Monday 25 April 2016

Tasting menus at Michelin Restaurants - Moments in Barcelona

They say never say never so I won't.

What I will say is that I will most likely not go through the gastronomic version of a Stalinist North Korean march and parade that we call a tasting menu ever again.

Mind you like hangovers and some say childbirth
I have said this before,
 but forgot the digestive drudgery and booked a table at the Moments Restaurant on my recent trip to Barcelona.

But I made an exception because Barcelona has a foodie culture and I thought I might experience something different than that from other restaurants elsewhere.

This is nothing against this restaurant that has two Michelin stars nor is this a review specifically on this establishment which was rather pleasant in itself.

Long time readers will know that the only other time 
I wrote about a tasting menu was the one I had at Noma in Copenhagen which is considered the #1 restaurant in the world.


The tome that my husband is flipping through isn't the latest government tax laws and codes but the wine list.  

I am not that into wines and I really only have it for effect. 
I find that not having wine is the foodie version of someone wearing a huge puffer jacket in front of a roaring fire - 
people will constantly comment and ask if you are okay. 
Gets rather boring.

One of my best friends was a chef in the top restaurants in Melbourne and she has always told me that the best value is to get the tasting menus as the amount of work and the ingredients is almost at cost.  
These restaurants make their money - if at all - on alcohol.

El Bulli which was always voted the number one or at worst number two restaurant before it shut never made any profit in all!

I do as I am told so we decided to do a world gastronomic tasting menu which I was a little disappointed with as 
I wanted a Spanish / Catalan menu but it's not always about me.
The most Spanish dish I got was the anchovy with strawberry puree on toast.


This dumpling was very good but I can get that 5 minutes from my house.


I don't eat foie gras anymore but I made an exception and tried the macaroom with foie, apple, celery and armagnac.
You know how couture of food and fashion filters down - well get ready for your nearest deli to do ham and cheese macaroons.


They then brought out a freshly baked loaf of bread and sliced us a piece but without any oil or butter. It just seems disjointed but 
I rarely say no to food.  
But this made my husband question why this arbitrary loaf of bread was presented.
It was handy for sopping up the remains of this Spanish stew.



The prawn with zucchini and a saffron jellied medallion with basil sauce was nice.
But I won't dedicate a poem to it or anything.


The dish that was to transplant us to Turkey was a hors d'oeuvre sized gyro / souvlaki.
But oddly it tasted just like a miniature version of a really good regular one.
There was nothing that was elevated for a Michelin restaurant bar the portion on the pretty dollops of sauce around it. I was disappointed at their lack of high brow interpretation.


I started to wonder if the chefs have travelled and been to a cocktail party in America where these sliders are the norm. 
Only thing I didn't mind was the fondant potato French fry with pretty colored savoury sauces squeezed on top. Much ado about nothing and in a blind test McDonalds's chips would have won.


The token Japanese dish was nice but it was like wet falafel.


Okay not I am not being rude.
I must repeat I am not being odd but this next dish is a Thai dish called Clitoria Thai rice, monkfish and coconut.
If you don't believe me, look at the menu they handed out above.
Ping pong ball was not included.



Most disappointing dish was this duck and friend veggie tempura dish.
I have had better fried veggies at Japanese airports.


The ode to England was the Stilton, pear, and almonds.

But this dish depends on produce and raw ingredients not the skill so while nice I want to eat something at a restaurant I can't recreate myself.

By this time, my husband and I were experiencing so much discomfort and we were having a hard time not commiting the social faux pas of elbows on tables because we wanted to bury our face in our hands.

But as I am getting bolshier as I get older, I had to apologize to our waiters and ask them to skip the next two dessert courses.

This was turning out to be one of those unsuccessful Man v Food episodes.
She then said that we should have a light portion of a refreshing and digestive that was a vodka cocktail.  
We both enjoyed the theatrics.
But I liked the flamingo swizzle sticks more.
Then as we asked for the bill, we forgot about the petit fours that are de riguer.

Except in this case, the petit fours were humongous four cookies!
From left to right was a coconut cookie, white chocolate evil eye, chocolate cookie, and a ganache shaped like the Eiffel Tower.
Normally I would have devoured this but all we could do was take pictures and tell the waiters to convey to the chef how amazing everything was.


Even though I missed out on Miami and Marrakech stop on the tasting menu, I still got the stamp in my passport!
But the next morning at breakfast,
 I turned to my husband and said that unless circumstances dictate otherwise that I never want to do another tasting menu again and 
I think us both agreeing to this just saved our marriage!

