Japoneses en Barcelona

Lo cierto es que se trata de un tema tan, tan machacado por todo el mundo, que aburre un poco, la verdad. Pero también es verdad que al final acudimos a este tipo de restaurantes con cierta frecuencia, por lo que más vale andar prevenidos.

Vaya por delante que no soy ninguna experta. A los restaurantes japoneses no voy a hacer estudios ni sociológicos ni gastronómicos; simplemente voy, como mi arrocico, mis udon y mi sashimi, y para casa. Por eso, entre los restaurantes barceloneses que voy a recomendar, es más que posible que aparezca un chino "remozado". Lo siento, pero como no sé japonés, no he estado en japón e, insisto, no soy ni mucho menos una experta, tendréis que conformaros con esto.

En algún momento de la historia ya se comentó en este blog la existencia del Rojo y del Fusion Sushi Club.

Bueno, pues ahora, en el capítulo de despropósitos hemos de empezar por el KIBUKA. La ventaja es que está en Gràcia, que, de momento, es mi barrio; en concreto en la calle Goya. La desventaja es que, no, no vas a cenar en él un sábado; ni un viernes; ni ninguna víspera de fiesta. Mi naturaleza perezosa me ha impedido ir a ese lugar antes de las 21 horas los viernes y los sábados, así que el noventa por ciento de las veces que he acudido a este lugar, horrorizada ante la marabunta de la puerta, me he visto obligada a seguir mi camino hasta Gran de Gràcia y tomarme un estupendo frankfurt de tres euros. Sólo en una ocasión he conseguido deleitarme con los manjares del Kibuka; y el éxtasis no fue tal. Nada excepcional en lo que a pescado se refiere. En cuanto al servicio, pienso que debí tener muy mala suerte, porque: a) tardaron un mucho en atendernos y servirnos; b) los platos fueron literalmente tirados sobre la mesa c) la sonrisa no se estila.

Menos mal que, también en los alrededores de Gràcia está el Nihon Sakari (Girona, 88). No será maravilloso, ni super cool, ni nadie va disfrazado; y es cierto que la foto del Golden Gate del fondo, que ocupa toda la pared, es un elemento de atrezzo, cuando menos, singular. Pero el sashimi es el más fresco que he probado en Barcelona a un precio razonable y, francamente, al sashimi lo único que se le puede pedir es que esté bien cortado y fresco. Y de postre, yo que soy una laminera, mochi. Este restaurante sale un poco más caro que los japoneses "de carril", bufet libre, etc, pero realmente merece la pena.

A otro nivel, y para otros momentos, en la Plaça de la Revolució se encuentra el Maguroya (Ramón y Cajal 32). Es un take away que, parece ser, regenta una japonesa. Lo cierto es que la mitad de las veces me ha atendido un "barceloní". No es maravilloso, ni mucho menos, pero se deja comer bastante bien, y para quedarte en casa una noche, o invitar al alguien a cenar, pues es muy socorrido.

Otro día os hablaré del japonés que visitamos en Helsinki. Pero Helsinki y sus restaurantes requieren un capítulo aparte.

Redescubriendo el mediterráneo: Da Greco

La Doctrina no es pacífica en cuanto a italianos se refiere, pero creo que a cualquier amante de la cocina italiana y de las cosas bien echas le gustará este restaurante. Este tipo de locales me encanta. Reconozco estar cada vez más cansado de la mala educación y de los manteles de papel, de la tortilla de patata criogenizada y demás experimentaciones, para eso me quedo casa.

Al entrar al local uno encuentra un recibidor amplio, recargado con todo tipo de fruslerías. No se trata, sin embargo, de la típica decoración impersonal de restaurante italiano franquiciado; estamos más cerca del italiano de Nueva York que de la tasca romana. La mantelería, la cristalería, el esmerado servicio, y sobre todo la comida, no dejan de recordar la diferencia con los monótonos clones que podemos encontrar en cualquier capital de provincia.

Al pedir el vino, evitamos las referencias españolas y nos decantamos por un blanco italiano, de precio similar a varios de los españoles y que no defraudó en absoluto. Empezamos con unos entrantes: antipasto de verduras y ensalada caprese. De pasta, probamos los tortellini de trufa blanca al gorgonzola y los spaguetti fruti di mare (28 lauros pagados muy a gusto, de alguna manera el plato estrella). Tienen por costumbre, además, servir un pequeño plato de degustación de aquello que haya pedido otro comensal. Al postre no llegamos con hambre. Tuvimos que prescindir del brownie, que en la carta de postres aparecía adornado con toques casi de leyenda urbana. Será en otra ocasión.



