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

Paella Guys: Live the Experience (Dine Out 2024)

With memories of their Paella cooking class still fresh in mind, I was looking forward to the Paella Guys Live the Experience as part of the Dine Out Vancouver Fest.  Rather than being in their commissary kitchen, they take over a quaint spot at Dageraad Brewing just next door.  Seated at a communal table, it is a night truly to be with friends and to make new ones.  This I did since Jackie was stuck at Metrotown due to a shutdown of Skytrain.  The people around me were fun and we had great conversation.

Onto the food, much like the Paella cooking class, we were presented with a collection of tapas to share.  This included Marcona Almonds, Tortilla de Patatas, Anchovy Marinated Olives, Spanish Iberico Meats and Jamon Iberico.  These were a nice start to the meal and as I've said before, Marcona almonds are the best!  So light and crunchy.  Meats were solid but the tortilla was my favourite as it had just enough potato to compliment the fluffy egg as well as some onion for sweetness.

Now the tortilla was delicious, but the Empanada Gallega de Atun was even better in my opinion.  These little pies featured a light and flaky crust that was a good match for the tuna filling.  With olives, tomatoes and peppers, the filling did have some antipasto sauce vibes (yes, I know that is Italian, but you get the idea).  For my beverage (extra cost from the meal) was the Japanese-style Dark Larger with wild rice.  Despite the dark hue, this was still refreshing and crisp with more depth.

Usually, I'm as excited about a salad as a root canal (I've had one, so yah, I'm serious).  However, this Ensalada Mediterranea was absolutely stunning to look at and super delicious to eat.  When they were preparing it, they tossed in a good amount of salt.  This really helped bring out the flavour of the vinaigrette as well as the natural sweetness of the beets, tomatoes and corn.  As such, I went back for seconds!  A salad!  Beneath the vibrant veggies, we found a mix of crisp greens.

Onto the main event - the Paella Mixta with bomba rice, chicken, red peppers, mushrooms, onions, shrimp, prawns, tomatoes, garlic, pimenton and house-made seafood stock.  As big as this paella was, the entire thing was perfectly cooked.  Beyond the al dente and super aromatic rice, we found pieces of socarrat that was both nutty and provided a nice mouth feel.  The chicken thighs were still tender while the shrimp and prawns were just barely cooked through.

For dessert, we had the Tarta de Santiago.  I've had this before and yah, this was just as delicious as last time.  This almond tart had aromatic and buttery crunchy edges with caramelized sweetness.  Inside, the almond was nutty, buttery and purposefully sweet.  Loved the obvious taste of lemon in these as it brightened things up.  Overall, this was a fun night that was more than just the food.  Yes, it was fantastic (and also plentiful, because you can have seconds), but the communal table, live music and vibe were the things that made this a unique experience.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- This is how we should eat this food, with friends, music and drinks
- Excellently-prepared Paella
- Unique

The Bad:
- Once again, the parking situation in the industrial parking lot is challenging

Paella Experience by The Paella Guys

Believe it or not, I'm walking on air...  Wait, no what I meant is believe it or not, I have not ever tried out the Paella Guys before.  Hey, it isn't as if I haven't seen all their giant and tasty-looking paellas on social media though.  I guess, there is just too many places and things to eat in the GVRD to get to everything.  I really do enjoy paella and I actually own a paella pan (which I've used on several occasions to make my own paella.  So when I got invited to their commissary kitchen to participate in their Paella Cooking Class, I didn't need much convincing to go!

Upon arriving at their facility near the Production Way Skytrain station (which makes it convenient for those who want to transit), I took a seat at the large table.  I put on my apron and proceeded to write my name on the supplied name tag.  We were presented with a variety of Meats and Cheeses including loin, salami, Serrano ham, manchego, truffle and black garlic cheeses.  We also found some olives and marcona almonds as well.

Onto a quick lesson on how to make an authentic Red Sangria, we learned that adding sugar gives it the necessary sweetness.  No use of any sweetened sodas such as ginger ale or lemon-lime, rather we used club soda.  Also, we diced up 3 types of tree fruit including apples, pears and oranges.  No rinds were added due to their bitterness.  Normally, this would be prepared 7 days in advance or minimally 4 hours prior to consuming.  This was truly refreshing and went well with the paella.

So to the main event, we were going to be split up into 2 teams to make on Seafood Paella and a Traditional Paella each.  The ingredients for the seafood included bomba rice (since it is good with high heat), diced onion, red peppers, saffron, salt, EVOO, sofrito (tomato paste, garlic, olive oil), scallops, prawns, squid, mussels, clams and a stock made from whitefish tomatoes and leeks.  For the traditional paella, we found bombo rice, green pepper, green beans, chicken, EVOO, salt, sofrito, rosemary, saffron, paprika and stock made of artichoke leaves and chicken bones.

We began by heating up some EVOO and then adding salt.  We seared the scallops first on the seafood side and browned the chicken on the other.  Then we added the peppers and onions and cooked them until translucent.  We cooked down the squid on the seafood side and then the green beans on the other.  Broth was added to de-glaze the paella pan. The rice was added shortly after.

