Comerç 24

I wrote this post immediately after dining at Comerç 24 in Barcelona. I just didn't have time to edit pictures and perfect this post before putting it up while I was still traveling. I could go through and change all the verb tenses, but then I think it'd lose something. Therefore, I'm going to keep it as is :)

Last night, I had an eye-opening meal here in Barcelona--one that was spectacular enough to catapult me back into blogging. I've had some awful touristy meals as a result of time constraints and convenience, but I've also had some pretty damn good tapas. However, nothing had really compelled me to rush home and blog about it. Then, along came Comerç 24. I knew it'd be Spanish influenced cuisine with a liberal dosing of molecular gastronomy, but it was beyond anything I expected.

After a short metro ride and a nighttime stroll past the city's Arc de Triomphe, the glowing bright yellow banner of Comerç 24 beckoned me into a dark, yet inviting street. We were just in time for our 10:15pm reservation. All the shops and stores around the restaurant seemed to be closed--the only bright light coming from within the restaurant. We entered and were immediately seated at the largest table in the middle of the room. And open kitchen occupied one side of the room and a beautiful bar the other. Obviously I opted for a clear view of the kitchen. Immediately, one can sense the immaculate precision of the kitchen--everyone was busy doing their tasks, but there wasn't even a hint of chaos. My kind of kitchen.

I went with a group of fellow students also in the business travel study program with me here in Barcelona. The tasting menu at Comerç 24 is pretty pricey for a student budget (72 euros for the shorter FESTIVAL menu), but I managed to get together five of us who were willing and able to spend that kind of money on food. We had some spherification virgins in the group and let's just say the expression on someone's face when they pop their first spherification is priceless ;) None of us left disappointed. I don't know about them, but I left with a whole new perspective on what food can be.

Comerç 24

dining date: 8/6/10

Carrer del Comerç, 24

08003 Barcelona, Ciutat Vella

tel: 93 319 21 02

(closed for 3 weeks in August)

We were given printed menus at the end of the meal and not at the beginning. We had fun trying to decipher each course...or at least, I had fun :)

A bread basket and box of olive oils were brought to our table. As the server explained each olive oil in the box, he pour, in a long stream, the vibrant green oil into four different dishes--in order from lightest to strongest. I enjoyed dipping each bite of the rustic sliced bread into different pools of fruity oil before deciding that the strongest was the best.

Filo, PARMA, lime and basil

To start, these adorable filo "cigars" were delightful. With a remarkably thin, crunchy, slightly thin wrapper and a filling of mousse-like parmesan cheese flavored with lime and basil, they left everyone wanting more.

BANGKOK asparagus soup

Served in little teacups with a pearly white spherification at the bottom, a chilled broth was poured into the cup at the table. With the first cool sip, I was reminded of Thai flavors, of lemongrass and kaffir lime. When the spherification rolled into my mouth, a gentle squeeze against the roof of my mouth resulted in the release of slightly sweet coconut milk. Definitely Thai.

MONKFISH with black sesame and black garlic

This was the first dish that knocked me off my feet. It was remarkable. Not only delicious but also unbelievably beautiful. Someone compared it to a Chinese watercolor, and I couldn't have agreed more. I watched as the kitchen literally painted the plate with a jar of black sesame paste "ink." The seared monkfish, still rare and translucent at the center, had a salty, briny taste that paired so surprisingly well with the nutty, savory sesame.

PIZZA 24

I didn't quite catch what kind of fish topped this innovative pizza but we deduced that it was some kind of smoked, salty fish--maybe a spanish mackerel? The little pizza had toppings of a white, fresh, crumbly cheese, oven roasted cherry tomatoes, baby arugula, and pitted cherry halves on a thin, crispy crust. Our server used a cute little pizza cutter to cut it into four pieces. The sweet bit of cherry went well to balance the fishy, smoked flavor.

