Lazare Escarguel Restaurant In Perpignan, France

I hopped over the French border today and was delighted to get a lunch booking at this Michelin-listed place (5 Rue Lazare Escarguel, 33-4-6821-6042). They did reasonably-priced lunch sets starting at just €32 (US$37), with today's meal inclusive of some lovely anchovy ravioli with capers and watercress, as well as that 100-day old chicken breast above, which was incredibly moist and delicious, unlike what one might otherwise think. It was accented with white pepper, and they served it with some liver-stuffed veggies as well as corn cakes in a black garlic reduction. I happily gobbled it all up along with their egg starter. Nice place.

Divinium in Girona, Spain

I didn't realize that I had booked a fancy one Michelin-starred place for dinner tonight. I was actually just looking up some quintessential places to eat in Girona that weren't from the Roca family, and this place happened to have availability (7 Albereda. 872-08-02-18). After I walking into that uniquely small museum-like dining room with double linens and even a napkin presentation on a tray though, I felt like I was in The Menu and got a bit concerned. The good thing was that those concerns went away pretty quickly once the food arrived.

The tasting menu was done in three acts, with the first one being a bunch of little bites, including something that looked like a croquette but was filled with a thin crayfish broth inside. There was a trout and dill creation that was encased in a chalky fondant-like structure, while their take on gilda skewers was a small green liquid-filled bite. My favorite was just mushrooms on a cracker, but they sliced the mushrooms paper-thin with a truffle shaver and paired the assembly with a deliciously savory and thin broth. It was all very playful, including some pork rillettes that just a touch of punchy orange rind that reminded me of candy from my childhood.

Proteins came in the second act, like those pheasant raviolis above. I was very fond of some crispy grilled snails sitting in a thin slice of sweet onions and an extra savory anchovy sauce, as well as a dish with small cuts of very fresh and sweet red prawns sitting in a pine nut cream that I mopped up with their awesome selection of bread. They served a suckling pig whose skin was thin and crispy yet whose meat was moist and rich. They even revisited the shaved mushrooms during the final dessert course, which was fun. That was fantastic, and best of all, it was much cheaper than what one would pay in Singapore.

Restaurant Normal in Girona, Spain

We got turned away from this place last night when we tried to walk in without a reservation, but luck was on our side at lunch today (1 Plaça de l'Oli, 97-243-6383). So what's up with that funky name? Well, in fine print underneath one of the signs reads El Celler de Can Roca. Yep, it's from the Roca family, and it's called Normal because it's meant to be a more accessible place for "normal" people at "normal" prices. Yay!

That doesn't mean that it's casual though. It's still a gorgeous place with a view of the kitchen through the window, complete with precision in the workmanship and ingredient selection. That included that crayfish rice above, as well as their grilled cabbage starter. My favorite was a scallop dish featuring fresh and firm peas. I liked how intentionally salty some items were, and the prices were reasonable for what one got.

Vii, Tapes i Platillos in Girona, Spain

I didn't even realize it until afterwards, but this wine and tapas bar in Barri Vell (7 Plaça del Vi, 97-221-5604) is run by the famous Roca family. We actually stopped in twice tonight, both before and after dinner, and even grabbed snacks like those deliciously punchy gilda de bacalhau above. They had a roasted eggplant that was nice with its yogurt sauce, walnuts, and Basque chili peppers. Fortunately, it was easy to walk in and pull up to the bar tonight too.

Vintages in Girona, Spain

We didn't plan ahead when we arrived in Girona this afternoon, so unfortunately a lot of restaurants were fully booked. But we were able to get a table at this random place in the Barri Vell historic quarter (15 Carrer de la Cort Reial, 97-220-6326). I was a little apprehensive when we first walked in, as many diners were speaking English. But my concerns were unfounded, as the food was fantastic.

That duck breast above was done perfectly, with a moist and delicte texture along delightful flecks of crispy salt on the sides, all resting on a comfortably smooth sweet potato mash. We had quite a few nibbles at bars along the way here that were quite fun too; it was only after I got in did I realize that Girona is where the Roca family is from and thus has quite a food scene.

Bar Córdoba in Barcelona, Spain

This is an old-school family-run bar in Barcelona that Bourdain went to that has developed a reputation for selling its patatas bravas online. I had a chance to try it today, and could why it was held in regard, as the sauce was velvety rich without being overly spicy nor garlicky. More importantly, these potatoes were crisp on the outside yet creamy on the inside, presumably a combination of the type of potato as well as the oil and technique used. This plate was piping hot, as it came straight out of the fryer, and was nice to have on such a miserably cold and wet day today.

Mazah Restaurant in Barcelona's Eixample District

This Lebanese place was selected for a team dinner tonight (618 Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 93-013-0311). The food was a mixed bag, as some of that meat above was a bit lean and dried out, while some of the mezze were extremely salty. But the rest of the platter was fun to eat with the flatbread, and the lamb ribs were grilled nicely. Perhaps the more memorable thing here was the venue itself with its high ceilings and gigantic marble tables, as well as its options for things like shisha and even Lebanese beer.

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.