Cannibale Royale
Where? Cannibale Royale (Centrum, Amsterdam, Netherlands) Map Menu
When? Thursday February 29, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Pub Food
I’m in the mood for something Western, and after gorging myself on the best Chinese and Malaysian food for the past three weeks. I’ve settled on steak, though the name of the restaurant I’ve chosen is slightly odd - I do hope they’re serving beef steaks from a cow here and not the other other red meat. It takes a while for someone to notice that I’ve sat down without a menu, but we get there in the end. Prices are pretty expensive so I hope I’m getting something good quality and hearty.
Mains
Le Modeste: Flat iron steak with sweet potato fries and fresh Cannibale sauce
The sweet potato fries are very good. They go better with the steak’s mayo than the herby sauce they’ve given me. The steak is cooked beautifully, it’s juicy and pink on the inside, and the chimichurri (which cost €2) was worth the extra expense, I don’t even want the barbeque sauce they’ve given me. The pickled onions are an excellent side, and the acidity helps to balance all the rich flavours everywhere else. I've been given a large chopping knife to slice up my steak, which I find strange, but perhaps thematic?
Posted by Jeremy at 12:33pm on Friday March 8, 2024 :: 0 comments :: 
Dabka
Where? Dabka (Centrum, Amsterdam, Netherlands) Map
When? Thursday February 29, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Lebanese
I’ve left the warmth of Kuala Lumpur and now I’m in cold, wet Amsterdam. I arrived and checked in to my hotel about 30 mins ago, and now I want something quick and simple for lunch as I try to readjust to the European timezone. I’ve heard Dutch food is not great, and they mostly specialize in waffles, pancakes, cheese and fries. However, near my hotel is this Lebanese place and although the prices are pretty expensive given I’ve just come from Malaysian prices, they have a special grilled chicken with salad and rice for €12. The restaurant is full of different people speaking different languages and it’s kinda nice that I can just speak English normally without feeling too foreign.
Mains
Grilled chicken with salad and rice
My goodness this is a large plate. But it smells fantastic and I’m instantly hungry. The flatbread is crispy and tasty, the salad well dressed. The chicken itself is grilled nicely with lots of flavour and spice, but a tad dry. It's not too bad with the garlic yogurt and that spot of chilli sauce gives it a bit of kick. In any case, it delivered a simple, straightforward meal and satisfied and ready to explore the city.
Posted by Jeremy at 12:26pm on Friday March 8, 2024 :: 0 comments ::
Font de Les Planes
Where? Font de Les Planes (Les Planes, Barcelona, Spain) Map
When? Sunday January 28, 2024
Who? Owen and Bea
Food Style? Catalan Barbeque
We’re up in the mountains past Tibidabo, close to the train line to Terrassa and Sabadell. We’ve spent the afternoon walking around Vallvidrera, overlooking Barcelona, and now - tengo mucha hambre. I’m very hungry. We’re going for a traditional Catalan meal - a calçotada! I’ve been looking forward to this all week. It’s the season for these Catalan green onions, and I’m super keen to experience this with my friends. There’s an open area with charcoal for people to barbeque their own calçots, but we’re sitting in the restaurant and are going to be served them. This place is insanely busy and we’re in for the second sitting at 3pm, a very Spanish time to eat lunch.
I’m very thankful to be here with people who can speak the local language. I can pick up a few words and I know vaguely what most things on the menu are, but I appreciate not having to think about this. Bea and Owen have ordered a lot of food for us but I’m so down. This is going to be mega. They bring out allioli - emulsified garlic oil - and the all important romesco to dip the calçots in. Around us, there’s a 53rd birthday and an 80th birthday, with the traditional “feliz cumpleaños” song playing through the restaurant’s speakers. The atmosphere is jovial and people are having a good time. 
They bring out bread, two tomatoes and a clove of garlic for the all-important pa amb tomaquet, which we have to assemble ourselves. There’s a very specific order to do this and we have to rely on Bea for the instructions. First, rub the garlic on the bread - it may not seem like a lot, but the flavour will come through stronger than you expect. Then, cut the tomato in half and mush it into the bread. Finish with olive oil and salt. It’s amazing how something with such simple ingredients is so delicious.
