Batea in Barcelona, Spain

That was kinda disappointing. This seafood place is from the folks at Besta, so I had my hopes up (605 Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 93-406-8792). Its Michelin-listed, and the quality of the ingredients were all fresh and good. But I was surprised by how heavy-handed the kitchen was. It's like they wanted to leave a mark by assertively layering on additional flavors. The rye cracker in the prawn "bite" that I ordered was a foreshadowing of what was to come, as the taste of the rye pushed its way past the taste of the prawn.

That said, the focaccia above wasn't as bad given those firm slices of monkfish on top of crispy and textured bread. And if anything was going to shine under the kitchen's assertive tendencies, then it would be ceviche, which I was quite happy to find that they topped with corn nuts. But the clams that I had were covered in a tangy sauce; that sauce on its own was respectably sophisticated, but it also covered up the taste of the clams themselves. This place was more expensive than I thought too, so I don't need to go back.

Varmuteo in Barcelona's Sant Antoni District

That might look like a hot dog with mustard at a quick glance, but it's actually a small steak tartare sandwich at a fun little vermouth bar (3 Carrer de Vilamarí, 687-680-050). It was a great snack, as were a couple of creative gilda featuring octopus and artichoke. I'm quite happy that it was open on a Sunday afternoon.

El Chigre 1769 in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella

I was a little worried about this place at first when it looked like quite a number of tourists inside (7 Carrer dels Sombrerers, 93-782-6330). Then again, that's probably also because I made a very last minute reservation, and the only time available was an early slot before most locals start dining.

Anyway, the food was amazing. They had a wide selection of fish available, including seabass and turbot, and the staff happily suggested options for us. The best thing that we had were those amazingly sweet prawns above. Seriously, I need to max out on prawns while I'm here in Spain this week, as the headfat is just so velvety rich and savory.

This place is also known for cider from the northern Asturias region, and they pour it from a height like the Basque do with txakoli (although this was from apples instead of grapes). The one that we had was quite dry, but it made for an interesting dish where they simmered chorizo in the cider. This place was fun.

Soma Restaurant in Barcelona

It's places like this why I like Spain so much! This laid-back wood-paneled bar in Eixample (179 Carrer de Provença, 605-658-956) was churning out little gems like this, including those dark risotto cakes topped with diced bits of fresh and firm squid as well as that roasted eggplant with burrata. The prices were surprisingly reasonable, the service was super friendly, and it was reasonably quick as long as you are lucky enough to get somewhere to sit. Thumbs up!

Dallmayr Bistro at Munich Airport T2

Dallmayr is apparently some kind of famous delicatessen in the city that happens to have an outlet at Munich Airport Terminal 2 airside. At first, I questioned whether to make an effort to go, in part because the Lufthansa lounge already had a huge tub of free Weißwurst available. But this place is apparently an institution, so I made the most of it by eating at both and comparing them.

The difference was definitely in the quality. I mean, the lounge version was edible, and frankly I wouldn't have known any better had I not looked into the details. But this one has a very pronounced fresh parsley flavor, as well as more finely minced meat. I'm also quite happy that I haven't lost my skin peeling skills despite not eating Weisswurt on a regular basis.

Tonshou's Hire Katsu Set

Somehow I never noticed this the first time I had Tonshou's tenderloin, perhaps because it was buried under that combo plate. But it's interesting that they use medallion-shaped cuts. If my information about this is correct, this is because that's the preferred cut in Korea, whereas it's a long and flat cut in Japan. If so, then this is a telltale sign that Tonshou is from Korea.

The other thing I failed to notice the first time is how incredibly tender and moist these cuts were (yes, they are supposed to be pink in the middle). I normally lean towards rosu because I figured that the fat would be tastier. But it turns out these cuts are even better. It really didn't need much to with it despite their array of condiments. It was already lightly salted, and was good as-is.

