it is easier to come up with a 'Best of...' list, we originally wanted to do a 'The Worst...' but decided that each person would be looking for a different experience while travelling, and it should be unfortunate that we only saw the ugly side of certain places. so, only a 'Best of...' list, and being such gluttons, it is only appropriate that we begin with the food category.
Best Market - Mercat de la Boqueria (Barcelona, Spain)
what really made Mercat de la Boqueria our favourite was the seafood bar located at the back corner of the market. there were always people waiting for seats and we decided to give the place a try too (always trust the locals, especially when there's a huge crowd). we ordered the 'mixed fish platter' for 22euros, and we had a feast - prawns, mini lobsters, clams, squids...and struck up a conversation with the people behind the bar when we pointed to the prawns/clams/squids and asked 'how do we say it in Espanio?' really fun-loving staff, who gave us tips on where to eat (or rather, where not to eat - La Ramblas), told us how to get tickets for soccer and yelled 'Ola' to us across the counter when we arrived...we all became friends by the end of the 3rd consecutive day that we had lunch there. the name of the seafood bar, International Kiosko (the spelling might be wrong), it closes at 4.30pm and be prepared to stand around waiting for a seat if you arrive during the Spanish lunch hours.
Coffee Like You've Never Tasted It Before - Granada (Spain)
for someone who thinks that coffee tastes foul, i fell in love with coffee at Granada. we had our coffee at the Spanish bars, which are more of like the Singaporean kopitiams - smoky, not too clean, but promises value for money. i cannot remember the name of the bar, but it was near our hostel, and we were there for coffee every morning. the most aromatic coffee i've ever tasted, and we couldn't find any that came close during our travels (though dw's friend said that Italy's coffee might be better). so, if you're in Granada, or Spain, take some time off, go into a Spanish bar (you'll most probably be the only tourist around because most other tourists are out there in those pretty/arty outdoor cafes sipping their blander coffee) and you'll have a great treat - in terms of coffee and service (Spanish are very very friendly).
'I Never Thought This Would Taste Good' - Curry 36 (Berlin, Germany)
thanks to a friend we made on the train, Fran, we ventured into Mehringdamm (which wasn't quite far off from where we were staying at) with the intention of meeting up, but we couldn't quite find a public phone. and its not often that you meet someone on the train who studies in Berlin but specializes in Indonesia history, who has read the works of the very professor you hope to meet up with in London and knows that Singapore has one of the best SEAsian departments. however, all was not lost - dawen spotted Curry 36 the very moment when we exited the U-Bahn station, and we had to try it...because there was again, a long queue. Currywurst - German sausage with curry powder and tomato sauce. sounds disgusting? well it actually tasted very good, we shared our standing space with two other Italians who had heard of the place and we were patting our stomachs after having the surprisingly filling Currywurst.
Best Ice-Cream - Finocchio (Nice, France)
i look terribly sleepy in this picture, probably because we had just woken up and were finding our way around Nice, but Finocchio's ice-cream definitely woke me up from my pseudo slumber. it was so good, i went back for another and even dawen, who doesn't like ice-cream, praised this stall. i had gingerbread ice-cream, again another flavour that i haven't tasted - refreshing, smooth and silky. loads of flavours to choose from, it was a pain trying to make a decision and the guy serving us asked if we knew any Bahasa Indonesia when he heard that we were from Singapore - 'sedikit, sedikit', his wife is from Bali. always, the people makes the experience even better. and we both felt that Finocchio was much better than Paris' Berthillon - which supposedly was to serve the best ice-cream in the world.
A Different Dining Experience All Together - Greek Restaurant (Paris, France)
yeejia and chye brought us to this Greek restaurant for dinner at Paris, and it was definitely a different experience all together. beneath our feet you can see the pieces of broken plates - someone would stand at the door, break a plate or two and proclaim, 'for you, happiness!' and 'free cocktails for all of you!' so we went in, and was treated to performances throughout our dinner. the first picture looks a little obscence, but one of the waiters actually managed to lift the table (together with the little girl), with his mouth. joyful atmosphere all around, singing and dancing...at least until i was literally dragged and carried up to a table for some erm, tabletop dancing, while dawen gleefully took some pictures and videos for future blackmail. of course, the company was great too, to meet up with familiar faces in the (too) busy Paris. and thank you very much yeejia for putting us up for two nights at her studio apartment!
Fine Dining with Surprises - (Lyon, France)
acting on a recommendation given by dawen's new found French friend at Dope, we arrived at this restaurant for a fine dining experience. he told us to expect to pay at least 30 euros per person, and the price came up to that. well, since we were in Lyon, the food capital of France, we decided to splurge a little. i had the 'Surprise Menu', and was saved the hassle of deciding what to eat, because the appetizer, main course and dessert were decided by the kitchen. we both had our first taste of foie gras (top picture). that was only the appetizer. for mains, dawen had lobster and chicken while i had duck with grape sauce, an interesting but tasty combination. after which, we were given vodka 'to cleanse your tastebuds'. the dessert was a winner and dawen could not stop raving about his nutella puff thingy (last picture). our first and only taste of fine dining during our trip, and we were definitely not disappointed. a pity we forgot the name of the place though, by then we were all confused with all the Spanish and French names. also, the last surprise came after the meal, when we picked up 20euros on the streets...
The One That Got Away - Street Stall (Brussels, Belgium)
our No-Nonsense Brussels Guide gave us a list of places to try the authentic Belgian waffle, but we found the best one randomly just along the streets, when we came out of a toy shop (which can be said to be every kid's fantasy, i got a polka-dotted briefcase from there) near the Grand-Palace. the waffle was hot, crisp and sweet - nothing like those cold and soggy ones we got from the other places. unfortunately, we couldn't find the same push-cart and woman who was selling the Belgian waffles, despite returning to the same spot several days in a row. sigh.
Most Heavenly Dessert - La Broche's Tiramisu (Nice, France)
it wasn't too milky, too alcoholic or too sweet. this tiramisu was made to perfection and when we asked the waitress whether the tiramisu was really good, she had nodded enthusiastically. she wasn't wrong, nor was she just being politically correct. we went back for two more the next day, craving for more than the one we shared the day before. and again, the local was right - we had gone to the restaurant based on our hostel owner's recommdation. always trust the locals.
_________
and that's our 'Best of...' food list. nothing more enjoyable than tantalising your tastebuds. sigh. and of course, always trust the locals.Labels: backpacking, best of, food