During this time, there was a platter of Tortilla coming around for us to munch as we anxiously awaited for the paella to be done.   For those who are aware, Spanish tortilla is not a chip.  Rather it is an omelette of sorts with onion and potato. I've had this on numerous occasions, usually during a round of tapas.  This particular one was loadded with potato that made it quite hearty.  This was served on a bread.

So when it was all said and done, the Traditional Paella looked like the picture you see above.  The rice appeared to be slightly underdone, but that was intentional to keep things al dente and also the rice would continue to cook from the residual heat.  Underneath that, there was a socarrat (rice crust) that had formed being nutty, caramelized and slightly crispy on the edges.  This had a robust flavour from the chicken and was very tasty.

As for the Seafood Paella, it was topped with prawns, clams and mussels where they finished off cooking with a tin foil tent.  The rice on it was also appealingly chewy with a nice socarrat on the bottom and edges.  The seafood was perfectly cooked while the flavour was briny and slightly sweet.  As a group, we all agreed that the seafood was our favourite and there was plenty of it to go around.  We even had leftovers!  Oh and it wasn't pictured here, but we got a healthy dose of aioli on the side of our paella.

Onto dessert, we were served small Tarta de Santiago aka Galician Almond Tart with plenty of butter and a hint of citrus.  These were sinful but ultimately delicious with a noticeable butteriness with the unmistakable taste of almonds.  The top and edges were crunchy while the inside was soft and warm.  A fine finish to a fun evening of drinks, cooking, friends (meeting new ones) and eating.  There are several more sessions available in November.  They sell-out quick, so be sure to book online!

*This Paella Cooking Experience was complimentary for this post

The Good:
- You really do learn some new things
- Fun and interactive
- Delicious!

The Bad:
- Only a small class, so limited seats, but also keeps it intimate
- Limited parking

 

Per Se Social Corner

Okay, this visit to Per Se Social Corner happened before they made the Michelin-recommended list.  In fact, we ate here just before the Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road concerts.  It was fabulous!  Anyways, I've been meaning to come here for my birthday earlier this year, but then Omnicron hit...  So here we are finally hitting up the place.  Interestingly, this was the only corner at Homer & Smythe that I hadn't eaten at yet since I've been to Homer Street Cafe and Tutto.

When we initially ordered the Criminale, we didn't have any expectations for their pizzas.  Well, it was fantastic.  With even leoparding on the crust and bottom, there was smoky nuttiness throughout.  The crust was uniformly crispy, thin and nicely salted.   I'm not afraid to say this is one of the better Neapolitan-style pizzas I've had in the city.  No joke.  As for the toppings, the San Marzano tomato sauce had plenty of depth and tang.  Nice spice from the soppressata picante and smoky saltines from the applewood smoked bacon.  Adding more flavour was the prosciutto cotto, while the red onions offered up some sharpness.

Onto the Calamari di Mamma, it featured a gluten-free batter (which appeared to be rice flour).  It was super crispy and well-seasoned.  The calamari itself was tender with an appealing chew.  Served on the side was a lemon wedge as well as house made tartar and chipotle aioli.  I thought the tartar was quite good with a bright creaminess and tang.  As for the aioli, it was a bit smoky with only a mild spiciness.

We also got the Patatas Bravas just because it is one of our favourite tapas items.  This was a fairly large portion consisting of fried split gem potatoes.  I think due to the choice of potato, they didn't fry up particularly crispy (and were rather dense).  That didn't mean these didn't taste good though.  They were tossed in a spicy and smoky marinara (the smokiness was from the paprika).  The whole thing was drizzled with vegan aioli.

We ordered a couple of pastas including the Cacio e Pepe featuring fresh mafalda pasta, pecorino romano and cracked black pepper.  This simple dish was flavourful from the salty and nutty cheese accented by the bite from the black pepper.  Loved the pasta as it was firmly al dente and held onto the cheese well.  We added braised beef to give the dish some more something something.  It was decently tender with a full-bodied meat flavour. 

Our next pasta was the freshly made Gnocchi al Pomodoro with San Marzano marinara, parmigiana reggiano, fresh basil and Sicilian olive oil.  For good measure, we added the al arribiata chorizo.  Due to the combination of ingredients, this was zesty and tangy.  Plenty of impact here.  As for the gnocchi, they were soft and pillowy, yet still retaining a background chew.  Loved the spiciness added by the chorizo.

We couldn't visit Per Se and not have their famed Burger consisting of 8oz in-house handground organic Alberta beef, fresh challah bun, melted fontina cheese, truffle aioli and syrah caramelized onions and cipollini flakes.  Oh man, this was fantastic!  The meat was cooked just right where it was so tender, it melted-in-our-mouths.  Plenty of natural flavours accented by the truffle aioli and the sweet onions.  Those cipollini flakes added such appealing crunch to the soft ingredients.