Unos 30 o 40 euros por persona aproximadamente. En los Jardines de Gracia, al lado de la Diagonal.

Por favor, no dejéis de acudir al servicio, además de lavaros las manos antes de comer, cosa sana, podréis sentaros en una butaca de cuero (no entiendo que hace junto a los mingitorios) y contemplar un busto romano.

PS: Para cenar tienen dos turnos:ocho y media y diez y es conveniente reservar. Que ustedes lo disfruten.

EXPO ZARAGOZA 2008

Despite we are not real fans of the Internacional Expo which is being held in our home town, it is not possible to obviate its existence. And, provided many people are going to visit the event, we find it better to attend to it knowing where to eat.

It must be borne in mind the nature of the event: an exposition which expects to receive thousands of hungry visitors which not always want to pay much for what they eat. Consequently, there are a whole bunch of stands where to get an edible-but-not-very-cheap sandwich; it’s a good choice for those who want to eat “on the run”.

Notwithstanding the above, there are also a few good places where to have a nice meal, just paying few more euros. For instance, the French and the Japanese restaurants, though not very original, are said to be correct. The Uruguayan restaurant seems great, with good roasted meat to eat; however, it you are looking forward to eat there, you may book a table the a few hours before, otherwise you will have to eat a cheeseburger somewhere else.

Our final choice was the Polish restaurant, with its traditional pierogi and its meatballs, with some glasses of Ziwiec (good Polish beer). We could even have had some “mad dogs” (a kind of cocktail made of vodka and Tabasco), made with Wyborowa vodka, though we thought it too much for my body, too much for my brain… We paid about 12 euros for each one, which I think was very accurate. Then we moved to the Mexican bar, where we had several Tamarindo Margaritas (8 €) which were absolutely great.

NegroRojo, Barcelona...

... or where lawyers eat when they are angry with their corresponding bosses.

Right in front of L'illa, in Barcelona, (groundfloor of the Caja Madrid building) the restaurant NegroRojo arises among several insipid restaurants in the Diagonal of Barcelona.

The special feature which makes this restaurant quite peculiar is the fact of having two different atmospheres. The black one is a Mediterranean restaurant, where one can chose among different rissotos, salads, meats and an acceptable fideuá. The red restaurant, located in the basement of the building, is a Japanese restaurant, as the Japanese restaurants are understood in this part of the world; I mean that it is not a real Japanese, but people might prefer these noodles and portions of meat or fish than real sushi, and a seaweed salad.

In the Rojo it is not possible to book a table, and one must share its table with unknown people; it is also a take-away. None of them are as cheap as to have lunch everyday in there, but it is rather reasonable for an evening dinner from time to time. During the weekend, drinks are served until 1 a.m. and there's a DJ.

The restaurant NegroRojo belongs to the Tragaluz group.

Paternoster Square o la pérfida Albión

Había sido una mañana feliz dedicada a las compras. Perfumes en Fortum&Mason, camisas de cuadros en Cordings (una de mis tiendas fetiche en la City), libros en Hatchard's...un agotador tirar de tarjeta. Desde Oxford Circus, cuando la cordura aconsejaba dedicarse a menesteres más espirituales, nos encaminamos a la Tate Modern. Pensábamos cojer el metro hasta St. Paul's Cathedral y después cruzar el Támesis por la pasarela diseñada por Norman Foster.

Lloviznaba cuando abandonamos la boca del metro y llegamos completamente calados a la entrada del museo. Showers (duchas) creo que llaman los locales a este tipo de precipitaciones. Cuando ya nos veíamos disfrutando del atardecer en la cafetería de la última planta, el portero nos comunicó, con el gesto característico, que no podíamos pasar, había fiesta privada.

Empapado, con la pequeña tempestad arreciando, me encontraba bloqueado, con unas terribles ganas de acudir al servicio e incapaz de pensar. Dios nos perdone, entramos en un Starbuck's, en lo que se convirtió en una especie de cronometrada: pedir café, ir al baño, beber café que cierran en 5 minutos.