First Dish
Carxofes a la brasa: grilled artichokes
It’s got that wonderful smokey aroma to it. The exterior is tough and needs to be discarded before you get to the soft, juicy artichoke heart. This pairs excellently with the romesco.
Second Dish
Calçots amb romesco: Catalan green onions with romesco
Oh boy, there’s a lot. There’s an art to peeling the charred outer layers to leave the sweet inner calçot, which you dip into the romesco and carefully dangle over your mouth. It’s hot to touch but with the sauce it cools down. It’s so delicious. There’s something incredibly enjoyable about this moorish way of eating.
Third Dish
Graellada de carn: barbequed butifarra sausage, lamb, rabbit, steak and chicken
Okay this is too much food now. There’s a massive selection of different kinds of grilled meats, and they all have that wonderful smokiness but some are a bit overdone or overseasoned. This complements the vegetables perfectly, and the allioli goes super well with everything. I want a litre of that stuff to take back to Toronto.
Dessert
Mel i mato
We have leftovers, there’s just too much for us to eat. We ordered an escalivada as well but thankfully were able to cancel it. We have to finish it off with a bit of dessert, and I’ve decided to go with mel i mato, another classic Catalan dish. Made with unsalted and unsweetened cheese drizzled with honey, this simple but tasty dessert is a long standing tradition close to the heart of many Catalonians. Don’t call it ricotta though, they’ll yell at you. The version here needs more honey, there isn’t enough for the amount of mato that they’ve served.
The table is a mess, full of charcoal flakes and drips of oil. I recall a Chinese saying that if the table is clean at the end of a meal, you haven’t had fun. What a fantastic meal though, and what a great Sunday afternoon.
Posted by Jeremy at 12:16pm on Friday March 8, 2024 :: 0 comments ::
Windsor
Where? Windsor (Eixample, Barcelona, Spain) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 27, 2024
Who? Owen
Food Style? Catalan Fine Dining
When Owen told me there’s a Michelin starred restaurant in Barcelona that does a decently priced lunch, I was keen. Situated near the Diagonal in Eixample, Windsor is a classic Catalan kitchen serving local, seasonal produce, but elevated and sophistically presented. As we approach the entrance, the automatic door swings open and we’re greeted by one of the wait staff, who opens the rope guarding the corridor to the seating area. No peasants allowed. The interior is elegantly decorated, everything looks immaculate. I’m just hoping the wait staff aren’t overbearing and that they respect my personal space. The fixed winter menu is on offer for €65 for the smaller one and €95 for the larger one, as well as various tapas a la carte. Owen and I are going for the smaller one, the Menu Windsor, a taster of their extensive menu.
Condiments
The free bread is delicious and crispy, perfect for dunking into soup or soaking up sauce. It’s warm and comforting. I have a small issue with the free chips though, they aren’t as crispy as what I would expect. They do have that house made feel to it, and they pair nicely with the olives. My mouth visibly drops when they take them away before I’ve finished everything.
Amuse Bouche
It’s salty and sour, a nice chunky piece of pork with pistachio cream and capers.
First Course
Carpaccio de alcachofas: artichoke carpaccio
Oh man that truffle oil is strong. It pairs nicely with that cheese. I’ve never had raw artichoke before but with all the condiments, this is quite an earthy tasting plate. It's elegant and refined, and such a great flavour combination. That truffle oil is getting mopped up with that bread, not a single drop will be wasted on my watch.
Second Course
Huevo mollet con guisantes, panceta y trufa: softboiled egg with peas, pancetta and truffle
We've been told to break the egg and let the yolk flow into the dish. The flavours are a bit more subdued here with the strong taste of the peas, but the jamon and truffle lift the dish and add a bit of texture. It’s okay but not mind blowing as the first. I’m still soaking up all that yolk and truffle with the bread though.
