DSTAgE

26 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in DSTAgE, Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid

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5/12/2015

DSTAgE was the first restaurant reservation I made for our trip to Spain and it was our last meal in Madrid. It makes me sad thinking about it. I wish I could go back in time and experience it all over again. I guess we left the best for last. I love the fact that many restaurants in Spain served the same menu at lunch time as they did dinner time. I know in NYC some restaurants offer that but in LA it is all about dinner.
DSTAgE means “Days to Smell Taste Amaze Grow & Enjoy”. Chef Diego Guerrero left the two Michelin star restaurant, El Club Allard in 2013 to open up this restaurant last summer. In less than one year they earned their first Michelin star. The restaurant looked industrial with exposed brick and hardwood floor. I guess he wanted the emphasis to be on the food. Upon entering the restaurant a staff member checks your name on the list and invites you to seat at the bar area. You can have a drink and they serve you the first course . You are then taken to the open kitchen area where one of the chefs prepares your next course. After that, you are seated in the dining room. They have two tasting menus: DTASTE, with 10 creations, for 88 Euros, and DSTAgE, with 13 creations, for 118 Euros. We went for the shorter one and it was plenty of food. This must have been the most interactive restaurant experience we have ever had. A couple of the dishes with many steps were prepared in front of you. The servers/cooks were friendly and spoke English but at times we smiled when our waitress introduced every dish with, “I made this and that”. As I made an eye contact with Chef Diego Guerrero, he came over and I thanked him for the wonderful experience we had. He seemed very friendly and humble.

Sea Urchin & Citric Dashi
As soon as I saw this dish, I knew we were in for a treat. I love uni and this was not only visually stunning, but tasted great also. The only problem was you wanted more of it, much more.

King Prawn Ceviche
This was like having a personal chef preparing an amazing dish for you. Every time I wanted to snap a picture, he added more ingredients to the dish. He first mixed the king prawn on the top of a himalayan salt slab. He then placed it on a strip of banana leaf and added all kind of garnishes. You were instructed to hold it like a cigar and drop it in your mouth like an oyster.

Cava
This was a full body cava.

I don’t remember what this dish was and it is not listed on their menu, but I know it was very delicate and tasty. It looked beautiful too.

Huitlacoche Mochi
Interesting fusion of Latin and Asian.

Quinoa Bread
When our waitress mentioned quinoa bread, I was like What? Of Course I wanted to try it. I have never had quinoa bread before and found it nutty and dense. Now I have to find a recipe and make my own. How creative of them to come up with that.

Tuna, Toffee & “Foiesabi”
This was a surf and turf dish. Tuna and foie gras plus toffee for sweetness and crunch. A nice dish.

Octopus roasted with “Tomatillo”
We love octopus and enjoyed this dish.

Tolosa Bean Ravioli with Cabbage Broth
This dish was amazing. Who knew beans could taste so heavenly. The cabbage broth almost tasted like dashi.

From Winter to Spring
As you can see there was a big production for this dish and was very interactive. Torching and mixing all kind of exotic ingredients from around the globe. It tasted sensational.

Red Mullet braised with Saffron Sauce and Crispy Scales
A nice light dish.

“The Butcher’s Cut”
This must have been the first beef dish we had in Spain because we all know how much Spanish love their pork. Not only the presentation was original and imaginative, the beef tasted out of this world.

Maji Leaf
After that heavenly beef this was a nice refreshing treat.

Popcorn with Strawberries and Sweet Egg Yolk
I liked the strawberries more than the popcorn and loved the presentation.

Purple Garlic
A meringue filled with black garlic cream was a nice ending to a wonderful lunch.

Now, I have to go and wipe off my tears!!

Catedral de La Almudena

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Art & Architecture, Madrid

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Catedral de La Almudena

After visiting Palacio Real de Madrid we stopped here and it was much more interesting that we expected. Catedral de La Almudena is the Catholic cathedral in Madrid and the seat of Archdiocese of Madrid. We specially loved the beautiful mosaic work of the artist Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik and we couldn’t keep our eyes off. We climbed all the way up to the roof area for an amazing view of the city.