Con el respiro de haber superado la primera pantalla, buscamos un sitio para cenar en las inmediaciones de St. Paul. La guía esta de solteronas vegetarianas (Lonely planet) nos proponía un restaurante llamado Paternoster, en la plaza situada junto a la catedral y que da título a esta entrada. Como que no nos apetecían rollitos de soja, ni brochetas de tofú ni material del estilo, y era el único sitio en la zona donde parecían servir carnaza nos decidimos por él. Continuará...

Léon de Bruxelles

At the beginning of my last trip to Paris with my mother I spent the first day there all alone. Hopefully, I speak French quite fluently and thanks to Jack and despite my awful bearings, I can move well in the French Capital.

The plane had been late, so I didn't feel like moving further away from the Hotel. Then I remembered a place where I had been with Mr. Longanice two years ago at Saint Germain. Nothing special, but Jack seemed very pleased at that time.

Léon's speciality are mussels and french fries. For an illiterate Spanish girls as I am, the first time I went to Britanny (seven years ago; I'm afraid I'm becoming old and I don't really notice it) eating mussels with fries was a nice exotic combination. Until then, I had only eaten mussels as an appetizer or in a paella. But in fact, it is quite a typical meal at the Atlantic coast of France and Belgium.

It's cheap (14 € p/p), the mussels are very fresh and plentiful (take into account I was in Paris, not in a restaurant at Guilvinec port), the fries were also fine, and I was as pleased as Mr. Longanice was two years ago. The meal also helped me to recall the lovely days we spent in Paris.

There are many Léon restaurants all over France and Belgium, but I have always gone to the one in Saint Germain, in a corner right in front of the rue Dauphine.

It is very important to drink a beer with the mussels, otherwise you'll miss one of the most typical meals in Belgium...

Brasseries de Paris

Once again, about Paris.

The best way to eat something really good, not at all expensive at any time of the day in Paris is going to a brasserie. Brasseries are usually more elegant and expensive than bistros, where waiters are not professional and the choice is not so wide.

At a brasserie you might be able to choose between eating "coté restaurant", more expensive and elegant, or "coté brasserie", cheaper. I always choose the last one, because I love the sandwiches and salads they offer.

In my last trip to Paris I found a new Brasserie that I specially liked. We found it the day we went to the Marmottan Museum (Monet museum), at the 16eme arrondisement: La Rotonde de la Muette (m: La Muette; 12 Chaussée de la Muette). Great Caesar Salad, lovely french hamburger and chicken breast with tomatoe sauce which really seemed home-made. It was about 12 euros p/p.

Café de L'homme

Before going to Calafell, I spent some days, also with my mother in Paris, to get our anual dose of macaroons from La Durée (it's a pity it's almost run out... but Jack has chosen as his favourite the rose flavour). I have some new places to show you, such as the "Café de l'homme".

It's a fancy café (and a mediocre restaurant) placed in the Musée de l'homme, at Trocadero Square, right in front of the Tour Eiffel. The view of the tower is the best thing you'll find in the Café, so try to get a table at the terrace; there you might find some Parisian friends enjoying their chat with a club and a coffee. The inside is beautiful, although you won't find anything you couldn't find in any other restaurant or café in Paris. Waiters are not very professional, but I must admit they're all lovely.

The restaurant has a poor choice; it's rather a brasserie than a restaurant. However, the prices are over 12 €. A tiny piece of cake costs over 10 €. A coffee costs about 5 euros, more or less like the soft drink. Cocktails are on its 12 €. Not cheap, but some people think the view is worth it.

L'espineta

Having passed a really hard year, I have just spent a few relaxing days with my mother in Calafell, at the Meridian Ra Beach Hotel and Spa . When our friend Marconi Lunasanta knew I was going to this place, he quickly said we had to go to L'Espineta, the restaurant belonging to the Barral's family.

It's a very small sailors tavern (in august you'd better book your table the day before), where you can taste lovely fishes and seafood. The paella and the soggy rice are absolutely delicious. We also had razor-sells, cockles, orelluts (like baby squid), mussels made L'Espineta way. Everything was unforgettable.

The tavern is decorated with some old photographs and saling tools, which make the place lovely warm. The whole meal for two, was around 60 €, but we had a bottle of white wine (Raimat Chardonnay, a Costers del Segre) and we definitely ate too much. Please, don't miss it if you pass around.