SARDINES with orange and fresh wasabi

The first actual dish in the 7 savory courses, it blew me away. I love sardines and anchovies and all small salty fishes. This was the best preparation of sardines I've ever had. The slivers of sardines were accompanied by fresh citrus segments to cut the fishiness, with slightly sweet and crunchy crumbles creating a contrast in texture. The micro greens added a touch of freshness to the dish. It just worked.

TUNA tartar

I was not particularly impressed or surprised by the tuna tartar. It tasted exactly like how it looked--raw tuna, lightly marinated in soy sauce topped with salmon roe. The only interesting component was the sauce of raw egg yolk. I've only had raw egg yolk with beef tartar...never with tuna tartar.

CONSOMME with egg, truffle and parmesan

Absolutely beautiful, this soup looked like a work of art. Three different colored spherifications, each containing a different flavor (the yellow being egg, brown being truffle, and white being parmesan) it was arranged into a colorful pyramid. A delicate sprinkling of sea salt adorned each of the egg spherification. Then a warm, wonderfully scented, black truffle consommé is poured over the spherifications. We were advised to eat each spherification separately, resulting in a different flavored bite each time. It was not only delicious, but also such a joy to eat.

COD with romesco and carquinyolis

Another gorgeously plated dish--I love the use of a piece of slate as a plate. A bright orange romesco sauce covered a moist, flakey piece of salted cod. Carquinyolis, which is apparently a Spanish version of biscotti, left a trail from the cod to a piece of edible flower that reminded of a asparagus. Taken together, it was a very interesting preparation of fish. However, I would've liked some acidity. The sweetness of the biscotti crumble and the saltiness of the fish were not enough.

duck RICE with foie

How could this dish not be good? It was amazing. Each grain of rice was cooked to a perfect toothsome al dente in a duck stock. There were no actual pieces of duck in the dish but it's essence was definitely there. The quenelle of foie gras was so rich and smooth. We were advised to mix everything together before eating. Unfortunately, there was also a kind of crumble in the dish--one that tasted like crushed corn nuts to us--and it's flavor was a little overpowering for the foie.

CHIAVARI red mullet

Such interesting plating. The translucent disk is solidified fish stock made from the bones of the red mullet. A single leaf of basil and a surprisingly pungent purple flower (reminded me of garlic and chives) adorned the plate. The drops of sweet, thick balsamic vinegar provided the acidity I tend to enjoy in fish dishes. The red mullet, apparently from Chiavari, was cooked to a tender, juicy doneness.

BRESSE chicken with king prawns

The last savory course, was a perfectly cooked piece of prawn. I've never had prawn so sweet and succulent. It's snappy texture reminded me of perfectly cooked langoustine...only better. The chicken thigh meat underneath was definitely not as memorable compared to the prawn. It was a little heavier than previous dishes so it was a nice conclusion to the savory portion of our meal.

Natural "NESTEA"

This unassuming shot of orange colored juice and green foam is a lot more impressive than it seems. We were told to take the entire shot of white peach juice, lemon zest, and green tea foam in one gulp. We all thought it was a questionable combination of flavors, but as we said cheers and all started drinking the shot, everyone's eyes started to widen in surprise and then in awe. It was an amazing shot of juice. The white peach juice was sweet and pure, and the matcha foam was a pleasantly bitter contrast. It was ridiculously good. Ridiculous.

Bread, oil, CHOCOLATE and salt

A smaller portion of the same dessert I had at the more casual Tapaç 24, the combination of chocolate mousse, fruity olive oil, and sea salt works so surprisingly or not so surprisingly well. Great for a chocolate lover like me.

Sheep milk YOGHURT with apple and raspberries

A light and fruity dessert offering, it was slightly unmemorable when compared with the rest of the meal. Vibrantly green, though not much else. It tasted like yogurt with some fruit and crumble.

