Yesterday, Akemi and I visited one of our favorite lunch spots – Bar Raval – after approximately two years. TWO YEARS! Hard to believe.
Their signature latte with a touch of spice.
Among their varied conservas, the scallops are our favorite. Served with a side of chips.
The sobrassada, a raw, cured sausage laced with paprika served pâté style. The flavor was intense – salty, spicy, savory. Delicious.
The jamon croquetas – béchamel fritters studded with ham – were a pleasant surprise. Lightly breaded and not as heavy as I initially assumed.
The fried eggplant and honey is Akemi’s go-to dish here. I love the addition of the fragrant crispy rosemary.
Whipped white bean puree and sautéed chard had a real homestyle feel and flavor, reminiscent of the navy bean soup my grandmother used to make for us.
The squid and pilquillo. Very tasty but, at this point, I was ready to tap out. Akemi is very much Team Squid and ended up polishing it off.
Sadly, the famed basque cheesecake was unavailable on this visit.
Spain is one of our dream destinations (following a long overdue return to Tokyo). I wonder how Suji will enjoy the nightlife?
OK, Bar Raval goes on MY Toronto list.
Suji and I would love to go to Spain! I look forward to that one day.
The food looks amazing. It’s all in the presentation, I think. I’d love to try the fried eggplant. But everything looks good.
The “seafood-in-a-tin” thing at tapas restaurants really confuses me. I ordered sardines at a tapas bar once and was shocked to get a tin of sardines that I could have bought in the local supermarket!
Jamon croquetas are my favourite. Well, anything breaded and deep fried is my favourite if I’m being honest. 🙂
Basque cheesecakes are in vogue at the moment. Nearly every food magazine is featuring them on the cover. I made one a few months ago. It was OK but nothing compared to my Swiss Chocolate Cheesecake.
I’ve been to Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Both were great!
I’m back in the US after three years in Spain. I can’t speak much to the nightlife but I adored living and eating in Spain. I miss it every single day and we are working on getting back there!
I was sad to see no jámon serrano on your list! Of course the jamón ibérico is phenomenal but I’ve found on this side of the ocean that generally if you can find it, it’s just jamón serrano. My only confession is that I do not love seafood so I missed some of the authentic cuisine. My husband was more than willing to dig in though!
Looks delicious!
Yes, would love a trip to Spain!
Belated Happy Veterans Day, everyone!
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