We upgraded the fries to Truffle Fries that went with the burger.  These didn't look it, but they were actually fantastic.  I believe they were triple-fried and hence, were super crispy with a tender centre.  They didn't overdo it with the truffle oil nor the parm, so the potato flavour was still there.  The side of truffle aioli featured real black truffle, so that was a treat.  Overall, the food at Per Se was quite good with the pizza and burger being the highlights.  There is much more on the menu we didn't get to try, but I would totally go back to do that.

The Good:
- Excellent pizza and that burger!
- Attentive service
- Love the energy

The Bad:
- Potatoes could've been better 

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)

Bodega

Earlier on, I had visited Bodega when it was still fairly new.  I came away with mixed feelings where a return visit wasn't high on my list.  Maybe I was unfairly comparing it to the shuttered La Bodega (Father ran that, son runs Bodega)?  I'm curious how it would do against some of the newer tapas spots in town.  Well, give Bodgea credit because the restaurant is still there bustling with activity.  So I wondered, did they improve?  Yah, that's what I heard from other people.  But one must really experience it for themselves because our opinions regarding food is subjective.  

What better way to kick things off than the classic Patatas Bravas?  Yep, we used to enjoy this dish at La Bodega on Howe in Downtown.  I'm glad that this was still as good as we remembered with crispy chunks of fully cooked potatoes.  Compared to a recent version we tried at Havana, this was much better as the chunks weren't as big, so they were fluffy.  As for the sauce, it was smoky from the paprika and lightly tangy with background spice.  Next, we had the Calamares Fritos which were serviceable.  A little pale, the squid rings were the beneficiary of possibly new oil, hence the colour.  I say that because it wasn't as if it wasn't fried enough.  Rather, the batter was light and crispy while not greasy.  It could've stood for more seasoning in the batter though.  The side of lemon and aioli did help in this regard.

Costanza and I really enjoyed the Callos a la Madrileña or beef tripe in a stew of tomato, chorizo and paprika.  Naturally, we love offal and that would already put this dish high on our lists of preferences.  Delightfully, it was prepared well with tender pieces of tripe that were appealingly gamy.  The best part was the stew itself as the tomato was richly flavoured and smoky earthiness from the paprika.  What added an extra layer of depth was the chorizo as the fat and spice really came through.  Something remarkably simple was also quite good. The Pollo Frito (fried chicken wings brined with garlic and sherry) was reminiscent of Asian-style wings being juicy and moist.  On the outside, the skin was fairly rendered and crunchy.  Due to the brine, there was also no absence of seasoning which made the wings good on their own even without the side of aioli.  

Another solid dish was the Pulpo a la Parilla (grilled octopus with piquillo romesco).  Nicely braised until tender, then grilled with sufficient charring, the octopus had the desired texture being soft with a chew.  There was even a slight crispiness from the char on the outside.  It was seasoned enough, but the romesco was a good compliment with nutty sweetness.  To amp things up even more so, there was a side of roasted garlic.  One of the more meh dishes we had was the Gambas al Ajillo (sautéed prawns in garlic and chilies with sherry).  There was nothing particularly wrong about the execution as the prawns were buttery with a snap.  The real problem was the muted flavours of the dish.  Was it garlicky?  Somewhat.  Was it spicy?  Not at all.  So they could improve this dish with just a bit more punch (was better last time).

Simple and well-portioned, the Champiñones (sautéed mixed mushrooms with garlic, sherry and finely grated aged manchego) was fantastic.  Although the plate wasn't particularly large, you must remember mushrooms cooked down considerably, so this was pretty bountiful.  They were subjected to enough heat for caramelization while they weren't overdone either.  Buttery with a bite, the mushrooms were also tasty with the garlic and cheese coming through with an aromatic nuttiness.  For only the sole reason to compare with the one from Como Taperia up the street, we ordered the Tortilla Española (potato and onion omelette with aioli and mixed olives).  This one was a bit different, served as large wedge rather than a whole circle.  With a section of a larger circular omelette, this was a bit looser.  I didn't mind it as it was somewhat lighter despite the layers of potato.  It was more mild, but I did get the onion and the charred flavour from the outside.

The most basic dish we had was the Chorizo a la Parrilla served with mustard.  At the same time, it was one of our favourites.  Grilled and charred beautifully, the flavours were definitely activated with smokiness, spiciness and fatty aromatics.  Of course, the mustard was a natural compliment to the sausage.  Okay, the first time I was here, the Paella Mixta was a bit of a disappointment.  This time around, it was significantly better boasting a generous amount of seafood, chicken, chorizo and pork.  Due to the amount of ingredients and most importantly, the chorizo (there was none last time), we found the chewy rice to be flavourful and aromatic.  The seafood was properly prepared where the large prawns were our favourite.  This was a good end to a pleasant time with friends over food and drink.  Much better than the first time I went and proves that multiple visits are necessary to give restaurants a fair shake.

The Good:
- Above-average and better than the first time I went
- Reasonably-priced
- Acceptable portions for tapas

The Bad:
- Service was friendly, but could be more attentive