Telefèric Barcelona Palo Alto

It isn't often that I do a repeat visit when we are travelling to a place we've been before.  However, I've done that in Fullerton with Mr. BBQ and also Bai Tong Thai in Seattle.  This time around, we hit up the very same location of Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto.  Okay, I'm going to make sure everyone understands that I do not believe this place is the best tapas I've ever had, but it is a place we enjoyed the last time we were in the Bay Area.  So that is good enough for us to come back.  Ironically, we sat at almost the same table outside as last time!

To start things off, we had something seemingly simple in the Jamón Ibérico de Bellota or 38 months cured Iberian acorn fed ham.  This was melt-in-my-mouth and silky in texture.  There was so much going on in terms of flavor with a bit of saltiness, nuttiness and almost even fruitiness.  So complex and utterly delicious.  The side of buttery grilled sourdough was a great match for the ham, but we wished there was more of it!  We did ask for more though and they brought it over.

Now for the one item we had to get, the Tuna Tacos!  The kids love this so much, we actually got 2 orders since there were only 3 to a serving.  These featured a crispy and light crispy wonton shell filled with marinated ahi tuna and mashed avocado.  As you can see, they were shy with loading up each taco with the buttery tuna.  Avocado was fresh and creamy while the drops of aioli added creaminess.  Some chives on top provided some brightness.

With a slice of Iberico Ham on top, the Ham Croquetas were a nice little bite.  These one or two-biters were crispy and light on the outside with very little greasiness.  Inside, they were creamy and none too dense.  Seasoning was on point where the croqueta itself was rather mild with some nuttiness and aromatics but the slice of ham on top provided the necessary saltiness.   A dollop of aioli added more creaminess and of course some chives too.

We didn't stop with just he ham croquetas as we also added the Crab Croquetas after the fact.  Although these were similar, they ate remarkably different.  Naturally, with crab nestled in these fried little bites, there was a bit of fluffiness as well as some subtle brininess.  They were crispy on the outside while topped with tuna sashimi and spicy aioli.  Since the tuna was more of a textural thing rather than the saltiness of the ham, the flavours were more mild.  However, the spicy aioli did add a slight creamy kick.

Whenever I go for Spanish tapas, there is no doubt I will order the Patatas Bravas.  Although I would've preferred a more spread out plating, this dish was still good.  Underneath the mess of aioli and brava sauce, we found little cubes of fried potatoes.  Inside, they were creamy while the outside was a bit soggy.  Since all of the sauces were on top, it was a bit awkward to eat.  A larger plate would've allowed for more customizable amounts of sauce for each bite.

Onto our next dish, we had the Pulpo Telefèric or Galician octopus with truffle oil & 'pimentón' potato purée.  This was a composed dish that was nicely plated.  The octopus tentacle itself was tender while still sporting an appealing chew.  It was a bit crispy on the outside with a nutty and light truffle earthiness.  As for the puree underneath, it was creamy, smoky and zesty.  Great for dipping the pieces of octopus!  

 

Attempting to get some veggies into this meal (yes, a pathetic attempt at that...), we had the Cali-Flower consisting of crispy fried cauliflower "pops" with tangy romesco glaze.  The cauliflower florets were still firm but cooked all the way through being tender.  On the outside, there was some crispiness as well as some caramelized nuttiness.  As for the sauce, it was indeed tangy with some sweetness.  Adding more aroma, we found fried garlic chips and some fresh chives.

Adding just a bit more vegetable, we had the Grilled Salmon topped with snow peas and crispy Ibérico ham.  The salmon itself was prepared properly being flaky and barely cooked-through.  It was nicely salted and stood quite well on its own.  However, the ham did add a richer saltiness to the dish.  Crunchy snow peas kept things bright while the cauliflower cream underneath provided a robust sweet creaminess that went well with the salmon.

Of course we were going to get a Paella right?  The one we chose this time was the Ibérico Pork Paella.  This featured an entire acorn-fed bone-in pork chop with pieces of pork belly strewn throughout as well as chicken and mushrooms.  The thin layer of rice was still chewy while a socarrat did form on the bottom.  I would've liked it to be every crispier though.  The rice was delicious, soaking up all the flavors from the pork and chicken.  Nice aroma and background saffron notes.  The pork itself was tender and appealingly fatty.

We not only added another order of croquetas to your meal, but also the Burrata Bowl.  So as you can see, it was actually a plate, not a bowl.  However, it was full of plump tomatoes and sweet strawberries.  The creamy burrata was topped with basil pesto and chopped pistachios.  Lots of things going on here despite the appearance of simplicity.  We had nuttiness with herbaceousness along with the sweetness of the strawberries.  Tang was provided by the juicy tomatoes.

