Yguasu

Sometimes it’s the kind words of a stranger that inspire you and a chance meeting with a Moonraker Morsels reader last week pushed me to put aside my reluctance to spend yet more time in front of the computer after a day of it in the office, and breathe a bit of new life back into this blog.

So as I take comfort from some positive feedback and encouragement, let’s start back with some serious comfort food. Meat and potatoes. Or in this case, grilled steak and creamed potatoes.

I don’t think I’m necessarily giving away any big secret or hidden gem here, amongst most of my expat friends, the two “cheap steak places” on calle Almirall Cervera in Barceloneta are well known and well loved. Both serve a similar menu and similar prices, I’m including Yguasu here as of the two I prefer this one, if only because it’s less cramped, isn’t quite so roasting hot, and feels like they give it a once over with a cloth a bit more frequently than their competition across the road.

We’re talking meat here, and lots of it, served hot off the chargrill with bread, chimichurri, salad if you’re being that way inclined, cheap plonk or cold beer. When you’re asked what you’d prefer on the side, there’s only one answer……creamed potatoes. 

Forget the healthy option, their creamed potatoes are heavenly, here I’d chosen the entraña (flank) steak, soft, tender and rare. Seriously, give the salad a miss and just indulge in some animal fats.

Entraña steal with creamed potatoes

Yguasu seems perfectly located as well and has rounded off many a shopping trip, tiring day at the beach (and yes you read that right, lying on the beach all day seems to absolutely drain you of all energy) or to rescue a Sunday afternoon hangover you’ve been trying to relieve with a Barceloneta vermut.

Yguasa, Almirall Cervera, 4

Curry houses

Les Tres a la Cuina

Only yesterday I read an article in Barcelona Metropolitan about a Gràcia cafe, just a stone’s throw from my flat, where the owners outlined that much of their inspiration came from Ottolenghi. Ottolenghi? Did you say Ottolenghi? Ooh I was going to wait all of, ooh, 24 hours before heading down there to see what this was all about.

For anyone not familiar with Ottolenghi, although if you know me or read this blog regularly you are sure to have heard me evangelising and generally being a bore about their food, Israeli Yotam Ottolenghi and Palestinian business partner Sami Tamimi own a series of vibrant, enticing cafes in London and Yotam has become something of a print and TV celebrity over the past year too. Their food is characteristic of their Middle Eastern upbringing and is notable for its bold yet complimentary ingredients, strong colours and in my opinion outstanding flavours. I could literally gush all day.

Let’s be clear Les Tres a la Cuina is not trying to emulate Ottolenghi. You won’t find the lavish window displays or lively counter of rainbow salads and baked goods. However, what you will find here is excellent, both in flavour combinations and ingredients that hint to their inspiration and in terms of quality, friendliness and incredible value for money.

Not knowing what to expect we came for a coffee or plate or two and unintentionally ended up having brunch. It was too good to turn down. Three dishes, yes you read that right, three dishes, and a huge café con leche for, wait for it, 9 euros! Lunch time menus and single plates are available during the week too.

To start we had home made granola with Greek yogurt sitting on a layer of either raspberry jam, also made in house, or honey. The yogurt was wonderfully creamy, the jam and granola not too sweet. Fabulous and filling.

Granola, Greek yogurt and home made raspberry jam.

Next came a single slice of toasted sourdough from the Reykjavik bakery, rubbed with tomato, topped generously with sweet jamon York (or Yorkshire ham where I come from), a thin layer of cheese, slices of ripe avocado, a pile of rocket, a runny fried egg and a splatter of rocket pesto. For vegetarians there was an option with mushrooms instead.  It was so good it was gone far too quickly. They say (good) things come in threes and this was certainly true here. We made space for an amazingly moist, almond and pistachio cake with a delicate layer of water icing and crushed pistachios and possibly a hint of orange zest. A definite hint to the Middle Eastern inspiration we discussed earlier. This was simply divine and as a cake baking aficionado I was slightly envious its simple perfection.