Third Course
Sobre costilla de Black Angus: Black Angus rib cooked for 22 hours at 70°C
That steak is so soft I don’t know why they’ve given me a steak knife when the fork was good enough. I really appreciate the emphasis on the seasonal vegetables, which give a nice crunchy bite to the dish to contrast with the buttery meat. The sauce is rich and tasty, and the slight fattiness of the meat really adds flavour. I wish there was more sauce because I’ve still got a bit of bread left over.
The waiter comes to decrumb the tablecloth. I’m having flashbacks to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. At least he only did it once.
Dessert
Nuestro pan con aceite, chocolate y sal: Our bread with oil, chocolate and salt
Wow. That bread is in the shape of a ravioli and bursts with dark chocolate when you break into it. The oil adds a slightly floral fragrance and the salt really gives that edge to the flavour. It’s perhaps a bit strong, but overall, this is delectably rich and not too sweet. It isn't your run-of-the-mill dessert, that's for sure, but I'm still very much enjoying the different flavours and textures.
Surprise Dessert
Petite Fours: Mandarin fruit cube, hazelnut cookie, and dark chocolate embossed with a Panot
I love surprise dessert courses. The dark chocolate has the pattern of a Panot, which is the famous pattern on Barcelona's floor tiles. I love that this is a nod to the city's history. The best was the mandarin, light and refreshing.
What an interesting meal. I’ve really enjoyed that but it didn’t seem particularly unique to Catalonia, nothing was particularly mind-blowing apart from the dessert. I will say though, that I went home and did some research online to see how many Michelin stars they were awarded, and they don't actually have any Michelin stars, they're only on the list of Michelin Recommendations. Nevertheless, it was a great insight into local produce and winter flavours, and ultimately, it was good food done very well.
Posted by Jeremy at 2:19pm on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments ::
Bodega Joan
Where? Bodega Joan (Eixample, Barcelona, Spain) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 20, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Catalan
I was at Plaza España when I happened upon a pro Palestine protest, so I stayed for a while and tried my best to understand everything. As the crowd started to disperse, I went to the Arenas shopping mall and was walking around the 360 platform, texting my sister about various things. She asked how my accommodation situation was going, which dredged up a lot of suppressed anger. Well, if I know myself, the best way to solve this is to suppress it even more with some good food. The worst thing to do would be to drink alcohol.
I've chosen this classically Catalan restaurant in Eixample. As I enter, I see a mound of calçots - Catalan green onions - piled on the bar counter, and I think to myself, "I have to do a calçotada before I leave Barcelona." Anyway, I'm here for some great food, and a non-alcoholic drink, so Fanta Lemon it is, and a selection of four tapas.
Tapa One
Torrezno de Soria: pork crackling
Nothing beats the Chinese way of doing this. It’s tasty but it’s lacking that beautiful crispy crackling.
Tapa Two
Pan con tomate: Catalan bread with tomato
A staple in Catalan cuisine, I really only wanted this to eat with the prawns. By themselves, they’re still excellent and a much needed source of carbs for this meal.
Tapa Three
Berenjena en tempura con melaza: fried eggplant with molasses
This is a really interesting flavour combination but I kinda like it. The molasses are quite strong, it reminds me of golden syrup from NZ. It almost tastes eggy, like a French toast.
Tapa Four
Gambas al ajillo: garlic prawns
The last to arrive, this has a fantastic aroma and the prawns are so soft and succulent.
Dessert
Crema Catalana
What’s a Catalan dinner without the quintessential Catalan dessert, crema catalana. This one is served with two neulas, a cylindrical pastry much like a Chinese egg roll, and usually only found around Christmas time. The crystallized sugar on top cracks beautifully and the balance of flavours is absolutely perfect. It’s creamy, smooth and eggy, rich with flavour without being overly sweet. Definitely the best crema catalana I’ve had this trip.
I’m feeling so good now. All my anger has subsided and I’m back to my usual adventurous spirit. It’s amazing what food does.
Posted by Jeremy at 12:15pm on Thursday March 7, 2024 :: 0 comments ::