Rekons

I’m not quite sure how it’s happened that I’ve been writing this blog for over two years and have only merely hinted at Rekons up to now. It’s a true Argentinian treasure that needs to be shared and not locked in my secret chest. The counter of empanadas , embutidos and enticing cakes, muffins and alfajores seduces you to enter and what was previously a small space has recently been ‘renovated’ (read ‘bashed a wall out’) and has opened up the capacity downstairs. If full there’s also the terrace outside or a shimmy past crates of milk and beers to some upstairs seating. It’s also the only place I’ve ever been where I’ve had to sit sideways on the toilet.

Not sure if it’s the Yorkshire genes or limited budget but regular readers of this blog will know I like to trumpet places that offer great food at reasonable prices and there are few places I’ve come across that achieve that more successfully than here.

Starting with a fruity glass of red I went for the grilled chicken sandwich leaving off the cheese, just adding a dollop of mayo. Unless you are seriously hungry then order the half sandwich, you’ll also pay less than 3€ for this beauty. When I have a sandwich like this I always wonder why on earth international chains with their fake bread, warm limp salad, soggy breaded chicken and not exactly bargain prices are so popular.

Grilled chicken salad sandwich

My companions shared a plate of varied empanadas, one of beef and pumpkin with an unusual but complimentary sugary topping, another of celery, roquefort and walnuts and the others that slip my mind but the full selection is available on the menu here. Each costs between 1.50 – 3€ depending on your choice and they still have a crispy, flakiness after reheating which is a failing of some of the empanada joints in the city.

What I haven’t captured here are the mountainous, varied salads they serve which have a plethora of ingredients that work even when you sometimes think they wouldn’t. Check out their ‘rekomendaciones’ here for more tantalising options.

A bouncy sponge with a fluffy meringue topping drew us to dessert and had an unexpectedly pleasurable hint of orange running through the sponge and filling which left us with that uncomfortable moment in dessert sharing where noone wants to take the last spoonful but secretly everyone’s hoping it can be theirs.

Orange cake

You can easily enjoy lunch or a light supper, some dessert and a glass of wine here for under 10€, so now my secret’s out go forth and enjoy the riches of Rekons.

Rekons, C/Urgell 32 (corner of C/Floridblanca), Sant Antoní

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La Vespa burger

The Vespa will always be synonymous to me with an early teenage crush on a neighbour who used to almost live in his garage tinkering with his beloved bike and listening to the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. I think it’ll be a long time before I finally shake off the noise of them screeching past my window on the busy Barcelona intersection I live on as well. I would, however, never have linked Vespas and burgers. That connection has been made by two Italians whose porchetta I’m very fond of.

I found out they’d opened this burger bar when they pointed me there after I arrived at La Piadina one evening to find them unexpectedly closing. Despite being times of economic misery, they are being forced to close 2 hours early at 11pm rather than 1am due to the general noise complaints at their Placa del Sol location. This is despite the terraces on the same square being allowed to serve until midnight. The reasoning of the putamiento defies logic sometimes. Sign their petition to stay open until midnight if you happen to be passing.

So, Vespa burger is another addition to the Barcelona burger bonanza and more of a budget beating than belly busting one.

A homage to that much loved Italian machine, the decor, a little hotch potch in places, is strewn with Vespa collectables.

I particularly like the Vespa helmet light shades. 200g seems to be the going rate for burger size these days and although a little unorthodox I adore when there’s blue cheese and caramelized onion option. Everyone has raised their game in the burger ‘steaks’ so I didn’t expect anything less than succulent chargrilled burger, soft bun and that gorgonzola was fuerte. Yeah! Disappointingly there’s no slim cut fries option but each burger does come with a small side of sliced fried potatoes and this is for me where Vespa burger is a winner. I love the ‘double hand hold’ huge burger that’s the staple of gourmet burger bars but I also want some potatoes, and often the two together are just overwhelming. Here I get a bit of both and at 5.60€ for the standard burger with some side potatoes. If I eat 9 (over time of course, not all in one sitting) the 10th will be free thanks to their loyalty card. Now that’s doing more for crisis economics than the city council.  Vespa burger, C/Torrent de l’Olla 134, Gracia

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Domino

Domino been an on-off Thursday night haunt for almost the entire time I’ve lived in Barcelona. It fulfills the mid-week requirements of cheap and cheerful with ease and is long overdue a mention on Moonraker Morsels. What Domino’s excels at is decent quality food and great mojitos, amongst other cocktails, at prices more attuned to Barcelona salaries. This compact drinking den with its slightly overused sofa and dark wood tables and chairs keeps us coming back again and again for those strong, sugary, mint laden mojitos and gorgeously thin and crispy pizzas. Pizzas are not the only thing on the menu, salads and empanadas are also up for grabs, but it’s the midweek (Sunday to Thursday) 6.85€ pizza offer that always gets our order. Nine pizzas are covered by the offer, at least two of which are vegetarian, and include our test driven margharita; salchicha sausage and onion; aubergine, courgette and pepper; mozzarella and serrano ham; ham and mushroom; mozzarella, onion and scamorza Italian cheese.