Pistachio and almond cake

If I was to be slightly critical of Les Tres a la Cuina, and this feels difficult to say after such a fantastic brunch, it would be that a few cushions to make the seating more comfortable and taller tables that were more conducive to eating rather than just having a coffee, wouldn’t go amiss. I have to wonder why they don’t open Sunday for brunch and close Monday instead of the other way round at the moment although I don’t begrudge them their day of rest. I would also have been more than happy to pay 9 euros for a choice of two of the three dishes including the coffee and would certainly have left more than satisfied rather than stuffed. I for one never thought I’d ever utter those last seven words. What has come over me?

Les Tres a la Cuina, Sant Lluis 35, Gràcia

Restaurante MyKasa

At this time of year when the purse strings are as tight as the waist band it’s time to head away from the centre of town and towards those neighbourhood bars that might not bring you fine dining but will feed you well without straining the wallet.

‘MyKasa’ feels more a communal dining room than a restaurant, packed to the rafters with the vecinos of the surrounding barrio and an integral part of this part of the city, catering for a local school going back decades.

Not everything at MyKasa is worth the journey down there, the patatas bravas and pan con tomate were serviceable (although the oil on the bread was in a league above what it was drizzled on).

The pig’s cheek however, was worth jumping on the metro for. Unctuous and falling off the bone, hugely improved by slow roasting in that broth than on the grill as I’ve had it previously elsewhere. Oh, I should mention it was only 3.30€ on the menu too.  The ridiculously low priced entrecot steak with its mountain of fries and the budget, savoury, spiced pork pinchos morunos were also worthy of a using a T-10 journey.

The albondigas exceeded many I’ve eaten before, I love to cut one in half and swirl it in that tomatoey sauce before it finds its way to my mouth. Sometimes calamaris and chiprones (baby squids) leave me feeling ill with their soggy, cool and often over thick batter. I didn’t need to worry about that here. With the splash of lemon I devoured the best part of the plate of chiprones without help.

Now an Irish coffee is not how I’d usually finish a leisurely tapas lunch, and certainly not with one as monstrously, magnificently wrong-but-oh-so-right as this. Warning, give it a good stir before going in for the sip.

The first payday of 2013 might still feel a long way off, but MyKasa can certainly make sure that December pay cheque stretches just that little bit further.

MyKasa, C/Espronceda, 367, Navas

Mosquito

If, like me, you feel full to bursting from all the Christmas cheer and heavy grub, and there’s also a few pennies left to afford a meal out, then there’s probably no better antidote to the usual Christmas fodder than the Asian dumplings and dim sum of Mosquito.It’s been several weeks since I last ate at Mosquito and I’m not going to blag that I can remember the exact details of what we ate there. All I can say is it was good, very good, oh, and we ordered far more than we needed, but still polished off the lot.

Mosquito is known for its high quality beers both on the barrel and in bottles and although the thought of sinking this strong Belgian beer turns my stomach slightly after the excesses of the last few days, it was a mighty fine brew at the time. It’s very easy to get carried away, as we did, with the wide selection of dumplings and hot and cold dishes. Better to order a few at a time and add to it than suddenly find a table overflowing with mini plates. I wish I was good at following my own advice sometimes.

Whilst I can’t remember ‘what was what’ of everything we ordered the stand out dishes were all the dumplings which were light and zingy and all hand made by the team of very efficient women out back. The fried duck was magnificent but I would leave that until rich food starts to appeal again and the Sichuan pepper beef and pancakes were also memorable.

Despite our gluttony we still came away with change from 20€ for our dinner, being reluctant to pig out post Christmas, the bill would probably come in at even less. Mosquito is a must visit.

Mosquito, C/Carders 46, Born

Elsa y Fred

A combination of visitors, a bad back and frozen hands in a cold flat (the worse thing about a Barcelona winter) have kept me away from the laptop of late.  If you’re freezing and need the perfect place to get cosy through the next couple of months, you’d be silly to not try out Elsa y Fred.

Papa Serra