Sunday, 27 July 2008
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BEST TABLES OF SPAIN: Comerç24, Barcelone
Event: Dinner at Commec24
Address : Comerç, 24
Zip code : 08003
Area : El Born
City : Barcelona - Spain
http://www.comerc24.com/english/index.htmlAs most of you already know, I once in a while drop by Barcelona to get some bites at the food of one my personal top best chefs of the world, Jean-Louis Nichel. But I also heard, during a recent visit there, about that trendy hip restaurant of Grand Chef Carles Abellan and had to give it a try.
Upon arrival, I am pleased visually by the decor: Comerç24, to me, is a trendy all colorful (very vivid colors like yellow, green, blue, metal grey) stylish box of amazing eye candy shapes and elements (glass window, chandeliers). I can see it turning into a night club! lol.. Very very cute and refreshingly modern/stylish to look at. Very "design". I could see that it is a popular place: it was busy on that evening.
It was really not hard for me to sample what I wanted to try..lol: I just went with what they are known for (when I was there, people talked so much about it and what it was serving that I felt as if I had their menu already hanging on my walls...for yrs! rfaol!):
-Tuna Tartare: flawless. Albeit tiny in portion, but packed with impeccable mouthsome (delicious!)
-Kinder Egg: When you go there, try it! They are reknown for their version of it.
It basically contains potato foam (liked it, really flavorful), soft egg (cute and yet tasty and enjoyable) and truffle.
It is different, original, nice. Like this one.-Sardines with grape and avocado:
I like Sardines anyways...it's good for health. So to me, it was like grabbing the best of both worlds:
something good for health (have you ever wondered why our mediterranean folks live longer and healthy..think Sardines, Olive oil...) and the curiosity of finding out how Carles would work those Sardines. Well, the Sardines was ok: kept it's rich intense natural flavor and --- unless I was missing something -- was free from any complex re-work (I did not ask whether there was some re-work in there, but coldly put, that was a simple nice fresh sardine elegantly presented . If there was any particular rework in there, then I am sorry that my tastebuds did not catch them. Sometimes, the best is to ask...then from there, your tastebuds digs deeply for the search of the particular flavors you may have initially missed. Remind me of my initiation to truffle mushrooms, back in the days...it took a while for my tastebuds to master all the subtle flavors of it. The accompanied grapes (why not?) and avocado (I like this pairing) actually gave me some nice ideas about being more inventive in terms of food items pairings at home.-Home made potato chips with an olive foamie dressing:
Lol..seriously nice. Home made potato chips...why not? They were nicely crisp, tasty and seriously: if you take potato..as simple as this sound...but in it's high quality version (not all potatoes necessarily taste the same, right?)..you expertly bake/cook/fry them...and you are a very creative talented cook, the result is curious, refreshing. That's exactly the case here! Now, that olive foam is the main event of this item: brillantly executed, it paired interestingly well with the chips. Different and well thought. Perfect for anyone opened to changes/stuffs that are different. Surprise effect. This one, I gave it high marks!Carles cooked for a long time at Ferran Adria's kitchen, so it's a bit of the same trend of reworking food elements in a very creative way. It is fun!
As I said to Angelica, the Iberia air hostess who had initially recommended C24 to me while flying on Iberia, and who accompanied me on this diner, there is a need for such creative food: it is artistic, refreshingly different, inventive and is necessary to balance with the usual traditional fares I usually like.
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