Telirium: awful design

Sorry for the delay. I've been quite busy these last months, but I'll try to be back at least for a while, and to be regular in my entries. This entry will be a kind of appetizer, but not a tempting one, I'm afraid.

I think I've told you I live and work in Barcelona. I work in the high district of this town, and don't have time to go home and have lunch, take a nap and rest for a while. So I have to find some restaurants around to keep hunger at bay...

One everybody likes and I hate is the Telirium (Diagonal 656). It belongs to the "Cacheiro Grup", a group that owns several restaurants all over the town, such as the correct "Trovador", which Jack and I have visited a couple of times. But the Telirium is another thing, which has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Both the Menu and the "carte" are fine. The Hamburger is very tasty and it's made of fine beef. Avoid the salads, which have nothing special to remember. The desserts are said to be lovely; I don't know, I always have to leave the place before I taste them...The menu is about 9 € and in case you chose to eat "à la carte", it will be around 25. The terrace looks very cosy, but I have never had the pleasure.

The problem with this restaurant are the waiters and waitresses which help you, who are everything but professional. They are bad-mannered, unpleasant and slow, very slow. It's not strange to find a waiter wandering, while you are waiting for the bill; I also hate that kind of waiters who come twice a minute in order to see whether you have finished your dish or not. I feel like saying: "leave me alone! I want to enjoy my risotto without you looking over my shoulder!". Ah!, you'd better not change your mind about what you were going to eat, otherwise you won't eat nothing at all. It can also happen that you ask for a brochette and you will eat steak. And remember: once you decide to leave, usually later than you wanted to start your job, you will have to chase the waiter to let you pay...

Don't open a new one, please

Really close to the heart of Zaragoza there's one of the restaurants everyone knows, everybody has at least once eaten, and nobody dislikes it. "El Antiguo Tabernillas" (Inocencio Jimenez) is a well known place among the lawyers, architects, journalists and workers around since 1954; the environment, the food (tapas and some traditional food) and the location have driven to success this restaurant. In 2001 the owner decided to open another restaurant in another centrally situated street (Ponzano St.). The place was more comfortable, with more room between the tables, and I would dare to say, it was more "restaurant" than the old one, which seemed a bit more seedy. However, I still preffered the old one, more typical and as crowed as usual. I'm afraid the prices also helped, as the new place was a bit more expensive, and I usually keep my head above the water.
But (there's always one "but") a new "Tabernillas" has arrived to town.

Located right in the middle of the shopping zone of Zaragoza (Madre Vedruna), this restaurant pretends to be as good as its predecessors, but nothing could be further from the truth. First, it seems it has been opened the following day the old restaurant closed: no repairs have been done, but some painting and two new lamps. It seems they wanted to open really quickly, but with a unwise result. Secondly, the waiters were not qualified enough; it took them like half an hour to come to attend us. But the worse, the really unforgivable fact was the bad food, no other adjective could fit better; too cold, too strong, too vulgar. I ate some deer, a choice of which I would have usually eaten every last crumb, and I couldn't finish it, so heavy it was.
The best choice was my sister's who asked for some typical vegetable only eaten in this region (borraja, borage), although my grandmother would have certainly cooked it better.
Yes, I'm afraid I'm like Mr. Longanice: I preffer good old places to the new.

Be Zen in San Miguel

This one is again in Zaragoza (San Miguel Street); there's one with the same name in Paris (the one from Paris is a Hotel and it has nothing to do with this one; don't make a mistake).



Its name is Buddabar, and it is supposed to be very cool and jazzy. Mmmm..., it is and what is more important, you can eat quite well and paying for your meal a reasonable amount of money (Sundays, the menu is less than 18 euros, and you can eat two dishes, a dessert and a bottle of wine, Viñas del Vero).
The music and the light are very pleasant, and you can stay for a while after you've finished your food. I have eaten a tuna carpaccio and a steak, with red wine; as dessert I didnt't feel like strange thigs, so my choice was an ice-cream (in Spain you can have it even in December; it's cold, but it's O.K.).



The whole restaurant is decorated in red, with lights and statues. I like it, although I know the owners would have prefered to have been born in Paris or Berlin. But I must admit it's very nice to spend two hours there with your guy, eating something very nice, and chatting for a long time. I would recommend, after this meal, a good gin and tonic, made with Wet by Beefeater or the great Bombay Sapphire. You can't regret that.