Mozzarella and serrano ham pizza

Do not be alarmed as we once were seeing the cook suddenly sticking a mop into the pizza oven! Had the place we had grown to love all this time been cleaning out the cooking space with the same mop to clean the floor?! Thankfully not, just a novel way of periodically cleaning out what must be a notoriously difficult, narrow, roasting hot space.

At times there can be hardly a corner to sit here, others it’s a haven of tranquility and quiet conversation, so don’t bank on either, and if going in a big group maybe give them a call ahead so as not to miss out.

Domino, C/Les Flors 16, Raval / Poble Sec

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Udon

A belated Happy New Year to all readers of Moonraker Morsels, this greeting and first post of 2012 being later than I would’ve liked due to the ineptness of a certain, not to be named internet provider. However, like 2011 this is all in the past and I look forward to bringing you new eating adventures for the coming year.

Like many after the winter festivities I am looking to pass a lean month or two and was keen to kick off my first meal out back in Barna with some lighter dishes, circumstances meant we also needed somewhere that was a bit speedier than usual. So we took our seats at the gleeming white benches of Udon, a chain of noodle bars which has expanded its franchises from this original little outlet in Born to other regions of Spain.Now it may be the British in me but I’ve also got a loud voice, so squeezing into the benches and being in close proximity to fellow diners’ conversations and they to ours is not my preferred way of catching up with a friend, it means you have to stay away from the really juicy details. The waiter was with us almost immediately and our food not long after that. Despite ordering starters and mains everything came pretty much together. To start we both orderd gyoza dumplings, my friend chose the vegetable yasai gyoza, mine were filled with pork, cabbage and vegetables although the latter two ingredients seemed to be almost absent. However, the contrast of textures between the soft dumplings and crispy fried edges were pleasant.

Gyoza dumplings and edamame

The portion of edamame soya beans was miniscule for the almost 3€ charge and needed a good shake of the one thing that sets off these delicious pods…..salt!

The mains landed as we were still making our way through the dumplings, my friend chose the Ebi Karee spicy curry which although she admitted in Barcelona is unlikely to blow your head off, gave off hardly any heat or breadth of flavour. The poor selection of vegetables, lovelessly diced carrot and onion accompanied by slivers of shitake and three measly king prawns should’ve been heavier on the coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass and a list of ingredients she could’ve expanded on further.

Ebi Karee curry

For me I chose the buckwheat flour Kashiwa soba noodles which the menu described as strips of battered chicken with shitake and leeks in a traditional Japanese broth based on soya, dashi and mirin.

Kashiwa soba

As the bowl had been sitting at my side for 10 mins as I ate the starter, by the time I got stuck in the chicken resembled a sunken, saturated bath sponge, with noodles that having sat in hot, bland broth all that time had lost any remaining bite in them.

Intrigued by the green tea tiramisu on the dessert menu we decided to give it a whirl and see if it may be a genius fusion that would redeem the previous courses.

Green tea tiramisu

Sadly all elements in the description were missing. ‘Sweetened mascarpone with sponge and green icing sugar’ would’ve been a more accurate portrayal.

This dessert epitomised Udon in one word, ‘lacking’. Lacking in a tiramisu booze hit (albeit an oriental one), the key green tea flavour nowhere to be seen and with the other dishes, a lack of freshness, vibrancy, the punch of citrus, the kick of chilli, the enhancement of seasoning, the contrasting textures, no condiments on the benches, all noticeably absent and all the bleaker for it. At 20€ a head with only a coke and a glass of wine between us, there are also infinitely better places to eat for the money. Udon, do one.

Udon, C/Princesa 23 / Montcada 6, Born (other branches around the city).

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La Piadina – ‘La Porchetta’

My diet seems to have recently consisted of a disporportionate amount of sandwiches, grilled chicken kebabs, pizza and other fast food options necessary to sustain oneself when packing boxes and dealing with the headache of moving apartments. My arrival in the Gracia barrio also meant I am mere steps away from possibly the best fast food option with change from 5€ I’ve yet found in this city.

