler de Can Roca (in Girona, Michelin 3 Star)

 

The weather was perfect--- sunny day in the low 70s--- as we drove from Barcelona to Girona.

 

Though only able to top 160km/h even when we literally floored the gas, our red hot Mini convertable turned heads on the highway.

Entrance of El Celler de Can Roca.

On the outside, the restaurant exuded a rustic, homey, countryside vibe.

On the inside, it was sleek, modern and sophisticated with a central glass atrium.

 

El Celler de Can Roca is a family business run by the three Roca brothers: Joan, Jordi and Josep, who are the head chef, pastry chef and maitre d'/ head sommelier respectively. Joan was nice enough to show us around the kitchen.

 

Caramelized olives hung from a bonsai tree- a very cute presentation.

 

Fried anchovy bones embedded in rice crackers- the flavors were a bit too subtle but I appreciated the textural sophistication from combining the two different kinds of crunchiness.

 

Truffled brioche with pot au feu broth. The "brioche" had a very soft, thin skin similar to that of Chinese steamed buns and was stuffed with mushrooms and truffle mayonnaise. The "pot au feu broth" had a twist as well--- chicken consomme was added to it, giving it a lighter mouth-feel and making it a better complement to the richness of the brioche.

 

Smoked herring caviar omelet and pigeon parfait. The bite-size, paper-thin omelet was stuffed with caviar made from smoked herring jelly, while the "parfait," made from pigeon's blood, tasted gamy and exotic the way I like it.

 

Oysters with Agusti Torello cava, apple compote, ginger, pineapple, lemon confit and spices. We were asked to eat the piece of leaf first, which tasted exactly and I mean exactly like an oyster! No surprise it is called an "oyster leaf." The assortment of fruits provided a citrus accent, which contrasted with the curry powder sprinkled on top of the succulent oysters.

 

Besides being exceptionally refreshing, the dish also had an outstanding presentation. It was first presented to us in a half cava bottle, into which cava was subsequently poured. The evanescence from the cava acted as a vehicle for the curry powder, dispersing its aroma in the air and exploding its flavor in my mouth.

 

Figs with foie gras. This dish looked simple on presentation but was anything but simple in its construction. The plate was covered by a two-layer, thick sauce/soup. The bottom layer was made from figs, while the top one was made from foie gras, drizzled with truffle oil. Needless to say, the flavors of foie gras, truffle and figs went very well with each each- it was a classic marriage between creaminess and sweetness. I especially liked how figs was presented in three ways: as a soup, an actual fruit piece and a thin slice of jelly.

 

Sole with olive oil, fennel, bergamot, orange, pine nuts and green olives. My favorite dish of the meal and one of the best dishes of the entire trip. The sole was turgid, flaky and perfectly pan-seared. No expense was spared and only the thickest part of the fillet was used. The sole's relatively mild flavor made it the ideal canvas for the five sauces (from top): fennel, bergamot, orange, pine nuts and green olives. Although these five sauces were olive-oil based, they didn't taste like flavor-infused olive oil at all and were so concentrated that they should be called "essence" instead. All five flavors were exceptional, but my personal favorite was pine nuts. Bergamot was very interesting as well--- it was earthy, aromatic and elegant.

 

Cod pot-au-feu, potato gnocchi, cabbage and brandade terrine, cod tripe. Again, the fish was cooked to perfection, only this time it was poached instead of pan-seared.  All the components were well-executed, but the terrine made from brandade (an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil) stood out--- it was savory and creamy like the sauce. In any other meal, this dish would have been the star, but it was unfortunately over-shadowed by the sole that preceded it. Poor thing!

 

Sierra Mayor Iberian suckling pig, grilled baby onions, melon and beetroot. Being Cantonese and born in Hong Kong, I have always thought having access to the perfectly grilled suckling pig is a birth right and this dish cannot be better prepared outside of Southern China. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I have been mistaken. The crispy skin, heart-warming subcutaneous fat and delicately-tender meat all blended into one layer of singular yumminess. I have had grilled suckling pig dozens of times in different countries, and this was one of the best renditions. The skin was surprisingly dry in a non-greasy sense, making this guilty pleasure exceptionally light.

 

Lemon-distillate sorbet. I didn't have much recollection on how this dessert tasted. My only impression was that it had a floral elegance. After we finished, our waiter presented each of us with a paper cone sprayed with El Celler de Can Roca's own perfume, based on the ingredients of this plate. I fell in love with the perfume and would fall in love with any woman who wears it.

