What We Ate: BARCELONA

We're ending the Spain blogposts, five months later, with a photo journal of what we ate in Barcelona! I hope you've enjoyed these photos and stories; I hope I've been able convey some of Spain's magic through them. This country is so magnificent, and there's so much more we'll have to see next time. If you missed the "What I ate: MADRID" post, check it out here, and for the full Spain archive, find it under my Travel section. 

Like in my Madrid post, I'll preface this one by saying that this isn't a comprehensive review of restaurants, nor is it an ultimate travel guide. There are plenty of other restaurants on our list (like Taktiki Berri, Flax and Kale) that we missed, so the purpose of this post is solely to share our experiences and a few thoughts :). Enjoy!

All coke products we saw in Spain were bottled in glass. These bottles are sent back to the factory to be sanitized and reused. Go Spain! America, take notes.

Spanish chorizo bocadillo - in Spain, the simplest foods are the best.

Spanish omelette (Tortilla Espanola) - different from what we had at Casa Guinart (below), but it wasn't bad. Casa Guinart's is better and seemingly more traditional. 

Cerveceria Insbruck - just a few blocks away from La Sagrada Familia. We ate here after this memorable moment! Though the ratings aren't great, the endless menu offered reminded me of a Spanish version of an American diner, and this Jersey girl was happy with that. We came for lunch, and the service was superior to what we had at some other, more high-end restaurants. Plus, you're not going to find many places that serve salads in Spain, let alone any place with the prices that they charge.  

Tomato rubbed onto bread, dressed with olive oil, a Spanish staple

Jamon Iberico

Sure, the photos look great, but the waiter pushed us into letting him bring out a "tapas sampler" that costed way too much for food that we didn't necessarily want. We (I, whoops) mistook this place for another with much higher reviews. Don't come here. 

Barcelona's La Boqueria, a food market, analogous to Madrid's Mercado San Miguel

Mom's crepe

Come to St. Josep La Boqueria to fix your food market needs. Keep an eye for pickpockets (something to always be aware of when you're at Las Ramblas) and get excited by all the fresh fruits, marzipan, raw oysters, and artisan meats you'll find here.

Only my mother would eat ice cream in January ;)

The sign read: "Creme Brulee Waffle"

Beautiful waffles that we passed by

Spanish omelette (Tortilla Espanola) - our favorite of the two we tried this trip

Pistos de verduras - mixed vegetables, one of the only forms of vegetables you'll find on most Spanish menus

Albondigas (meatballs)

Salmon

One of our favorite meals in Barcelona was at Casa Guinart, located right by La Bocqueria. There's not too much to say about this place aside from the fact that we enjoyed every single dish!

Dad needs his Chinese food; I can't explain it. We had terrible experiences in Madrid, but were pleasantly surprised in Barcelona. Both Chinese restaurants we ate at were located in Eixample, where our apartment was located. Our experience as Chinese tourists in a Spanish speaking, European country was certainly something, but our experiences with Chinese people living in Spain is a story itself. If you're interested in learning more about the Chinese diaspora from a well-written, thoughtful solo traveler, visit my friend Huiying's (Bernice) instagram, where she's sharing her stories of Peru, Cuba, South Africa, China, and now Vietnam. 

Restaurant Son Hao brought out authentic Taiwanese food, and the hospitality we were treated with is by far the best that I've ever witnessed in my entire life. The owners spoke fluent Spanish and Mandarin (and also know quite a bit of English), and they treated both new and regular customers with the same enthusiasm, as if we were all family. 

Fried, pickled vegetables

"Truffle Oil E-Fu Noodles" - actually truffle oil over ramen. I don't blame them;
 I imagine it's difficult to find e-fu noodles in Spain!

Bok choy

Iberian pork dumplings, a specialty and favorite

Vegetarian/vegan meatballs (albondigas) made of tofu and rice with a peanut curry sauce

Coconut fried rice with shrimp

For a modern take on Chinese food, come to Out of China. This restaurant is another of our favorites, and it's clearly a local favorite, too. You're not going to find many inventive takes on the typical Chinese menu in Spain, and you're surely not going to find many places serving gluten-free buns ("baos") anywhere in the world. The servers were less involved in our dining experience compared to the owners of Son Hao ;), but they were so attentive and the service was quick. I loved sneaking glimpses through the window into the kitchen! Everything we ate was incredible.

Miscellaneous breakfast items from a local paneria in Eixample - Dad got a croissant, I got an olive loaf - don't knock my choices, it was great!-, and Mom's baked good whose name has slipped my memory

Polvorones from the Carrefour on Las Ramblas

Our first meal in Barcelona was at Restaurant Nuria, right on Las Ramblas (how much more tourist-y can we get?). The paella isn't authentic and the menu is very much so American, but we were tired after our early train ride from Madrid, and the decor was great. This entire restaurant reminded me of a French bistro, though I wouldn't know what one is like!

Vegans, look away for the next and last restaurant, La Fonda: 

Dad's cochinillo (roast suckling pig) - he claims that the one from Restaurant Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world, is better. Personally not a fan of cochinillo in general, but it's something to try when you're in Spain. 

Seafood paella (Paella de mariscos) - our third time eating paella in Spain, and our second favorite (second to what we ate in Madrid!)

La Fonda is a pricey restaurant, and the most popular at Port Olimpic. We got outdoor seats on this gloriously sunny day, which certainly added to our experience. Our server was quite lazy and unhappy ;), but the servers who worked inside were better. Many tour groups come through here, and we were also recommended this restaurant by a taxi driver.