44 comments:

  1. Dying at the horrible tasting menu! It looks perfectly dreadful and bizarre, and how odd are those cookies? My gosh I just don't get it. I would have drowned myself in wine to console myself and you couldn't even do that- not being a fan of vin.
    But thanks for sharing the experience and I think you have made an excellent decision! XO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those cookies were huge - they were a foot long! We nearly cried when they brought that out. I did have sherry but in Barcelona they consider that foreign as its from Andalucia... I'm still full Dani!! Xx

      Delete
  2. Oh man, what a shame and a waste of night dressed up and a whole heap of kilojoules.

    My degustation menu days are over for many of the reasons you've cited here.

    I have to say though that my favourite thing on the menu was those biscuits.

    SSG xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should have stuck with tapas!! But I like attention to detail and new combos and it's been awhile since I truly enjoyed a tasting menu! Xx

      Delete
  3. Wow, I don't go to restaurants much these days. Is this the norm now? Those cookies are amazing looking but I'm not sure about the rest of it. However, I would give it a try with a group of friends and that huge wine list (love that). I wonder if they charged you a million dollars after it was over. I hope not, they should've been paying you! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only the ones aiming for stars and ratings do this to showcase their skills and palate but I think by going out of their expertise and trying foreign stuff worked against them. Even though my friend said it's the best thing to do I no longer can stomach it!!! X

      Delete
  4. You have FFF. Fine food fatigue. I have the same affliction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually I am an equal food opportunist but it's just tasting menus I am sick of!

      Delete
  5. wet falafel - best!

    a well-thought-out and well-paced tasting menu can be a luvly experience, but this one sounds like the hot-and-cold running appetizers at a catered stand-up confirmation.

    I think Catalans take themselves much too seriously anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I gotta say the last good one I had was over a year ago and while it was amazing it's just tooooo much. But it could be me being gluttonous all the time which Mars the experience. But yes, I felt on tippy toes a bit and practically got told off when I asked why more tapas places didn't carry sherry!

      Delete
  6. So while reading this my big question was "is Namoi a horrible food photographer or is this food fucking hideous?"
    May I forever be provincial and not feel the need to make beautiful things ugly for the sake of fuss. There are two restaurants I like and in one I order three drinks at a time because I know I may never see my server again.
    Also as much as I love wine (shocker, I'm enjoying some now), I think a crisp clear vodka martini is the most gourmet of all as it amplifies flavors intensely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Answer is both!!! Do you know one of my favourite and also my husbands restaurant was an American food place in the middle of a trailer park in flagstaff Arizona where the servers would break out into glorious tunes. One of the best nights of my life and top 3 biscuits I ever done had!

      Delete
    2. Ps agree re alcohol pairing. I don't care what people say Asian food doesn't suit wine. Beer sherry is the best but the wine industry keep flogging s dead horse

      Delete
  7. I'm not a fan of the degustation/ tasting menu for a lot of the reasons you give. Usually there are one or two courses that are awful/ edgy. The matched wines are good though as a rule.
    The last place we ate a degustation at for our wedding anniversary last year was given a zero out of five by the Australian food critic earlier this year- his worst score yet. It was a very funny and spot on review... Google "Hill of disgrace" by John lethlean if you're interested.
    Hope you had some good eating experiences in Barcelona elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will google BC I enjoy food reviews for some reason. I do like gourmet restaurants still but the thought of another tasting just makes my head spin. The last tasting I really liked was in Copenhagen called geranium where I had the best bread ever! And then this year they got 3 stars. But as you know I thought noma was ?!???

      Delete
  8. Looks like food wankery

    ReplyDelete
  9. Not a degustation fan either. Try to avoid them, if possible. Also don't enjoy bizarre and rather pretentious combinations that some places do in effort to be more original and different than global competitors, eg macaron with foie gras etc. Yikes! I like more traditional simple food using really fresh ingredients that taste of what they are. Also with degustation think you usually get at least one more dish than you really need or want. Also there's usually no relation between the various mini courses either.

    This time in Paris will be returning to Le Grand Vefour (two stars - I think), Le Grand Colbert - none - but it's a beautiful place - and does wonderful plats du jour, and daily two course specials - plus I love one of their desserts and G has another fave which includes Kirsch. We'll also be trying for the first time the three star Alain Ducasse at Hotel Plaza Athenee. Its philosophy is interesting, simple super fresh food, mostly seafood, fish and veggies. It was specially recommended by one of chefs/teachers at fab and fun Alain Ducasse cooking school where I did some hobby classes in Paris last year. But have since read rather critical reviews - so, trepidation as it could prove an unpleasantly expensive experience if disappointing.