StreetXO

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid, StreetXO

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Street-Xo Madrid

5/11/2015

As soon as I knew we were going to Spain I tried for a reservation at DiverXO, David Muñoz’s three Michelin star restaurant in Madrid. Unfortunately even at more than three months ahead, they were all booked. Well, as much as I was disappointed, I knew they had a casual Asian street food style restaurant on the top floor of El Corte Ingles. The night before our lunch we had sorbet from Rocambolesc in the area called, gourmet experience in order to make sure StreetXO will be open the following day. They start their lunch service at 1:30 pm and since they don’t take reservation, you have to line up and wait to be seated. You had a choice of a seating at the counter facing the open kitchen or you could have sat outside. Of Course we chose to seat inside in front of all the smoke, heat and action. At first you might get bothered by all the smoke, but you get used to it. You ordered at the counter directly from the kitchen staff and as soon as the food was ready, they placed it in front of you. The only complain I have was the pace of the food. It was too fast. They had plenty of interesting and original Asian fusion tapa dishes and it was hard to make a choice. Everything we had was packed with flavor and this was my husband’s favorite restaurant of the trip. The guy with the mohawk took care of us and spoke perfect English.
I just read that they will open a restaurant in London this summer and NYC next year.

“Singapore Laksa” with ring prawns cooked over Japanese robata grill coconut cream, shiitake mushrooms and pasta shells
As soon as I saw them grilling these beautiful prawns, I looked at the menu and had to order this dish. The prawns were cooked beautifully and the broth was amazing. The shiitake added earthiness to this dish.

Miso charcoal small cuttlefish Korean kimchi sauce and fried egg, extra crunchy Japanese mini sardines
My husband picked this dish and besides the prawns this was our other favorite. We could eat this dish everyday. The smoky cuttlefish combined with the rich egg and kimchi sent your taste buds to heaven.

We didn’t order this dish, but since it was sitting in front of us, I took a picture of it.

“Chili crab” paprika, chipotle peppers, palo cortado sherry, mantou
I have heard so much about this dish and had to order it. It was a light dish. Sweet crab meat was sitting on mantou, a Chinese steamed bun and had a heat from chipotle and paprika and necessary richness from the eggs.

Grilled Iberian pork pancetta “Saam” marinated mussel condiment, pickled shiitake mushrooms, sriracha and tartar “XO” sauce
At this point I was full and probably didn’t enjoy this dish as much as I could have. I am not the biggest fan of pork belly, but since this was an Iberian belly it was very flavorful. The dish itself was good, but nothing original with the exception of the marinated mussel. I guess they wanted to cover umami from the land, the sea and the earth.

Cacao Sampaka

23 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Cacao Sampaka, Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid

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Cacao Sampaka Madrid

5/11/2015

We stopped at this wonderful chocolate shop/cafe twice and had no idea how close it was to our hotel. They opened at 10 am and that is standard for most chocolate shops but a little late for most tourists who are looking for breakfast before starting their day. In our first stop, we had our first proper breakfast in Madrid. The second time we picked up a box of chocolate, a chocolate tart and breakfast for the following day before heading out to the airport. Service was friendly, they spoke good English and they were helpful with making our chocolate selection.

Cappuccino
Look at this beautiful cappuccino. My husband was in heaven.

Chocolate Azteca Thick Hot Chocolate (80% cocoa and spices)
Thankfully I finally had an amazing dark hot chocolate. So rich and comforting, every sip was joyful. Mamá Framboise should take a note.

Cruasan Mixto Ham and Cheese Croissant
We love our ham and cheese croissant and this one did not disappoint. The croissant itself was not as perfect as the one from Oriol Balaguer, but it was a close second. The cold version the next day was as good as the fresh warm one.

Tarta de Chocolate Chocolate Tart
This was our last treat the night before we left and it had a deep chocolate taste. I could use one right about now!!