La Piadina, named after the Italian flatbread sandwiches which have sprung up in various outlets around the city in recent years, is a small take away with a few bar stools, a hot plate, two cheerful cooks/servers and an extensive menu combination that shouldn’t fail to please every taste. However, there is one worthy of a special mention, the roast suckling pig, fontina cheese and mushrooms known by its Italian name ‘La Porchetta’. As the pre-roasted porchetta is heated on the hot plate the waft of rosemary and hint of stuffing so reminiscent of Sunday lunch makes it tempting to lean over and whisk away a piece into your mouth.The other ingredients are added, and these guys will happily swap the contents to suit your own taste, the flat bread is folded, slipped into a conical paper bag and you will burn your tongue with eagerness to get at that hot roast pork. Service with a smile, fresh ingredients and home made flat breads, this is one of the rays of sunshine in the Plaça del Sol.

La Piadina, Plaça del Sol 21, Gracia

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Laurel

If you’re not a fluent Spanish speaker your first encounter with Argentinians and their breed of this latin language can be a challenging experience.  Tune into their swishes, swooshes and hard ‘j’s however, and you will get to know some charming people. More importantly though you will hopefully be introduced to their take on a good old ‘pasty’, the empanada, and to their favourite places for eating them. Namely Laurel. Conveniently located across the road from the Floridablanca cinema (one of several cinemas in Barcelona that show movies in their original version), this is the ideal place to grab a pre or post film snack or meal. Pasties, of whatever accent, can have me either drooling at the lips or turned off by the overly thick pastry. Laurel’s offerings are of the former and the rainbow of pastries naturally coloured by carrot, beetroot and spinach set the masticating juices flowing.

The fifteen variteties listed on the menu, each as enticing sounding as the next, make choosing challenging, we started with a selection with a view to ordering more if we could “fit them in”…..no prizes for guessing whether that was achieved or not. Two ‘Marron’, a ‘Billie’ and a ‘Negrita’ were the aperitivos. ‘Marron’ being cocoa pastry filled with duck, pear, pine nuts, leek, pumpkin and ginger , ‘Billie’ delighted the mouth with Aragón sausage, pear, pine nuts and red onion. As for  ‘La Negrita’, she offered the hint of blackness that its name suggests with cuttlefish ink pastry and a filling of cuttlefish, mozzarella, tomato and basil. A much more captivating combination that it may first appear.

Two 'Marrón', 'La Negrita' and a 'Billie'

 The pastry here is not thick, stodgy or over filling, but rather a light envelope to encase the flavour punching fillings.

'La Negrita' filled with cuttlefish, tomato, mozzarella and basil in cuttlefish ink pastry

'El Marron' filled with duck, pear, pine nuts, pumpkin and ginger.

The great thing, but also the problem with Laurel empanadas is that once you start you want to make your way through the whole menu. So for the ‘main course’ we managed an ‘Amarilla’, carrot pastry filled with plums, bacon, mozzarella and almonds and the crimped ‘Dino’ of diced veal, onion, sweet potato and chilli. Heavenly and enough to send me fleeing from a standard tuna empanada for the rest of my days.

'Amarilla' and 'Dino'

If I’m honest at this point we were just being greedy but I can’t resist an alfajore, these ones had a subtle hint of lemon in the crumbly biscuit.

Alfajores and brigadeiros

Laurel doesn’t just restrict itself to these flaky pastry parcels as this wouldn’t be a taste of Argentina without a selection of meaty main courses and a tempting range of salads.

No meal with Argentinians would be complete without a mention of the good old Malvinas, the Falkland Islands to you and me, although we concentrated more on why we have such different names for this archipelago than on the 80′s war. In case your wondering…”The Falkland Islands took their English name from “Falkland Sound”, the channel between the two main islands, which was in turn named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland by Captain John Strong, who landed on the islands in 1690. The Spanish name, Islas Malvinas, is derived from the French name, Îles Malouines, named by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 after the first known settlers, mariners and fishermen from the Breton port of Saint-Malo in France” ..thanks to Wikipedia for that titbit.

El Laurel, C/Floridablanca 4o, Sant Antoni

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Kiosko

Barcelona appears to be taking on an air of NYC of late where recent café openings seem more like they should be in Greenwich Village rather than in Gaüdi’s city. First it was Federal, then the Meatpacking Bistro (which I’ve yet to sample) and now Kiosko, all bringing with them muted, loft style venues. And in the case of Kiosko, bringing yet more burgers to the city.