    Some of best meals in Spain were years ago at unpretentious seaside bars, serving local Spaniards, where fresh seafood and fish was cooked in simple sauces of usual tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine and herbs, and yet the seafood still also tasted of the sea. They were Yum. The other guests were always locals drinking local red wine. At one place when they worked out we were Aussies they were so excited and kept talking about kangaroos and Skippy. On one occasion we discovered they were ordering special dishes for us in addition to what we'd ordered. So we shouted a round of drinks for them. Worst thing we could have done. More and more food arrived - all delish. We didn't get out of that bar/cafe/restaurant till about 5.00 pm, staggering. Too late, too drunk and too full to drive on to Valencia. Pammie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alain D is very traditional so you won't get anything new but he executed well but he doesn't make the news for that reason. But he's not very now and it's a bit 80's. I love simple tapas as well but I have to say I prefer Madrid and the south over Barcelona but of course there will be plenty who will disagree with me. I must say I love Asian restaurants in Asia even if they serve western food. The evolution of food in the west is turning a funny corner. X

      Delete
    2. Plse Naomi - what is now food? Is that where you're expected to share small plates and the courses contain ingredients you've never heard of before? But they're the latest rage? If that is now, I'd rather go back to the 80s or whenever. Just me though. Love traditional French fare (though not so much the really rich stuff) and Italian best. Not into weird food or freak shakes. Or live ants!!! Or dead for that matter! Can't eat Asian food because of all the msg and have to be careful in European restaurants too for same reason. Have already once spent time in the Hotel Dieu in Paris, first of all unconscious and then hooked up to ecg machine because msg is almost death to me. Though an epi pen won't help my problem. It's ambulance time if it's in the food. Scares my husband silly. Pammie x

      Delete
    3. Now food is a whole book so for brevity I shall say traditional French cuisine of the Escoffier school is not "now". You can get a table at Ducasse almost any day and time you like so it's also fallen out of favour. But as trends are I'm sure fashion will bring that all back round again. Weird food though is normal to others. My Asian family think it odd to just have toast and yoghurt for breakfast and my Aussie father after nearly 40 years could never adopt the Asian lack of morning food. Also it's rather erroneous to say Asian food has msg as a rule. Sure some restaurants use msg but Cheetos has more PR comparitive ratio. I'm sure you don't eat those however. My family and friends avoid fake msg but then sun dried tomatoes and anchovies have high occurring glutamate so if you like puttanesca sauce then that's msg provided by Mother Nature. But yes it's tough BC even salad dressings have enhancers so you must carry your things when you travel! X

      Delete
    4. Naomi
      Have no problem with msg where it occurs naturally in a product - like tomatoes and anchovies. It's when it's an additive that I have a bad reaction. Don't ask me why though. And yes, it's in many things, including bottled/tinned sauces. One of the reasons I steer clear of Asian foods because so many have added msg - once went to a Thai restaurant here that promised they didn't use msg - but it was in there because it was in the sauces they'd added - so I ended up in hospital - staff originally thought it wasn't because they hadn't added it as a separate ingredient.
      You're right MSG is in many products including snack products, eg Cheetos and also in many stock cubes and powders (though not all), chicken salt, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, even mustards, many tinned soups, etc.

      In Tokyo the concierge of the hotel where we stayed told us it was in almost everthing, even the bread (made there) and the pasta, not to mention the sauces. I ended up buying yogurt from the little hotel store, fresh fruit and cheese. Could eat as much dessert as I'd have liked but no main courses. Also in China was warned off the food as it also contained massive amounts of msg, apparently. The only time I ever had an msg reaction in Paris was at Le Saut du Loup, the bistro for the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. Because it's reputable and French didn't think to tell them about my allergy. Needless to say I was zoomed off by ambulance to emergency at Hotel Dieu - turned out the chef then was Chinese and he'd added it to traditional French food. So maybe you can see why I don't eat Asian food. It's not that I don't like it as this allergy has oly developed in last 15 yearrs - before that I used to eat lots of different Asian foods (Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese etc).
      But have had too many bad experiences since that time. It's not a mild reaction, the sort that lots of people complain about. In addition to some other unpleasant things it elevates my blood pressure to extreme levels which could cause either a stroke or heart attack. Which is why when I come to I find myself hooked-up to heart monitoring devices. It's a fairly rare reaction but my allergist says it's not only people of European descent who suffer from it.
      Places like Le Grand Vefour and Alain Ducasse restaurants make all their sauces and reductions from natural ingredients - so it's safe for me to eat there. Also many old school cheaper French places too.
      Can't take own food when travelling for a couple of months. Just have to read labels carefully in supermarkets and exercise caution in cafes/restaurants.
      It's such a nuisance - so wish I didn't have it - but what can you do! Doctors say there's nothing that works except avoiding it.