Their chocolate came in Fruit, Truffles, Innovations, Single Bean Origins, Dried Fruit and Nuts, Spices, Flowers and Herbs and Liqueur collections.
I really enjoyed the Wasabi, Peanuts and specially the Balsamic Vinegar. We also enjoyed Cassis, Coffee and Raspberry. From the single bean origins we liked the Venezuela.

Rocambolesc Madrid

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid, Rocambolesc Madrid

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Rocambolesc Madrid

5/10/2015

Jordi Roca of the Three Michelin star restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, was the creator of this ice cream and sorbet shop in Girona’s city center. In 2014 he opened a place inside El Corte Inglés Gourmet Experience in Madrid.

Coconut and Violet Sorbet with strawberry and baked apple
My husband had this and enjoyed it. It was like being on a tropical vacation and smelling the violet.

White Asparagus and Truffle Sorbet
The asparagus sorbet had a very intense grassy flavor and was topped with truffles and truffle juice and salt. An interesting savory treat, but I could have skipped the salt.

Restaurante lakasa

19 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Madrid, Restaurante lakasa

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Restaurante lakasa Madrid

5/10/2015

It was a hot day in Madrid and after our stop at Oriol Balaguer we wondered in the area. We were near Sorolla Museum in a very quiet street. We were tempted to go in for a quick pick, but decided it might take a while to find a cab to take us to Lakasa. We waited a while and got lucky as the cab took us to the area near the restaurant. I noticed in Spain, the cabbies sometimes drop you off in the area that is close to your destination.
We were the only non Spanish diners. There was one very nice staff member that spoke English and took care of us. I guess they don’t get that many tourists, because at the end he came over and thanked us for dining there. How refreshing is that? One big advantage about this restaurant was the fact that you could order many of their dishes in half portion. That way you can try a few things. Even the half portions were generous.

Coca de trigueros y setas con jugo de leche
Green asparagus and mushroom tart with sheep’s milk juice
We started with this very delicious and spring-y dish. The grassy asparagus was the perfect partner for the earthy delicious morel mushrooms. The egg added richness to this wonderful dish. When was the last time you were served morel mushrooms in a restaurant that didn’t cost an arm and a leg? Spanish are lucky.

Garbanzos con carabinero Chickpea Stew with Red Shrimp
As soon as I saw my beloved red shrimp listed on this dish, I was sold. I love chickpeas and this was such a comfort dish. The shrimp was cooked beautifully.

Bacalao con crema de ajonegro con verduritas a la vainilla
Cod confit with black garlic sauce and vegetables scented with vanilla
This was an interesting dish. The cod was cooked medium rare and the vanilla and black garlic added sweetness to this dish. The veggies provided a little textural contrast to the dish.

Presa de cerdo ibérico puro de bellota con verduras encurtidas y Comté
Grilled Iberian pork, pickled veggies and Comté cheese
The best was saved for last. The only problem with that was we were kind of full, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying this wonderful dish. The Iberian pork and Comté was umami marriage made in heaven.

Fruta con yogurt
After all that food we needed something light and healthy. The juicy, sweet fruit and the tart yogurt was a perfect ending.

Oriol Balaguer Madrid

18 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Madrid, Oriol Balaguer Madrid

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Oriol Balaguer Madrid

5/11/2015

Ever since I had Oriol Balaguer’s amazing croissant in Barcelona, I could not wait to try it again in Madrid. Thanks to Google Maps it took us a long time to walk there! We got there around noon and since we had a lunch reservation at 1:30 pm we did not want to eat too many things. Service was cold but we could converse in English.
I just wish our hotel was closer to their shop so we could have tried some of their cakes. Oh well, you can’t have it all.

Croissant
This was as great as the first time. Perfect buttery croissant that was airy with a crunchy exterior.

Pain au Chocolat
This was one of the best pain au chocolats I have ever had. Perfect texture and taste. The chocolate could have been a little more dark, but that is my personal preference.