They should be giving themselves a big pat on the back because even though they only opened recently on the Friday lunchtime we popped in it was absolutely packed out. Ordering at first is a little confusing as it’s not what you’re expecting. The large wall mounted board lists their burgers and accompaniments in Catalan, Spanish and English and then you complete a slip with your order which you pay for there and then. What initially felt like a clumsy system transpired to be very efficient; no confusion from the waiters about whose order was whose and the ability to just pick yourself up and leave when you’re finished without having to sort out the bill. A big advantage for all concerned on a busy, rushed lunchtime.The hints of the Big Apple are everywhere from the industrial piping in the ceiling, the stark white and block colour walls and the brightly lit interior.

The portion sizes are also very reminiscent of America, these are very generous burgers and if you order fries with it I suggest sharing them or being prepared to be defeated by the combination. These are also very delicious burgers, handmade every day with excellent quality meat from Castilla y León, well cooked and served with fresh salad and good bread. I chose the ‘Asturiana’ which comes with caramelized onion and blue cheese which I had on a light wholemeal roll. I contentedly dabbed the slight grease from the burger and cheese off my chin and popped chip after gloriously fluffy, crispy chip in my mouth. Kiosko also deserve commending for their approach to their products’ production and waste management. Only fresh, Spanish ingredients are used, your burger is served on a real plate lined with paper and when you’ve devoured your order you have to clear your table yourself, making sure to put the paper and food waste in separate bins from those for cans and bottles. If only more places could have this ethos.

Kiosko, Marquès de L’Argentera 1bis, Born

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La Caseta del Migdia

Many visitors to Barcelona, first time or otherwise, will often make the obligatory trip to Park Güell (pronounced very similar to ‘way’ not ‘gwell’ as I have often heard and said myself). Personally I think this is foolish. Of course Gaüdi’s work is fascinating and the park does provide some good views of the city, but the hoards of tourists, grafittied cacti and lack of open green space to just sit and relax really spoil the enjoyment of it for me.

Instead you should head to Montjuïc, the lush green parkland, topped by the castle overlooking the port and the Mediterranean Sea. Although it looms over the city, it’s very much ignored by many visitors and residents, but I think with it’s various small gardens, some manicured, others a little wilder, the Miro museum building, Olympic swimming pool, stadium and facitilities it’s one of the city’s most precious gems.

The true jewel of the park, however, is La Caseta del Migdia, the open air bar that nestles under the pine trees a short walk behind the castle. The path that runs around the castle, scented by the sweet smell of the pine mixed with the smoky aromas of the barbeque, leads you to the open-air tables, deckchairs and view out to sea.Now, I’m not going to kid you that this is a beautiful, uninterrupted ocean view, as the bar is tucked behind the castle it looks out onto the container port. However, as you lean back into your seat all you take in are the clear blue skies and aquamarine sea beyond the cranes, storage tanks and containers. A plate of barbequed botifarra, chicken, salad, toast and sweetcorn is the tucker on offer here,  fresh and decent quality it’s a tad on the costly side at 12€ but a price that’s probably been calculated to take in the setting and the fact that this can surely only been a profitable venture during the spring and summer months even though it is open all year round. Reggae, soul, funk and laidback tunes, at an appropriately low volume, emit from the decks and provide a perfect accompaniment to a sun-drenched afternoon under the branches and rays.

Before you set off, throw a good book, your camera and a sweater in your bag. Those stunning views as you climb up to the castle, either on foot or by cable car, are unmissable. As for the sweater, being above the city, even in summer there can be a cool wind up on the hill, you don’t want a few goosebumps to spoil a laidback, balearic style afternoon.

Las Caseta del Migdia, Montjuïc Park. Open Thursday to Sunday all year.

How to get there:

Walking: The easiest way is to leave Paral.lel and walk up C/Margarit. This leads to a steep slope and about 200 steps which brings you out onto Avinguda de Miramar. At the top of the steps, turn left and you will meet the cable car station. From here walk through the ‘Jardins de Brossa’ until you hit the Carretera de Montjuïc. Walk uphill and you will eventually see the castle and final cable car station. If you stand in front of the station as if you’ve just come out of it, turn right and follow the path round to the rear of the castle, if you don’t divert from the path it will bring you out under the pine trees and directly to the bar.

By funicular and cable car: Take the metro to Paral.lel and then at this station take the funicular up and then join the cable car which will take you to the castle. The current cost of the cable car is 8€ return. From here, turn right out of the cable car station and follow the path round to the rear of the castle, if you don’t divert from the path it will bring you out under the pine trees and directly to the bar.