      Best wishes, Pammie

      Delete
    5. That's unfortunate! Though sushi doesn't have msg so at least you can enjoy that then. I hope you have a lovely foodie time in any case while you are in France! X

      Delete
    6. Thanks Naomi. I'm sure we will. Pammie x

      Delete
  10. Hello CSW, The problem with tasting menus is that so many foods' maximum impact can be felt only when the mouth has become acclimated to them, which cannot happen on the first bite. I guess that I am not a restaurant person in general--I either like to relax at home, or if I am traveling I begrudge the time spent for meals that could be better spent in museums or bookshops, or just walking around.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree Jim but you live in one of the best foodie places in the world so you're spoiled!!

      Delete
  11. Sometimes, I think that chefs just sling a bunch of disparate ingredients together and see what sticks. Some of the combos a chef friend does are revolting. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are all chasing the next invention so they constantly force certain things but by now Heston blumenthal has surely tried it all right?! Xx

      Delete
  12. THIS WAS SO FUN......................I agree MC DONALD'S fries would have BEAT OUT that ONE FRY with spots!!!!!!!!
    I can ONLY imagine the COST of this menu!
    GREAT REVIEW........maybe someone should send to them!!!!!HINT HINT!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry Contessa, gosh but that chip with the spots must have been super bad (down with pretentious silly food!) to beat McDonalds. McDonalds is execrable! Long live slow locavore food made with fresh natural ingredients! I still love Julia Child and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"! Also the movie "Julie and Julia". Currently re-reading "Dearie". Best wishes, Pammie

      Delete
    2. McDonald's chips are very good though! But I have a love of potatoes so it's hard to go wrong. But at least now I'm no longer curious :)

      Delete
  13. Oh, what a relief! I hate tasting menus too. I was once served some sort of gritty organ meat that defied explanation. Another time, I was served a deer that a staff member had hit on the drive to work (at least it was fresh...) Tasting menus are for people less grumpy and set in their ways than me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This wasn't the worst tasting menu I've endured but one of the last. I might be getting old now with the whole been there done that attitude which I'm worried about but hey ho right?

      Delete
  14. Hi Naomi, just wanted to get your recommendations for Madrid and Southern Spain as we will be there this summer. I hope you did manage to go to some good ones in Barcelona which is one of my top food destinations. Like you, I'm wary of degustation menus particularly anything that takes 3 hours or more. Sometimes it makes sense and comes out cheaper when the courses are around 30-45 euros a la carte. However, there's also the bane of the two stars where they seem to be trying too hard to justify that additional star both in innovation and price. My best meal in Barcelona was actually in the Boqueria market, fried chipirones with egg on top for 20 euros. My family do enjoy the Adria's Tickets although we never let the waiters choose for us. Once they know we are not giving them free rein, we do notice some chill in their "friendliness".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My husband said the market was so good but I didn't go BC I was lazing about but quimet is a star but you can't book. I was in Madrid but too long ago. I'd say you have to google their time out BC my reference is from the 90's. But a tapas bar is one of my faves which oddly doesn't export well but I love it. I gotta admit that apart from Gaudi I just felt no connection to the city unfortunately and I love Ibiza the best and its reputation is not correct at all!

      Delete
    2. Thank you, that's nice to know about Ibiza. We have to pass by Ibiza on our way to Formentera and it may be worth staying a day or two. I'm a bit anxious because we are not cool and hip at all. I also love Quimet but last time we were there it has become a frat scene.

      Delete
    3. I love formentera!! Did you know they filmed the bounty ads there! The best beaches in Europe after Sardinia. I love those islands.

      Delete
  15. Wow, sounds like an interesting night. We did this at a Michelin starred restaurant in our town, Manresa. Same kind of experience. After all the hype, we agreed we'd rather have a regular meal over such a drawn out evening with odd food for humongous prices. An experience though... xo Kim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah it just went on too long and you can really only taste so much. I wish they did doggie bags for later! X

      Delete
  16. Well I love the idea of a tasting menu where you get to have an eclectic mix of different foods, but I'm so fussy and as you know not very adventurous with cuisines that I fear it would all be wasted on me. I'm sure you had a lovely time nonetheless xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know I need to be more fussy with food!! But it's funny how one can really analyse an experience and it's more than just the food...I think I just like comfort and nothing is great when you feel like you're sitting for an exam xx

      Delete
  17. I'm with you on this Naomi, too much food to fully appreciate it. Really love your descriptions, you can be a hoot! :)
    -Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Too too much and too broad a range. At least you get the idea with the alka seltzer Susan! :)

      Delete
  18. I am SO with you. I hate testing menus. Some dishes I like, some I don't. The ones I like, I want more of, the ones I don't like, well, who wants to go out to dinner and eat food they don't like?!?!?! I bet you make excellent dinner company, everything tastes better when you laugh.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for dropping by!