Hola ! (: How I wish I was back in Barcelona, basking in the sun! Going through the photos is making me miss Europe heaps and there are some places that I travelled to and delicious food that I had I really want to share with you!
Markets. Don’t you just love them? I can’t get enough of them! While I was planning my itinerary for Barcelona, the first place that got on my list was the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria! The moment you enter through the La Rambla entrace, you are greeted with fresh juice, colourful fruits, plethora of nuts and more juice! Walking through the aisles was like a kid walking in a toy store, I wanted to get everything!
There were so many different combinations of juices and even smoothies! Was so amazing! What’s even better is that some stalls (along the sides) were selling them for €1! How cheap is that! We would drink at least one every time we were around the area! hehe
Fresh fruits were all arranged so neatly and the colours just popped! All of them were seasonal and oh-so-fresh! You just wanted to buy some and bite into them immediately!
These caught my attention as I was walking through the aisles! The watermelons were sliced and served with a fork for the convenient of visitors! I was in awe with how much pride and care they took with their produce. Amazing!
I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw how huge the fresh dates were! I immediately bought a couple to try and they were so good! Plump and sweet! Some were even stuffed with pistachios. YUMMO! hehe Have you fallen in love with this market yet? hehe There’s more to come!
We were totally in Jamon heaven!! Everywhere you walk to, every turn you make, there would be a stall with legs of jamon hanging around and packets of beautifully sliced ones. They smelled heavenly, and you wouldn’t be able to resist buying a packet or two. hehe
Don’t eat meat? How about fish? hehe These definitely reminded me of my brother and I couldn’t not get him some! The fish jerky was delicious and it went perfectly with some table water crackers. hehe And of course, the beautiful bottarga. Wished I could bring it back to Melbourne! Would love to use them in my cooking!
SHROOMS! I was in heaven. So many different varieties. You name them, they have them!
These made my heart skip a beat! Wild strawberries! hehe The first time I’ve seen them and within my reach! Of course, I bought one. haha I remember Jamie Oliver using them in a dessert, so I couldn’t wait to try them! Some were like sugar, but there were some that made my face cringe. haha But they all had an intense strawberry flavour though! hehe
By now, you would be wondering, where is the tapas? Or the cooked food??
Here it is! Just next to a stall that sells fresh seafood, they have a stall that fries them up and we can have it piping hot! hehe Even my mum who doesn’t usually have fried stuff or baby squid, couldn’t resist!
We didn’t stop at one! haha Crispy golden crunchy deliciousness! Everything was fresh with a subtle sweetness. The only thing I didn’t dare to try was the barnacles.
The Mr was super excited to try these. But just how it looks makes me take a few steps back! haha To give it credit though, the mr said it tastes quite like crab meat! hehe In fact it has a outshell that you have to pop and pull the flesh out. hehe Till now, the picture is making my hair stand!
Even after all those food, we still needed to have lunch! hehe I read many reviews and there were lots of people recommending the Pinotxo Bar, so the tummy led me there! hehe
Friendly staff greeted us and told us what was on the menu today. It changes according to the freshest catch they can get that day! hehe Of course there are a few signature dishes that would be be constantly on their menu.
They only had bar seats or high tables, and we went during the peak hour so there were only the high tables left. The high tables were out in the sun, so we ordered bubbly and beer, which were perfect to cool us down.
The good thing about tapas is that we could order lots of varieties and try almost everything on their menu! First thing we had was croquettes! They had many kinds : mushrooms, ham, mince and cod ! Mushroom was my favourite. A really strong flavour of porcini in every bite! Crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside – DELISH!
Mussels! So fresh and sweet, and goes so well with a tangy salsa.
The steamed clams were also really fresh, plump and sweet! They were more like cockles, but I think they call is clams here. hehe Drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Perfect!
The Mr couldn’t resist ordering a plate of deep fried peppers. They were sweet but leaves a hit of chilli in our mouths after! Accompanied by crackles of salt with every bite. I have only one word to describe this – ADDICTIVE! hehe
This is their signature, and a must order! Their cod and lentils salad was drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The cod had the right amount of saltiness, and we just couldn’t stop! Such a good balance of flavours! Wish I could make it at home!
This was one of my favourites! Baby squid with cannellini beans and black ink. So tasty and lip-smackingly good!
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the chickpeas with meat. It was absolutely delicious and every single chickpea you bite through is tender and just full of flavour. I can see why it was highly recommended by many! Absolutely loved it!
And just before we left, the staff told us the boss wanted to take a picture with us! How cute is that? hehe He came out from behind the bar to snap a shot with us (: You must be wondering, where is the Mr? He was at his conference, but don’t worry, we went back and ate all the same dishes with him another day! hehe I sure as wasn’t gonna let him miss out on this! Too delish!
So you can definitely see why I love this place! Endless food opportunities and you can let your taste buds run wild! hehe So the next time you’re in Barcelona, definitely head down to the La Boqueria market! I assure you, you won’t be disappointed!
¡gracias Barcelona. You are a memory I will always treasure and one trip my belly is very grateful for!
Till the next adventure, xx