 

Vanilla, caramel, licqorice, dried and caramelized black olives with Tahitian vanilla condensed ice cream. Liquid nitrogen was used to make little beads that melted in my mouth, exploding with flavors of vanilla, caramel, licqorice, and black olives. I also realized that Tahitian vanilla belonged in its own league--- French vanilla doesn't even come close.

All in all, dining at El Celler de Can Roca was a Zen experience. Everything--- the decoration, service, plating and flavor intensity--- was in perfect balance. Most importantly, it offered the optimal mix of traditional palate-pleasing culinary techniques, cutting-edge cooking technologies and trail-blazing creativity. El Celler de Can Roca is a truly phenomenal, worthy Michelin 3 star restaurant, and now I can understand why some people prefer it over El Bulli.

Alkimia (in Barcelona, Michelin 1 star)

Jordi Vila, one of the most promising, up-and-coming Catalan chefs, is someone to look out for. I predict, as Ferran Adria gradually steps down from the throne of Spanish cuisine, Jordi will be one of the top contenders to be his successor. Alkimia, which means "alchemy" in English, lived up to its name--- it put up a magical show of colors, tastes, textures and smells.

The decorations, like the dishes, were simple yet elegant.

Italian sausage with bread crumbs, herb-infused olive oil and tomato water. Essentially a classic Italian appetizer platter deconstructed and simplified down to a shot-glass. Very smart and creative.

Razor clams with zucchini. Both were minimally seasoned to allow the freshness of the ingredients to shine through, providing a refreshing, clean after-taste. I especially liked the zucchini--- serving it in thin slices lightened up the dish and its crunchiness added textural contrast.

Organic tomatoes with figs and anchovy. The freshness of the tomato, savoriness of the anchovy and fragrance of the olive oil were all soaked into the porous piece of fig, which added a tint of sweetness.

Mushroom dish. The Cep mushroom, almost as big as my fist, had a mild flavor but very meaty texture, which was beautifully complemented by the foam made from Iberian bacon and ham. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn't even know you were eating a mushroom. 

Pickled oysters with glazed cheek and sauteed spinach. The pork cheek was braised in the oven for so long that all the fibers had melted away, giving it a gelatinous consistency similar to that of the oyster. Surf-and-turf has always featured prominently in Catalan cuisine, and this was an interesting interpretation.

Spicy soup with noodles. The name didn't prepare me for what was actually in the dish. Razor-thin pig ear carpaccio, surrounded by crunchy pig ear bits, was served with a beefy consomme that reminded me of Chinese clear brisket soup. The combination was an intensely rich meatopia, yet thanks to Jordi's masterful play on textures, it felt neither heavy nor overwhelming.

Squid with its own ink and zucchini flower. Beautiful colors, well-executed, but ordinary.

Prawn a la mano. This was my favorite dish of the night and also one of the best dishes of the entire trip. The plate was extremely hot and served as an impromptu incense burner, from which earthy, intoxicating fragrances of lime, bay leaf, sea salt and clove emanated. I could smell the dish from 20 feet away literally. The herb-infused, semi-raw prawn was succulent and sweet, and the prawn's head was loaded with yummy brain tissues.

Cap I cua with chickpeas cream. I asked my waiter three times what exactly this dish was. Due to the language barrier, the only conclusion I could draw was that the brown gelatinous item on the right was some form of "veal head." The lightly-fried chickpeas were fantastic with the rich chickpea cream--- it somehow reminded me of creamy tomato soup with croutons.

Fish of the day with picked aubergine. The red mullet was panseered to perfection--- the skin was crispy while the flesh gently flaked off on first bite.

Young pigeon with peanut light sponge and coconut. I was wowed twice by this dish. Firstly, while foam has been all the rage in the past few years, a "sponge" is a true novelty. This is ingenious since a sponge has the physical capacity to soak up and retain sauces. Secondly, I was surprised by how well the coconut and pigeon went with each other. This was a combination of flavors that I have never tried before, and I was delighted to realize that two of my favorite foods would actually make a good couple.

Mango with juniper sponge, yogurt ice cream and maracuya flavored toffee.

Egg flam with lemon ice cream and ginger. I liked the serving "dish" since it was actually a slab of shales where fossils could be found!