NOUGAT with tuille cigar, chocolate and coffee

Black sesame OREO with vanilla

Sablée with pineapple and meringue

A cute little offering of mignardises came on another black slate. However, at this point, we were all too full to really appreciate them. That being said, they were all delicious. Of course I still managed to eat my share. The black sesame oreo ice cream sandwich was cute--something I might want to replicate at home. The pineapple treat tasted like a Chinese pineapple cake/tart/thing (hopefully someone out there knows what I'm talking about) just more delicate and with a hint of lime zest. The nougat tasted like some kind of chocolate bar.

When Carles Abellán come up with the concept of Comerç 24, he himself wasn't quite sure how to describe it. While the chef is Catalonian, the food isn't decidedly Catalan. While it bills itself as a tapas restaurant, it's dishes don't really resemble traditional tapas fare. The food leans so heavily on molecular gastronomy, it's hard not to rest on the fact that Abellán was a pupil of Ferran Adrià. Still, it was a dining experience unlike any I've ever experienced before. With attentive service that was there for me with my every bite, I'd never been so perpetually surprised and challenged by every dish. Everything I ate was like a new discovery for me.

My lovely dinner companions. This was fairly early in the program so I was still excusing myself with every picture I took of the food. Needless to say, we all became close friends, and by the end of the trip, they came to anticipate my camera whenever food was close by :)

Providence

Providence was at the top of my L.A. restaurant dream list. Even before the amuse bouche hit my lips, I knew I would love Providence. It was everything I loved in a restaurant--intimate setting, impeccable service, amazing fresh seafood, talented pastry chef...of course, the restaurant's two Michelin stars also made me that much more excited.

Two things happened in June: 1) my sophomore year at UCLA came to an end and my parents were in town to help me move out of the dorms and 2) Providence was having their 5-year anniversary special of 5 courses for $65.

It was meant to be. I would finally be able to enjoy at meal at Providence.

Providence

5955 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90038

tel: 323-460-4170

bread service

bacon brioche, white roll

The bacon brioche had the delicious smokiness of bacon, but the texture was a little too fluffy for me. I enjoyed the plain white roll a lot more. It had a nice crusty crust and a chewy, yeasty center. A piece of the bread, smeared with butter, and a sprinkling of sea salt (served with that adorable miniature scoop) and I'm a happy girl.

amuse bouche

gin and tonic gelée, margarita spherification, house cured Tasmanian ocean trout on top of lemon jelly with 4 spice whipped cream and 24 carat gold leaf

The gelée tasted exactly like a gin and tonic and was delicious with a squeeze of lime. The margarita spherification also tasted exactly like a margarita, complete with a spoon rimmed with coarse salt. The ocean trout served in a shot glass was the best bite of the bunch. The trout was deliciously fresh and the lemon jelly sweetly acidic. Digging a spoon straight down into the shot glass resulted in a bite of a delectable combination of salty, sweet, and acidic with the texture of raw fish interspersed with crunchy bits of toasted rice balls and salty bursts of fish roe.

japanese kanpachi (kagoshima, japan)

crispy rice crackers, coriander, soy crème fraîche

Who knew sashimi could taste so good? First of all, the fish was incredibly fresh--with a deliciously supple texture and literally the essence of freshness and of the sea. The soy crème fraîche with the raw fish was a revelation. Slightly creamy, it elevated the mouthfeel of the kanpachi to a whole new level. The rice crackers not only provided a nice contrast in texture, but also had the flavor of toasted rice.

bobby's block island scallops

japanese eggplant, rhubarb, cashews, reduction of vadouvan and jurançon

Perfectly cooked scallop--beautifully caramelized, yet still slightly rare and translucent in the middle, it was sweet and succulent. The flavors in this dish reminded me of India and curry--probably as a result of the vadouvan. I also enjoyed the scattering of toasted cashew pieces and the flavor of mint throughout the dish. Although it was only one scallop, it was extremely satisfying.

