Girona - Massana

So, this is my last post in the Spain/France series.  Well, for the time being, until I make it to that culinary haven again, sooner rather than later.  And since Girona is the cradle of this era's creative chefs, we had to at least chalk up one star in this lovely city.  Being such poor planners, we took whatever was offered to us.  So the solitary Michelin star we managed to bag was at Massana, conveniently located in the Eixample Nord district, not far from the city centre and our hotel.

Named after the guy who has run it since 1986, the restaurant has a bright pine setting in comfy but by no means plush surrounds, nor does it attempt to be trendy.  Just simple and understated, and could pass off as a dining room in someone's home.  Service by our female server was very professional and knowledgeable, friendly with a touch of humor, but without being intrusive.  In some cases, we thought she stole the show over the food.  Shame I've forgotten her name now..

Glass of Cava and we were ready to commence The Gastronomic Menu, which starts with 6 tapas to whet the appetite.

Foccacia with prime quality cured ham (foreground)
Cream of tomato, melon and crunchy duck ham

Cod, virgin olive oil and frozen tomato

Tinned beetroot with watermelon

Blini with leek, king prawn and bacon

Creamy mushroom fritter

All starters were innovative while respecting the original excellent quality of the local produce used.  Suffice to say, we were wowed!

Marinated sardines, served on flat bread with tomato and basil tartare and balsamic ice cream

This was easily the best dish of the night for me, and I still dream of how fresh the sardines were and that oh so complementary balsamic ice cream on the top.  A wondrous combination of the freshest ingredients which matches some of the best sashimi places I've been lucky to eat at.

Razor clam from the Galician Rias, citrus fruits and cauliflower

This was a novel way to eat razor clams, which are similar to the bamboo clams we get an abundance of in Hong Kong.  Very fresh and the citricity was a nice balance to the mayo like sauce.

Rabbit shoulders in warm pickle and mushrooms

A tasty product from what was likely a stew done for hours with tender meat.  Pickles were a nice touch against the salinity but from this dish on, the rest of the dishes unfortunately failed to sustain the wow factor, and while very competent, one major complaint was the unusually high salt factor which seemed to increase with every dish.  

Creamy rice with "escorpora" and sea cucumber

I didn't know what an "esccorpora" is but I found out later that the fish is reddish with many spikes and which some translate to be a scorpion fish.  Not something we catch off the South China Sea I suppose.  Bouncy flesh akin to fugu.  But alas everything was overpowered by salt, as was the next dish.

Loin of cod with wild mushroom sauce

Aside from the salt, a little overcooked by Asian standards.

Pork neck, tender and crunchy textures, black sausage and citric fruit salad

A lot more well balanced than the preceding courses but by then we were reaching our limits.  Pity.  Crackling was awesome though.

Choco-passion fruit and "marialluisa"

Any European restaurant worth its salt (pun intended!) will redeem itself with dessert.  And this one did not disappoint.  The use of "marialluisa", Spanish for lemon verbena, provided the tangy freshness which paired well with the usually cloying passion fruit and chocolate combo.  

Rum savarin, apricot ice cream and purple fruit tea crumble

But if the sardines were my favorite savory dish of the evening, this was my favorite sweet one.  A well soaked cake but not overpowered by alcohol, it was lovely and moist and matched by the apricot ice cream, even if I didn't care too much for the crumble.  A nice end to a meal of hits and misses.

I wished we hadn't encountered the salt problem.  Part of the rationale could have been that we didn't drink as much, opting not to go with the wine pairing.  But still, I could feel a heart attack waiting to happen by the end of the night.  If sodium levels weren't so high, it would have been one of the best meals.  

Bonastruc de Porta, 10

17001 Girona

Tel: +34 972 21 38 20

Girona

Girona - where buzz does not mean crowds.

I found it more manageable as a city than say, Barcelona.  Of course, you can't beat the architecture and coolness of Barca but Girona is a lovely city to walk through and just soak in the colors and historical buildings all around.

Boira's Cod Brandada

It's also the culinary hotbed in Spain, and is home to the now-closed el Bulli and the 3-star El Celler de can Roca.  Food was of very high quality and even an unassuming cafe offered a yummy chopped salmon and apple salad, as well as the local specialty of a cod brandada, which is an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil.

Occi's prawn carpaccio and foie gras shavings

Japanese sashimi chefs would find their match at Occi with the prawn carpaccio perfectly thinly sliced, as with the accompanying salad which boasts the same thinness with the foie gras shavings liberally layered over the top.

The city's proximity to the Costa Brava strip in the same province means a day trip to L'Escala is very doable.  A small sleepy town which wakes up to many times its population of 6,000 in the peak seasons, of visitors who come to enjoy the unspoiled beaches....

the quaint little town centre with buildings from the past.....

Anchovies on tomato paste toast

and where you can also enjoy the town's most famous produce - anchovies.

If you just want a province which offers a myriad of things to do, but with a laid-back kind of feel, and get fed very well, Girona is just what you might be looking for.

Occi Restaurant
Mercaders, 3, Girona, Catalonia 17004

Boira Restaurant

Plaça Independència, 17, Girona, Catalonia 17001

Barcelona - Tapas Territory

When it comes to food portions, the Spanish have gotten it right.  Nobody wants to eat a whole lot of the same thing anymore.  With obesity becoming a problem in most of the developed world, everyone should just learn to eat in moderation.  Have Tapas – where you can get small doses of variety.  Yes, you can wash it down with a beer or Sangria.  In moderation, of course. 

Legend has it that when wine was offered to a Spanish King in medieval times, a piece of bread or cured meat was laid on top of the cup to protect its contents.  Henceforth, the variety of tapas (which in Spanish is taken from the word “Tapa” which refers to a lid or cover) grew and became as important as the alcohol itself.  Presumably so people don’t  keel over from too much alcohol on an empty stomach before dinner starts, and in Spanish terms, that is no earlier than 9pm.

