Barcino: A Detour from Tapas
Whenever I think of Spanish cuisine, my mind immediately drifts to a dimly-lit room with cozy dark interiors, jazzed up by lively music and friendly chatter, coupled with the inviting aroma of garlic coming from small plates drizzled in olive oil being served up one after the other; all of which pleasantly pair well with a glass of Sangria. That's my idea of Spanish cuisine: tapas, tapas, and more tapas.
This is why it's not a surprise that our dining bills usually end up to be on the high side even if it felt like we didn't eat too much. Tapas ("small plates") tend to delight one's stomach, but not fill it up; thus, you tend to simply keep on ordering plate after plate after plate. For this particular visit in Barcino (SM Aura), I decided to shake things up a bit by giving its main dishes a chance to share in the spotlight.
HUEVOS ESTRELLADOS CON JAMON (P330)
The Huevos Estrellados con Jamon was a delightful meal starter. It featured delicious chunks of potatoes with crisp edges, paired with perfectly salty Hamon Serrano, with two runny eggs at the centerpiece. This dish is truly addicting, and serves well as a side dish to the other mains. This dish would be an equivalent of around 3-5 tapas plates in terms of serving size.
STRIPLOIN SALPICAO (P880)
Salpicao is usually served in tapas portions; however, Barcino offers a main dish alternative using striploin, instead of the traditional sirloin and tenderloin tips. Although it's a bit on tough side, the marinade was truly delectable! The beef comes with mashed potatoes, as well as a tasty collection of roasted vegetables that seemed to be sauteed in the same marinade as the meat.
PAELLA DE MARISCO (P695)
To deviate from our usual Valenciana and Negra orders, we decided to try the Paella de Marisco of Barcino. The fragrant rice dish came with an assortment of fresh tasty seafood such as tender squid rings, mussels, clams, and grilled prawns. The rice itself was tasty and had the perfect balance of chewy and crunchy textures. Seeing as how quickly this dish vanished into thin air, I believe that my family enjoyed it as well!
BACALAO A LAS TRES SALSAS (P650)
I thorougly enjoyed the harmony of flavors and colors in this dish. The star of the dish would obviously be the deep fried codfish with its crisp skin, served with a medley of three sauces, the bizcaina, all i oli, and tomate a la albahaca. This tangy and colorful dish would serve as a refreshing partner to any meaty dish, or even paellas, which are prone to making one feel suya. It's a dish jampacked with a lot of life and energy that would truly rejuvenate your senses!
TORRIJAS (P225)
Out of curiosity, we ordered the Torrijas, which seemed to be a dessert which innovated on the classic Churros. Despite using the same ingredients (from the bread, to the cinnamon sugar, and the thick warm chocolate dip), the Torrijas sets itself apart from the Churros by having a texture reminscent of French toast. This melt-in-your-mouth dessert served as a nice dish to cap off our lunch.
Overall, I was satisfied with our Barcino meal. I love how it's food quality seems to be consistent across branches, and over time. I hope this remains true, especially since the restaurant seems to still be on expansion mode.
Droolworthy Dish: Huevos Estrellados con Jamon