My husband tried their Pain aux raisins and really enjoyed it. It was nice and crisp and studded with plump raisins.

Moulin Chocolat

16 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid, Moulin Chocolat

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Moulin Chocolat Madrid

5/9/2015

Moulin Chocolat is right across the street from the Retiro Park and it is a must stop. The only problem was that there was no seating available, so your only option was to pick up your goodies and eat it in the park. They had a great selection of chocolates and little treats that not only looked great, it was priced reasonably and tasted pretty good. Service was friendly and they spoke enough English to get you going. Yes, I wish we had a place like this in the LA area.

Vaso Sibarita
Mascarpone Mousse, Baba Cake, Raspberry with Mango Coulis
This was not only visually appealing, but it tasted great. I specially liked the creative way they filled the raspberries with mango coulis.

Extreme
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Glaze
This was a chocolate heaven and looked like a black pearl.

Tartaleta de Frambuesa
Butter Sable, creamy Chocolate, Black Raspberry, fresh Raspberry and Mango
We really enjoyed this very refreshing, fruity verrine goodness. Perfect for a hot day in Madrid.

Trufa Cafe, Trufa Palet D’or, Trufa Manjari
All the truffles were great. The coffee was like having a shot of espresso.

Al Trapo

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Al Trapo, Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid

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Al Trapo

5/9/2015

Al Trapo reminded me so much of one of my favorite restaurants in LA, Ink. The decor was very modern and clean. The cuisine was contemporary and imaginative. Our waiter spoke perfect English, but looked like he had a late night the night before. Prices were reasonable for the quality.

Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Mint, Cilantro and Yogurt was definitely my kind of starter and to serve it over a paper was very original.

Spanish Tortilla Souffle Bites with green bell peppers and anchovies
This were a little tasty bites and modern version of the traditional Spanish tortilla.

Sautéed Artichokes with crunchy breadcrumbs, thin sliced Iberian bacon and parsley mayonnaise
Artichoke and crunchy breadcrumbs were the perfect marriage for the umami bacon and cool mayo.

Squid Noodles, tender baby broad beans, potato, egg yolk and onion
This dish was a perfect spring dish. You had to mix the yolk with the tender squid noodles and fava beans and that resulted in such a comfort dish. Loved the serving dish.

Cream of stew Lentils with cinnamon, cheese gnocchis and foie gelée
This was such a creative dish. Creamy lentils had a great flavor from the cinnamon. The pillowy cheese gnocchis were a great addition and the foie gelée put this dish over the top.

Great crusty bread was very delicious.

I want this light fixture.

Sautéed Morels with creamy bechamel meat sauce
This dish was visually spectacular. Morel mushroom, one of my favorite mushrooms, were amazing and combined with the meat sauce, you were in the umami heaven.

Green Tea Mousse with ice cream, pistachios and tart
This was a very refreshing dessert and was perfect for a hot day. It was all about green tea. Pistachios added crunch and nuttiness.

Mamá Framboise

13 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by mrsjoujou in Eating and Drinking by city, Madrid, Mamá Framboise

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Mamá Framboise Madrid

5/9/2015

Mamá Framboise was very close to our hotel and it seemed to be very popular. I have heard the Spanish like their confectionery sweet and this place definitely reflected that. Thankfully they spoke enough English to put you at ease. Prices were fair, but not worth it to us.

Cafe Manchado
My husband enjoyed his latte.

Chocolate Pequeño
This was my first taste of Spanish hot chocolate and it disappointed big time. Way too sugary. I took two sips and gave the rest to my husband. Even though he tolerates sugar more than me, he had a hard time finishing it up.

Croissant De Frambuesa
Is this raspberry croissant or a sugar croissant?! As though you didn’t have enough sugar on the top, there was a sugary raspberry jam inside so you would be in a sugar coma all day.

Croissant De Chocolate
This was not a typical pain au chocolat. It had a sweet chocolate custard inside. A big disappointment.

Palmera De Chocolate
Surprisingly this was the only item that was pretty good. A nice dark chocolate atop palmier.