Here’s some of the more memorable Tapas we ate in Barcelona.  Needless to say, they were all delish. 

Tapas 24’s McFoie Burger

Tapas, 24 is the brainchild of Carles Abellan, probably more well-known for his formal dining restaurant Comerc 24.  Like many other protégés, he too hailed from doing time under Ferran Adria at his famous but now defunct El Bulli. 

Lolita Taperia’s eggplant tempura with sweet molasses

Lolita Taperia was co-founded by Joan Martinez and Albert Adria, yes Ferran’s brother, initially known as Inopia.  Albert has since left the venture and Joan renamed it to a saucier Lolita with the signature red lipstick mark on all its paraphernalia. 

Cal Pep’s Potato omelet with mayo

 Cal Pep's deep fried peppers

Cal Pep is helmed by Pep Manubens, who oversees a busy live kitchen show at opening times.  The sights, smells and sounds are a delight as diners feast on the freshest of the day.  Food is kept simple and in its truest form so there is little to no dress up, pretty plates or foam!  And yes, I hear he is a good friend of Ferran too.

Maitea’s marinated sardine

For something more rustic, we tried Maitea and although coming away a little shaken from witnessing a petty theft right on the premises on our first night, it was vibrant and friendly.  Just don't sit too hear the door and don't leave your bag on the floor.  Tapas here were more traditional too with almost everything served on a slice of baguette.

Note: Many places don’t take reservations if your party is less than 4, you can either head there early, or have a beer, soak in the atmosphere, and wait.  Or perhaps name drop?  I hear Ferran is a good one..

Tapas, 24

Carrer de la diputacio, 269

Tel: +34-934880977

Lolita Taperia

Tamarit 104 · local 2-4
Tel: +34-934245231

Cal Pep

Placa de les Olles, 8
Tel: +34-933107961

Maitea

Carrer de Casanova, 157

+34-934395107

Hong Kong - Fandango Spanish Restaurant

Toy House in TST has always been known to house only Japanese cuisine, the most famous probably being Sushi Hiro although the others have decent reviews too.  So Fandango stands out like a sore thumb but as we realise, not so sore after all.  We went for lunch and being our first time, were recommended F and I try the set lunch and order the main that we both so wanted to share - the roast suckling pig.

The set lunch starts with tapas, which we were eagerly anticipating since there have been a few very good reviews about them.  But for the price of the set lunch, we should have known that they would not include the "good stuff".  But the potatoes topped with a spicy sour cream, garlic mushrooms and olives were acceptable to get the juices going.

The Mediteranean Salad was pretty decent although on the salty side.  But the combination of greens with the signature tuna chunks and hard boiled eggs drizzled with a balsamic and oil dressing was a refreshing change to the heavier tapas starter.

Our choice of the Paella with chicken as the main course to our set lunch was a very generous portion.  Although looking very charred when it arrived, the rice was nicely al dente with enough of a bite and made tasty from the chicken and vegetables in the same pan.  My only complaint was that the chicken was very tough and I left most of it, while eating just the rice and veges.

The piece de resistance was the Crispy Suckling Pig.  And oh my, what a hearty portion too.  With a well roasted skin which had most of the fat dripped away, and the surprisingly tender meat underneath, the combination was an impressive effortless bite, which had the fragrant slight gaminess from the pig and the herbs in the marinade.

And only because of this well executed dish, we will be back.  I'm just not sure I would do a set lunch next time.  If the pig is anything to go by, I am definitely back for the very exciting tapas menu, and a Sangria or 2 to match.

9/F ,The Toy House
100 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852-2957 8797

Singapore - Via Mar @ SAM

Spanish cuisine is still not an often thought-of cuisine in Asia, though it has gained in popularity over the last decade, with increasing tourism to Spain.  Consequently, there are probably not enough benchmarks for the uninitiated like me, who have not stepped foot into Spain.  It is unfortunately often the 3rd choice I never get to behind Italy and France.  And OK, Rafael Nadal just isn't on my list of favourite persons.  


So D's choice of Via Mar was somewhat refreshing.  That meant some apprehension also since this was untried and I hadn't seen any reviews.  The setting is very nice,  on the grounds of the Singapore Art Museum, on the Waterloo Street side.  There is also an al fresco area for those willing to suffer the humidity.  Despite the hour, we were the only table at lunch and it wasn't until we were half-way through that another couple joined us.  On the bright side, we just had more attentive service.

First up, our tapas of Chorizo slices dunked in a garlic-infused olive oil.  A nice starter with the warm sliced baguette served, but just a tad salty for me.  The sodium level would be acceptable with a nice cold jug of Sangria, which we did not have.

The seafood paella was touted to be a special and in my opinion, a Spanish benchmark.  It was pleasantly tasty enough and decked out generously but somehow, I just wasn't sure of its authenticity, especially with the hard-boiled egg quarters (although I do like them!).  Overall, the dish did not come close to a "wow" for me - the seafood could have been better cooked so as to be more juicy - most of it lost their taste somewhere but unfortunately not in the rice.  Suspicion:  parboiled then decorated over the rice???

The recommended dessert of the pear soaked in red wine, with chocolate sauce and strawberry ice cream was surprisingly very decent.  Of course, the pink pear was the main character who stole the show.  Heavily laced and pretty, it still retained its crunch and went well with the chocolate.  The strawberry ice cream in my opinion was superfluous.  I think a strawberry sorbet would have fared even better to make this an excellent summer cooler.


71 Bras Basah Road
#01-03 Singapore Art Museum
Singapore 189555
Tel: +65-6423 0900