This is a semi-repost from my tumblr.
M and I were really looking forward to our dinner at Tickets as we had always wanted to eat at an Adria restaurant and of course, since El Bulli is long closed, Tickets and its sister restaurant 41° were the next best thing (at the time; they've since opened more restaurants/bars). We had to be very organised and book well in advance (I think it was 60 days?) to get our table, because a booking here really is the hottest ticket in town (*badum chh*). We have friends who have gone to barça and missed out.
Tickets is a tapas restaurant with a box office theme, which was actually really cool. A person dressed as an usher welcomes you at the door and the whole restaurant is decked out to make you feel like you're sitting in a theatre. The ambiance was super stylish but like any true tapas restaurant, relaxed. It was an open kitchen so we could see the chefs at work. The head chef was an amusing combination of sexy and stern. We had the following dishes:
Jamon iberico gran reserva: To say that M and I love
jamon iberico is a gross understatement, we often half seriously
discussed buying a leg from Spain and lugging it home to Australia (although there was the small issue of customs). This
was the best we’ve ever had and trumped the one we had at the Mercado
in Madrid by a mile. We had it served with tomato bread, which as our
waitress Laura told us, is traditional in Catalonia.
Charity olives: these were one of the signature dishes
of restaurant and they were typical Adria. These little gel pillows of
pure olive deliciousness which burst in the mouth. I’m a bit iffy with
olives as I find some of them too bitter but these were exactly what I
like in them: tangy, salty and oily. The first one I had, I wasn't prepared for the violent burst and half of it
ended up on my trousers but I got the hang of them after that.
Artichokes: I can’t find the actual name of this dish
as I can’t find it on Tickets’ online menu but it was artichoke hearts
with cheese (I think it was manchego?) and a white sauce of some kind. Tasty but didn’t blow our socks off.
Ceviche san choi bow: Again I can’t find the actual
name of this but this was a white fish (possibly kingfish?) ceviche in little lettuce cups,
like Chinese san choi bow. This was super delicious and I kinda wish we
got more of them.
Razor clams escabeche: This was the dish that M and I
had planned getting like months in advance (we clearly have nothing
better to do) because I love razor clams and I love escabeche and M had
never had razor clams before. These clams were different from the ones
I’d had before (apparently the varieties in Europe are different from the ones we get in China), they had a really pleasant al dente texture which I
really enjoyed and of course, the flavours were amazing. Definitely one
of the highlights of the meal.
Codfish canchaina with its biscuit: This was nice but
ridiculously umami, even too much for my liking. M and I both agreed
that this was our least favourite dish of the night.
Grilled marinated Bresse quail: They gave us wet towels
with these and it was a good thing because these were literally finger
lickin’ good (I don’t think KFC uses this slogan anymore so I’m stealing
it). I love quail at the worst of times but these had flavour all
throughout the meat and it managed to both be charry and juicy. The
accompanying potatoes were also delicious.
Mugaritz torrija with orange zest ice cream: Based on
the name, I’m guessing the dish/recipe was from the famous Mugaritz
restaurant in San Sebastian (where M and I are planning to dine in the not too distant future). We had to ask Laura what this was and she
very cutely explained that it was a traditional dessert which they
“impregnated” bread/cake with milk and then fry it. We were so glad we
ordered it because it was seriously delicious, imagine a cross between
the most delicious bread & butter pudding and creme brulée you’ve
ever had.
Cotton Candy tree: We weren’t sure what this was
gonna be like when we ordered but since I love cotton candy (or what we
call “fairy floss” in Australia), I had to have it. We were wowed when
it arrived and it was literally this gigantic tree with fairy floss
splayed all over it and little berries (including alpine strawberries) hidden inside like little
treasures.
What made the meal extra cool was that towards the end of the meal
none other than Ferran himself walked in, quietly sat by a window and
had a beer. Nobody bothered him and we didn’t either, but I did squee a
little inside being in the presence of a legend.
The service from our lovely waitress Laura was super attentive and friendly, and added to the overall experience. As a side note, it was
very reasonably priced; I think it came to a little over 100 euros or
so, which is basically what we’d pay for a nice dinner in Melbourne. All
in all it was an amazing, thoroughly enjoyable experience and we would
love to go back again the next time we're in Barcelona.
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