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2013-04-19
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Perhaps it was my attempt to master Spanish as a teenager. Perhaps it was the young and fearless days that we spent in Barcelona. Perhaps it was the memorable vibes that I soaked up in the tapas bars across Andalusia. I adore Spain; and I adore Spanish food.~BCN shares its name with the "Barcelona El Prat Airport"; also a common abbreviation for BARCELONA. BCN has been under my radar for quite some time; not a simple task to secure reservation (a date to fit in my food buddies' packed schedule a
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BCN shares its name with the "Barcelona El Prat Airport"; also a common abbreviation for BARCELONA. BCN has been under my radar for quite some time; not a simple task to secure reservation (a date to fit in my food buddies' packed schedule and in such a popular kitchen with very limited seatings) - it was a good few weeks between booking and our actual meal.
A few days before the night, I got whatsapp messages for confirmation of our dinner and details of the menus on offer. Two to choose from; both super inviting. "Trip to Spain" at $595 or "Winter Chef Menu" at $720. We opted for the "Trip to Spain" one.
There are two dining slots for BCN - be the first guests and start at around 6:30pm-7pm, you get to stay till 9pm. They start welcoming the second batch from around 9pm, and we booked for this latter slot (you see, I never know how hectic work can be until the day...). At the end, on the day, it was rather peaceful at work and so I rang up requesting to be informed if seats became available earlier (I would be happy-houring around Soho anyways and certainly up for an earlier dinner). At the end, we were seated by 8:15pm - perfect timing!
A sleek and warm little space with up to 12 high stools surrounding an open kitchen; but with 3 staff serving (excluding chefs), attentive and courteous service guaranteed.
Manchego Cheese. Iberico Ham. Chorizo. Toast Started off with a platter of manchego cheese semi curado i.e. semi hard (creamy and buttery, coated all over my tongue), Iberico ham and chorizo (both with a delightful balance of fat and intense flavours); all flown directly from Spain, with small bits of toasts blessed with olive oil lined up on the side. Something comfortingly simple, and something admittedly not testing of chef's skills; but as you indulge in the thin elegant sheets, each with packed flavours, you know you are promised with a night of quality and tasteful food.
3 Small pintxos set To get us started... From right to left: Cod fish coquet - the amber crust was done perfectly crispy and contrasted well with the smooth potato and fish mash within. Foie gras and iberico ham on a toast - not the normal pan fried caramelised foie gras here, a blader take but the iberico ham gave the mouthful an awesome kick. Boiled octopus - prinkled with paprika and served on a bed of boiled potato; very authentic. Nice.
Classic "Gazpacho" Now - this. was. lovely. Gazpacho is a tomato-based soup, served cold, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía. I was not a fan of cold soup. But this was lovely (yes I have to repeat it again). Very flavourful, each spoonful reminded of freshly picked tomatoes, well-balanced natural sweetness with a hint of zestiness; extremely refreshing (perfect for the humid Hong Kong weather); exceedingly appetising. Loved the twist of the watermelon skewer. Perfection.
I love open kitchens. To admire the dedication of the chefs. To learn a trick or two. Here, Chef Edgar was preparing our next dish "Rossekat de fideos con alioli"!! Look at how he was carefully blotting the garlic sauce on the cool black plates!
Fried Short Noddles ... I confess - I was skeptical; I did not really look forward to this course. The photo of this dish I saw on openrice reminded me of the tacky Chinese take-away noodles I had back when I was still at boarding school in England.. but man, I was so wrong. Just before I had my first taste, Chef Edgar explained that he made this dish in the traditional paella way, except that rice was substituted by noodles . The noodle was very very well-done, each little strip was cooked in seafood soup and completely soaked up the complex seafood flavours. The olive oil, garlic sauce and fresh tomato brought further dimensions to the dish. Enjoyed it to bits; very nice!
Suckling Pig - "slow cooked with vapor" (this I quote from the menu) I was told by the Chef that it was steamed for over 8 hours before being fried to crisp up the skin. End result? What a heavenly dish. The pork belly had the most tender and juicy meat, the skin was crackingly crispy. Smooth, creamy sweet potato mash (loved that it is SWEET potato mash) and served with beef sauce. hmmm I would love another piece. Ohh and i find the little leaves really very cute. ;)
Chocolate Truffles with orange skin We were offered up chocolate truffles topped with tiny bit of orange skin to end. By then, I was super satisfied and full; but I always have room for desserts and would have loved something else - something more substantial. Delicious truffles though!
As I drank up my glass of Rioja, for a second, I thought I was in BCN. Maybe it is time to plan another Spanish trip.
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