It's all about food in Madrid. Being the capital of Spain, Madrid is melting pot of typical food from every part of the country. Here's a round of review on the food we tried during our visit: Paella When Filipinos think of Spanish food, we always think of paella. As per my Spanish instructor, traditionally, paellas were cooked with chicken and rabbit meat. Over the years, a number of recipe variations came about as the coastal regions of Spain added seafood to the dish. I have tried paella a few times in Spanish restaurants here in Ireland. In all those occasions, I found them very salty to our taste. We tried the paella mixta (meat & seafood mix) at Jamón 55 in Gran Via and in Mercado de San Miguel. Both paellas were still on the salty and saucy side. They were served with slices of bread for dipping. So, it was actually a meal combo of rice and bread. I have read somewhere that the paella in Valencia is lighter and less salty compared to other regions in Spain. Our Filipino paella, cooked with seafood, pork, chicken and chorizo is always a sure favorite in 'eat-all-you-can' restaurants and a guaranteed star of Christmas dinners (Noche Buena) in Pampanga province. With less salt and more on the savoury-sweet side, this is probably why our Filipino paella is named as 'Paella Valenciana'. Top Tip: Ordering paellas in Madrid can be tricky. Some restaurants advertise (in Spanish) the price for 1 order/person (e.g. €14), yet you need a minimum of 2 orders/persons for them to cook it for you. Hence, the price goes to €28. The bread that comes with the paella is not free of charge; it costs €2. Churros con Chocolate Chocolatería San Ginés (Address: Pasadizo San Ginés, 5) is a haven for chocolate-lovers. They have been serving hot chocolate and churros since 1894. Chocolate con churros is a traditional way to start the day in Madrid. However, the shop which is open 24/7 is frequented by locals and tourists alike at any time of the day as a snack: be it mid-morning (almuerzo), mid-afternoon (merienda), or even after a long night out. There's always a long queue, but don't worry, it goes very fast. You place your order at the counter, find a table to sit, and the server brings your order. What was it like? The hot chocolate was not something I expected. I was thinking of a 'sikwate' style (a Philippine bitter hot chocolate made from tablea/cacao bean). The hot chocolate is overly sticky, with a consistency of a jelly, as it's meant for dipping, not for drinking. It's neither sweet nor bitter, and a bit oily. The churros are served straight from the pan so they are really piping hot! This was still a great find! We love chocolate so we bought a can of their powdered chocolate to try at home. Just a thought: Filipinos use the term 'almusal' for breakfast. Could this be derived from the word 'almuerzo' which is mid-morning snack in Spanish? Filipinos may have misconstrued this term as breakfast, being taken in the morning and hence 'almuerzo' became 'almusal'. Bocadillo (Sandwich) & Tapas Compared with other Europeans, the Spanish eat at a much later time. Most restaurants open for lunch at 1:30 p.m. and diners come in between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. while dinner is between 9 and 11 p.m. Breakfast (desayuno) is the lightest meal with just bread and coffee. Lunch (comida) is the most important meal in Spain. Known as 'Menu del Dia', it's oftentimes a three-course, fixed-price meal with soup or salad, a choice of meat or fish, dessert, and a glass of drink. A Spanish dinner (cena) is a lighter meal which can be a plate of cured ham, salad, yogurt, or omelette. In between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Spanish take small meals to keep them going. (1) Mid-morning (almuerzo), between 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. (2) Mid-afternoon (merienda), between 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (3) Taps hour (aperitivo), between 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. During these times, the tapas trays come out to offer quick bites. The word 'tapas' originates from the Spanish verb 'tapar', which means 'to cover'. It is an item (e.g. bread, coaster, small plates) placed on top of a drink to protect it from flies. Over the years, its meaning has evolved, a tapa is now any small portion of food that is served with the drink. Some of the tapas we have tried in Madrid: Here's a sample tapas menu at the Museo del Jamon in Plaza Mayor. As you can see, this is one of the cheap eats. The sandwiches are all priced at €1, while the beer is priced at €0.50 and the wine at €0.90. The beer is always cheap, always served cold and in small portions (caña, 200 ml). The smaller the portion, the quicker it can be consumed leaving no time for it to get warm. A cup of wine is served in a nice glass (copa, 300 ml). Torreznos Torreznos are similar to our Philippine chicharron, but a healthier version because they are fried in olive oil. They are crunchy, savoury, pork belly skins that send people to addiction. Just as the Pringles slogan: "Once you pop, you can't stop!" Topolino All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Whenever we travel, we make it a habit to include at least one all-you-can-eat buffet in our itinerary. For us, this is a practical way of diving into the city's cuisine especially when travelling on a budget. In a restaurant, a lot of us play it safe when ordering from the menu. Naturally, a person does not order five different dishes for the sake of sampling each dish. Of course, we also do not want to spend money on something that we will eventually not like. Bottomline, we always end up ordering tried and tested dishes, shying away from adventurous eating. With the variation offered in all-you-can-eat restaurants, this predicament ceases. There are always new things to try that we would never normally order. We had a buffet style dinner for only €13 (excluding drink) at Topolino in Plaza Sto. Domingo. While Topolino is an Italian franchise, they offer a good range of traditional Spanish food like soups, salads, paella, in addition to the typical pizza and pasta to fill your cravings. There is also an array of sweet treats waiting at the corner to fill your hearts out. Good to know: 'Topolino' is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. It is the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. If you have seen the James Bond film 'Spectre', when Bond was asked who he was, Bond introduced himself as Mickey Mouse when he said, "Sono Topolino". Torrija If you happen to be in Spain during the Holy Week (Semana Santa), then you can sample torrija, a traditional dessert that local bakeries offer during this season. Torrijas are the Spanish version of French toast. They are from the bread-based pudding family: made with stale bread, dipped in egg & anise mixture, then soaked in milk or wine, fried in olive oil, served coated with sugar & cinnamon or poured with heated honey. It was Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) when Joey & I saw the torrija signage so we made a pitstop. It was served warm with sweet syrup. Since we were following the Procesiones La Borriquita, we had the torrija 'to go' and ate them at our hotel. It was already cold and the syrup had crystalized; it was very sweet and the taste of anise was over-powering. I suppose it was meant to be eaten warm with coffee on the side. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable snack. It's similar to our Filipino carioca. Our Breakfast Our hotel served a good selection of cured meats, cheeses, fruits, cakes, sweet breads, muffins and churros. We stayed at Eurostars Zarzuela Park Hotel. From the Grocery We got curious at some pastry and cookie brands so we ended up buying them and bringing to Ireland. Useful Information
Chocolatería San Ginés Address: Pasadizo San Ginés Price: €4 Jamon 55 at Gran Via Address: Calle Gran Vía, 55 Price: €27 (minimum of 2 orders of €13.50), Tapas from €11.50 to €20 Mercado de San Miguel Address: Plaza de San Miguel Price: €4 for small portion (tapa), €7 for a plate (regular size) Museo del Jamon Address: Calle Mayor, 7 Price: Bocadillo at €1, Tapas at €11.50 Jamon 55 at Gran Via (Address: Calle Gran Vía, 55, 28013) Price: Tapas from €11.50 to €20 Topolino Sto. Domingo Address: Calle de Preciados Price: €13 In The Press Published in Trip101 Travel Website Link: What to Eat in Madrid |
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Dates
October 2018
About MeI am a software engineer based in Ireland; a qualified accountant who made a 360-degree career shift to Information Technology during the Y2K era. Joey (my husband) and I have big appetites for travelling, learning new cultures, and a passion for experiencing varied cuisines. Follow us as we chronicle life's little perks! |