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Fish and chips in Raval

There is probaby no food discussion amongst Brits more contentious than which is their favourite fish and chip shop. One that one person enthuses about another hates and we all seem to have our preferred place to go for that weekend ‘chippy tea’.  In Barcelona such a discussion is futile and comparisons impossible as there is only one fish and chip shop in the city.

The self-titled Fish and Chips sits on Rambla de Raval which cuts through this neighbourhood, a melting pot of nationalities. In an area where kebab shops, curry restaurants and north African cuisines are plentiful it seems only right that our national dish should be represented here too as this would be the set up in any UK town or city. Fish and chips, wherever I am in the world, are generally a deflating experience for me. The hypnotic waft that lures me in to the fish fryers more often than not pushes my pleasure buttons far more than the battered cod and malt vinegar soaked chips I leave with ever do. But on a dash from work to meet some friends in a nearby bar I popped in for a bag of chips to line the stomach.

You could easily forget where you were for a moment as you enter the café, the premises being so reminiscent of a chippy back home that it’s almost like being transported 1500 miles just by stepping over the threshold. Well done to them for creating such an authentic environment.

Like many chip shops in the UK, there was the pie cabinet with its sorry looking pasties that had seen better times. I was grateful to see that my chips went freshly into the fryer and weren’t going to be served to me soggy after sitting for hours. To make you feel even more at home there’s mushy peas, curry sauce, baked beans or as we northerners love, gravy, to moisten your fish and chips. I think a request for ‘scraps’ might be pushing it a bit though.

For those truly homesick souls Fish and Chips also sells a selection of products from Taste of Home, the overpriced English supermarket here which is packed floor to ceiling with those packet foods British people strangely seem to be so fond of.The shop proudly displays a certificate of training from the Federation of Fish Fryers although I’m not sure if this extended to draining them of oil as mine needed a few more shakes before being wrapped in their paper, the server also didn’t have a clue how to wrap the paper so they could be eaten on the move. Surely a pre-requisite for any fish and chip shop? I had to rip away billowing  sheets to get at my chips and douse them in a bit of salt and a good slosh of malt vinegar.Too much grease and a few too many chips that should’ve had a few more minutes in the fryer spoilt the moment somewhat and would’ve been cause for complaint in a British chippie. However, on the street, on a cold February night, heading to a bar and over a year since this potato and vinegar combination had hit my tongue, I chose to overlook their errors.

Fish and Chips, Rambla de Raval 26, Raval

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Pim Pam Burger

Contrary to how it may appear from this blog, I don’t generally make a habit of eating fast food on a regular basis. Yet being in the viscinity of Pim Pam Burger and having heard good things about them I thought I’d stop by for lunch.

The first noticeable thing about this place was the lack of pim pam, which implies ‘swift and speedy’. As I hit the lunchtime rush I queued patiently and then when my turn came waited some more to order. I watched as the server struggled alone to keep an eye on the grill, track the orders and payment and bizarrely, constantly refuse offers of help from staff in the sister shop Pim Pam Plats next door. I’m usually rather forgiving of a bit of a wait but this was bordering on the ridiculous.

As the rush eased I got chance to make my request and photo the cafe. Blackboards list the menu and the outlet’s ethos on using market produce and quality meat. The menu could be a little more descriptive. Considering the stress the server seemed to be putting himself under I didn’t want to challenge him further by asking for an explanation of the difference between a ‘Pim Pam burger’, ‘Special burger’ or ‘Pim Pam completa’ but a bit of extra wording would’ve made that clear. I took a guess and plumped for the 4.75€ ‘Special burger’ with a slice of cheese for an extra 0.50c. I’d have liked some fries but even my usually healthy appetite was a little put off by the huge size of the ‘small’ portions server was flinging into baskets. I stuck with just the burger.

As it came off the grill it was without the cheese melted on top as I’d seen on others. I reminded Snr Stressed about it and he threw it onto the salad as an afterthought and then threw on a bit more salad for good measure. What I ended up with was a juicy, enticing burger, sat on herby mayonnaise and fried onions and then overwhelmed by a mountain of tomatoes, lettuce and onion.

Special Burger

At this point I was in a rush and the whole lot slid around in my hands, this was not my most elegant dining moment. The burger patty was delicious, slightly pink and full of flavour and the salad crisp and fresh, even the raw onions were not pungent or left that off putting after taste and repetition for hours later. However, it was all just a bit too whopping, messy and the lack of a toilet meant I had an hour to get to work without being able to wash my hands.

The Betty Ford’s benchmark has set the standard high and I yearned for their more reasonable portion and for it to be balanced with some fries. Oh, and a bit of pim pam.

Pim Pam Burger, Sabataret 4, Born – No smoking

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