Dessert was the usual in the Churros con Nutella.  As its description said, these were deep fried sticks of dough filled with Nutella and coated with cinnamon sugar on the outside.  Pretty standard stuff here with the crunch from the outside giving way to melty and sweet hazenut-chocolate spread.  This was quite sweet, but that is the point of it all!  Overall, Telefèric Barcelona delivered once again.  Tapas were appealing and presented in fairly good portions. 

The Good:

- Solid tapas

- Good service

- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:

- Once again, the potatoes could've been crispier

Telefèric Barcelona

After seemingly an endless barrage of Chinese food in Fremont, we decided to head out to Palo Alto for some eats.  Before that, we took a stroll at Stanford University since the kids have never seen it before.  Viv and I visited the place back in 2003 and as expected, not much had changed since then.  After a 2-hour walk around the beautiful grounds, we were pretty hungry.  We didn't have to travel far though as we hit up Telefèric Barcelona, just outside the campus.  With several locations including one in Barcelona itself, we were looking forward to some Spanish tapas.

Looking over the menu, we were glad that it wasn't too big, so that deciding what to order was simple.  We started with the Iberian Ham Croquetas served with aioli and piquillo pepper sauce.  These little morsels were delicious with a crispy breading that was not greasy.  Inside, it was soft and creamy with bits of ham that were impactful in texture and muted saltiness.  I loved dipping them into the pepper sauce that was sweet and flavorful.

Possibly our most favorite item was the Taquitos de Tuna & Avocado.  These featured a thin crispy wonton taco shell encasing a considerable amount of buttery marinated ahi tuna.  The texture was so beautiful, it literally melted in our mouths.  It was fresh, sweet and seasoned just enough (with some saltiness).  Underneath, there was fresh mashed avocado which added even more smoothness to the concoction.  A bit of spicy aioli completed the taco.

Another solid dish was the Salmon Tatare that was marinated and mixed with avocado.  Seemingly similar to the taquitos, this was its own animal.  I found the salmon much more robust due to the addition of stronger flavors including copious amounts of capers.  In terms of texture, the salmon was buttery soft and was a nice contrast to the airy and crispy gluten-free crackers.  I could've done with less sunflower seeds, but that wasn't a big deal.

When the Roasted Chicken Empanadas hit the table, I was a bit confused as to what they were.  In the shape of round discs on a stick, they looked more like lollipops.  However, rest assured, these were still very delicious.  Featuring a light and flaky pastry, these ate easily.  Inside, the chicken was tender and moist while well-seasoned.  The side of spicy aioli added both moisture and a touch of heat to dish.

As always, we plan to add some veggies wherever we can.  This time, it was in the form of Brussels Sprouts with aged cheese and lemon honey dressing.  Now if you are wondering what that big foamy thing is on top, well, that is the cheese.  Really added a light, yet rich cheesiness to the fried brussels sprouts.  About those sprouts, they were slightly crispy while still tender inside.  Nice balance of sweet, salty and tang offered up by the dressing and cheese.

So it was a given that we would order the classic Patatas Bravas topped with aioli and spicy tomato sauce.  Although the potatoes were cooked nicely with a soft creamy center, the outside was not as crispy as I would've liked.  Maybe if I had requested the sauces on the side, then the potatoes might've retained their crispy texture.  Despite that, these were still decent and the aioli with the brava sauce created a creamy tangy spiciness.

Now the dish we were waiting for - the Paella Mixta with pork, chicken, octopus and gulf shrimp.  We asked for it to be prepared with a socarrat (rice crust on the bottom of the paella pan).  That it did and it was nutty and crunchy along the edges.  As for the rest of the bomba rice was chewy and flavorful from the saffron as well as the meats. Loved the large chunks of pork belly as well as the meaty shrimp.

As if this wasn't enough already, we also ordered the Prime Wellington featuring braised short ribs & Ibérico ham in a puff pastry served with Spanish-style potatoes.  Oh this was so tasty as the short rib was moist and fork tender.  Since it was wrapped in ham, there was umaminess and saltiness.  Puff pastry was on point being light with discernible layers.  Not particularly fond of the potatoes though as they were not crispy and rather dense.

For our sweets, we got the classic Churros con Nutella.  As the name suggests, it was churros with Nutella inside.  Beyond that, they were also sitting in dulce de leche as well.  Yes, these were sweet, but also crunchy and light with only a modest dusting of sugar (thank goodness).  This was an excellent finish to a fantastic meal.  The kids really loved the food and so did the adults.  We also go some sangria to go with our eats and it was a good time all around.

The Good:
- Tasty eats
- Things were fresh
- Service was attentive

The Bad:
- Potatoes could've been better (in both dishes)