Tokyo’s Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) in Singapore

When PSG opened an outlet on the former grounds of the Tippling Club, I avoided it for a while because they were usually fully booked (38 Tanjong Pagar Road). Fortunately, the hype has died down a bit and it's pretty easy to walk in at lunch now. And the fact that the pizzas come out in lightning speed makes it a all the more convenient for me.

Now, the thing that I remember the most from Japan was the salt-bottomed crust. I'm not sure if they intentionally toned it down in Singapore, as the menu actually says that you have to explicitly request less salt, which I did not do. But it seemed less salty here, even though I was still happy to eat it. The crust is not as chewy as a Neapolitan, but it is light and even features a bit of scorchiness.

The other thing of course is their use of good quality ingredients, like the riche cheese and juicy tomatoes in their namesake pie above, or even their olives and homemade sausage olives in a Diavola that came together very well. Sure, it's a little pricey for lunch, but it is super fast and the service is great, so I will be going back as long as it doesn't hurt my wallet too much.

Rendang Jackfruit Arancini from Kucina Kiosko

Cool, Kucina Kiosko is doing a Ramadan menu featuring a rendang jackfruit version of its arancini. And instead of his usual tomato-based sauce, it's a brown curry-like sauce that was impressively potent, bright, and balanced. I should get this again before the promotion ends next month.

Belimbing in Singapore

This upscale extension of the Coconut Club was excellent (269A Beach Road). Run by a former Naked Finn alumnus, it serves modern interpretations of local food, and everything that we had tonight was delicious due to both the quality of the ingredients as well as the technique. My favorite was a local soon hock fish that was done with wonderfully crispy skin and a cashew nut curry underneath. That's a stuffed savoy cabbage above, in case you're wondering, and their smoked ox tongue was also tender and buttery smooth. Big thumbs up to this place; along with the Naked Finn, it has to be one of the more unique places in town that embraces local products and flavor profiles, all while executing with finesse. And yes, the service is good too.

Zok Noodle House from Malaysia

This chain from Malaysia has been down here for a few years, but their marketing copy never sold me with their pitch about being authentically Malaysian while also serving the "authentic cuisine" of Hong Kong and Macau. Anyway, they obviously serve Cantonese food, and they offered a 10% discount today, so I went straight for their signature wonton min, as I just happened to watch a video on bamboo noodles the other day.

Despite the placement of the noodles alongside the wontons in that gigantic bowl, it wasn't too bad. Those gigantic wontons included a generous pair of shrimp that were plump, firm, and savory, while the noodles were firm with just a mild alkaline taste in it. The broth was savory, and it came out pretty quickly too. I might actually go back for this, especially since Mak's Noodle isn't down here anymore.

SIDES by Sidemen in Singapore

This Nashville hot chicken chain from the UK is run by a group of YouTubers whose content isn't focused on food, yet it commanded some pretty long lines when it first opened in Singapore. They have a few outlets now, so I had a chance to try it today when one of them had plenty of seating available.

What surprised me was that the chicken wings were not coated in a sauce, but with a dry rub powder surrounding a crispy Shake 'N Bake-like layer. My "hot" level 3 of 4 was fine in terms of heat, but it was also sweet and MSG-ish, not unlike what you'd get in a bag of ultra-processed chips.

Still, the pickle slices were nice, and the chicken was piping hot and moist inside. In that sense, I kinda liked it better than the other chains, and I wouldn't mind trying their burger if I somehow ended up here again. But that sweet MSG powder would also keep me from being a regular.

IM JAI's Tom Kha Pla Lunch Set

That might not seem like much on the surface. In fact, this was one of the last things on the lunch menu at IM JAI by Pun Im that I've tried, as it just didn't look very interesting on the menu. But I really liked the thoughtful little touches employed. In particular, they didn't leave any of those inedible fragments of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves that usually pervade tom kha pla, leaving only easy-to-eat ingredients in a delicate yet punchy broth. They complemented it with a salty fish sauce and chili dip as well as a gritty and fun chili paste rice. This may in fact now be one of the first things on the lunch menu that I'll order again.