dos palillos

relatively new, dos palillos is definitely one of the best restaurants in barcelona for us.

we've been there again this week and once more the "asian tapas" were astonishing.

their concept establishes a relation between asian and spanish gastronomic cultures, based on small dishes and the use of wooden sticks (chopsticks and toothpicks).

in real life, what you get to eat - either in the informal bar or the modern asian bar where chefs are just across the counter preparing and serving the food - is stuff like:

chicken crisps (chicken skin tempura with curry) - crazily tasty and crunchy;

onsen tamago (egg cooked in low temperature, served with japanese dashi and powdered soy sauce) - the richness of the liquid yolk mixes perfectly with the subtle smoked taste of the broth, punched by the salty sensation of soy sauce;

navajas thai (razor-shell with red curry oil, coriander sprouts, lemongrass and chili) - no comments needed...;

grilled oyster in sake - a great warm combination;

avocado pankoage (fried in japanese bread crumbs) - surprisingly good, as the warm avocado has a great texture;

the great temakis: toro, grilled eel or sea urchin roe - based on the "roll it yourself" japanese tradition of temakis, they serve you perfect shari in a bowl or plate, topped with the fish and with the nori by the side, for you to enjoy the ritual of rolling and eating your self-made temaki. the final touch is the freshly grated natural wasabi. (dos palillos was the first place in which we saw this in barcelona...) Nothing to compare with powdered wasabi, as it not aggressive at all, being much more subtle and aromatic.

papada ibérica (iberian pork double chin) cantonese style - the crispy exterior of the juicy charcoal grilled fat meat combined with the sweet and spicy glaze made this dish the perfect ending of an amazing meal...

in the sweet side, fruta cru is a surprising approach to the serving of "natural" fruit, as each fruit is flavored by a different element... making your melon taste like mint, for example.

besides the food being outstanding, the environment is also remarkable, as all staff makes you feel really comfortable. the asian bar is surely much more formal and glamourous (for dinner in this area you can only choose between 2 tasting menus), while in the bar - which aims to look like just another neighborhood bar - you can pick up from the menu.

everything is really taken care of by albert raurich (who spent 8 years as head-chef at elBulli), tamae imachi (former sommelier at elBulli) and the head-chef takeshi somekawa.

tasting: short version - 45 euros / long version - 60 euros (plus drinks)

by experience... a la carte, around 60 euros/pax, wine included. 

dos palillos - carrer de elisabets, 9, barcelona