spaghetti alla chitarra [$26 supplement]

santa barbara sea urchin, spot prawn, pea tendrils

This was the one supplement we added to our 5 course tasting menu and we shared one order between the three of us. I cannot resist freshly made pasta. Nor can I resist sea urchin and spot prawns. Obviously we had to have this. It was a nice addition to our meal. The al dente pasta was swimming in a luxuriously rich sauce made from sea urchin and spot prawn heads and eggs. Occasionally we would stumble across a piece of pea tendril and we'd get a little bit of vegetal sweetness. There were still intact piece of uni mingling with the pasta and the spot prawns were so sweet and snappy.

wild day-boat pacific halibut (sitka, ak)

summer squash, black olive, dried apricot, basil

I enjoyed this halibut a lot, but my parents were a little less impressed. I think it's because we were served the rich pasta before this lighter course came out. I would've flipped the two dishes around. However, I do think this was a remarkable preparation of a normally dry and boring white fish. I would never voluntarily order halibut if I had other fish options, but this halibut was great. Barely cooked through, it was tender and moist with interesting accompaniments. The apricot, black olive and zucchini relish on top was slightly sweet, as well as the tomato compote underneath. The basil bread crumbs in combination with the spring onions, basil butter sauce gave the entire dish a decidedly Italian, yet innovative flavor profile.

marcho farms veal tenderloin (franconia, pa)

sweet peas, bacon, almond, maitake mushrooms

Veal is another protein that, give other options, I would not necessarily gravitate towards. I tend to think of veal as slightly boring in taste and texture. This veal, however, changed my mind completely. Cooked for two hours at 140 degrees, it was pleasingly tender. The bacon added a smokey aspect to the dish, and the maitake a deep, earthy, "umami" complement. The double shelled sweet peas were not only a perfect example of the level of intricacy in Providence's dishes, but also a fresh counterpoint to the more robust flavors in the dish. The dollops of the slightly sweet almond milk confused us in a good way, and the blanched almond slivers were at that delightful point between crunchy and less crunchy from being in sauce. The green herb, apparently, was pruslane--an herb I had never tasted nor heard of before. Overall, an interesting dish that caused us to really question and evaluate the flavors we were tasting.

yuzu curd, meringue

blackberry sorbet, jasmine

Finally, we were at dessert. I had high expectations of Adrian Vasquez's creations and he did not disappoint. I loved this dessert. It was perfect--from the delightfully tart yuzu curd, to the fragrant jasmine blackberry sorbet and buttery streusel crumbs. The only thing I found to be a little boring were the meringues. They didn't provide too much of a textural enhancement, nor did they offer anything in terms of flavor. However, I still enjoyed them because I can never say no to meringues. I thought the clean, bright-tasting flavors of this dessert was the perfect closing to a wonderful meal.

mignardises

chocolate marzipan, banana caramel, nougat

I was less impressed by Providence's selection of mignardises. I thought Sona put out a much more innovative and delicious offering. The chocolate marzipan were alright and tasted exactly how you would expect them to. The banana caramel were nothing special and the nougat actually tasted a little weird to me. Still, I always get a little excited by mignardises.

In all honesty, Providence was the best meal I've had in L.A. so far this year. It was simple, yet complex. Each dish was intricately prepared and had us scratching our heads trying to figure out what exactly it was we were tasting, however, the freshness of the ingredients and their inherent flavors still shined through. I had been scared that my palate had become jaded, that nothing could really make me have that eye-widening moment of "mmmm," but Providence reassured me that there are still delicious and impressive meals out there waiting to be had.

*We also had the wine pairing with the tasting menu, and it was one of the best pairings I've had to date. The wines and the dishes complemented each other so well. I chose not to include it in my review because 1) I didn't get great pictures of the wines and 2) I'm a lot less skilled in my descriptions of wines...but I'm working on it :) Basically, what I'm trying to say is, get the wine pairing!