Inopia over 2 nights, Barcelona Spain

Unfortunately, Inopia has recently closed .. Albert and his brother Ferran seem to have another interesting tapas bar project in the works, which I am sure will be as exciting as what we thought Inopia was. The 2 meals we had there on our last visit to Spain, eating our way almost through the entire menu including specials, was just too good not to share!

Inopia was a must on our Barcelona-eats list. A tapas bar owned by Albert Adria, the brother of Ferran from El Bulli. He has published a book, Natura, and is famed for his amazing pastry work done at El Bulli. We had scribbled the address down on a scrap of paper, and jump in a taxi .... We get dropped off reasonably close, but it was actually quite hard to find. 20 minutes later we spot the quaint little bar. It's just opened, and already the door area is roped off & there's a doorman with a clipboard. It's then we know these tapas must be serious!



We get past the doorman, and are ushered to a pair of stools at one of the oddly shaped benches. It's bright, with exposed fluorescent light tubes. The white tiles that line the walls are scribbled with autographs from celebrities and chefs, with polaroids tacked to the wall as well. There are glasses filled with fresh herbs on the counters. Baskets of fresh vegetables. Fake flowers. Marble countertops. Specials scrawled on blackboards. Pictures hanging from the ceiling. It is actually a lot to take in ...



We comb the menu, including the specials on the blackboards, and just start firing away dishes. The first to arrive is the Russian Salad (it's everywhere in Barcelona!). The potatoes coated in a rich mayonnaise, with some tuna, roasted pepper & capers is a small oval dish spiked with a few bread sticks.



Dried tuna with salted almonds comes out and initially I think this is the salt cured dry aged beef. It's so dark, the sliced looking like a cured meat. It's salty and dry, but still with enough of the fish oils to make it succulent. The salted, blanched almonds add texture and depth.



Next is the salt cured dry aged beef. The slices are about the same size as the tuna, but the fat marbling is definitely visible.



Tinned mussels. Divine. The tinned seafood in Spain is caught in it's prime, and packaged and processed to contain as much of the flavor as possible. These mussels have been sitting under a spicy oil, and were full of flavor.



We then have a few little toasts, the first; white anchovy with tomato seeds, and the second; salmon, cream cheese and honey.



Chicken chupa chups appear on today specials and are a must for us. The little chicken drumettes have a super crispy coating and are golden in colour, with a very spicy red sauce. Even the golden / red colour reminds me of a chupa chup!



The patatas bravas are a fine example of this staple, the rustic cutting of the potatoes adding an interesting element, and both the sauces were divine. (They even sold the red sauce in jars when we were there).



Chicken Pintxo comes out on a very very long stick. The thin pieces of chicken threaded onto the long stick, and one end sitting on a slice of baguette.



The mini burger is just that, mini - I knew we should have ordered 2. The little bun has black & white sesame seeds, a juicy little beef patty, pickles and cheese.



Fried eggplant with sweet molasses are little triangles of the crumbed and fried eggplant with the sweet drizzle. A nice sweet and savory combination, perfect to lead us into the cheese course ....



Ah, the cheese course. A whole wheel of soft, baked, mild white cheese coated in a truffle honey. Oh .. My.



Caramel vodka comes with a super crispy tuille straw - one you can eat afterwards.



And such a simple, home-style dessert. Pears poached in red wine, served in a bag with the spice & wine swimming amongst the tender chunks of pear.



On our first visit, we manage to spot Albert sitting and chatting to group of people. We just start talking to our waiter when we pay the bill and ask if there was any chance to have a photo with him... He ducks over and asks Albert, who graciously comes over and introduces himself, talks with us about our Spain travels and living in Japan, and is happy to have his photo with us. Very cool!



Our second visit at least we don't waste time trying to find it. We get out of the cab, and head straight to the little roped off tapas bar. It's already full, we actually have to wait about 15 minutes for a few chairs to free up. This time we are seated right in the open window, which is lovely. Also looking straight into one part of the little open kitchen and having a very nice barman to talk to. Glasses of sparkling rose and lardo on toast kicks off meal no. 2.



Tomato salad with onions and tuna belly is divine. The tuna is so succulent and salty, and the tomatoes plump and fresh with no skins. The little tresses of pickled onion sprout out of the top and look oh-so cute, but also add a very much needed kick of acidity that harmonises the whole dish.



Ah, chicken coated in Xips. Xips are a Spanish potato chip cooked in olive oil that we had enjoyed on a few occasions (I took some on the flight to Singapore). The chicken tenders were coated in the smashed Xips, giving the tender meat a shattering coating. A yellow honey & mustard aioli on the side for dipping.



Bombas were little fried, meat and cheese filled balls, with aioli and bravas sauce.



Boiled Iberian shoulder ham is served a little wooden board, drizzled with good olive oil and sprinkled with paprika.



Seared and marinated tuna with a roast tomato sauce and baby leaves is robust and filling.



We sample 2 varieties of anchovies; the pickled white anchovies and plump San Fillipo anchovies.



In a food coma at this state, I know we had another of the caramel vodka, but there was also another alcoholic concoction.



The first dessert for the evening was fresh sliced pineapple with a thick molasses. The tartness of the pineapple and the rich sweetness of the molasses a perfect match.



The last dish to complete our epic, 2 part feast at the late Inopia was candied strawberries with chardonnay vinegar.



We feel lucky that we were able to experience Inopia before it closed, and will be definitely keep an eye out for what the brothers are up to in the future ....

Dar Yacout, Marrakech

For our last night in Marrakech, we take our wonderful Riad owners advice and have booked a table at Yacout. We were even lucky to get a reservation with only a few days notice .... This is where anyone-who-is-anyone must dine while in Marrakech, well so we hear. Having played host to a string of celebrities, royalty and presidents from all over the world. We head down to the Kasbah gate in search of some means of transport to take us well within the realm of the Medina. It just so happens that a horse cart pulls up beside us. We check that he knows where it is, which of course he does. We hop into the back seat, which is surprisingly comfortable. The sun is setting, and the lights over the city are so pretty.



It takes about 20 minutes, darting through busy evening traffic, but having plenty of time to take it all in.



We are taken through winding, pebbled walkways of the medina, barely wide enough for the cart. We all of a sudden stop, when it gets really narrow, and way to busy for us to continue. The driver calls over a couple of young boys, and mutters a few words. We work out that these kids are going to lead us the remainder of the way .... We dart in and out of lanes, being just dark enough to be a little unsettling as you can't really see to far ahead, but we turn one last corner and we are there. We give the kids a few dollars, and thank them for their trouble.

Dar Yacout is quite grand. We walk through some large doors before being greeted by a team of staff, and quickly ushered up to the roof for an aperitif. We look down over the pool, and outside dining area on one side, and then an expansive view of the old city contained within the medina, and the bustle of the new city in the distance.



This is one of very few places that serves alcohol in Morocco. This is also the first time in our 11 day trip that we have any, so decide on a simple aperitif of white wine. It comes served in a beautiful goblet, with a bowl of green sultanas and some lightly toasted almonds.



We are then taken down to our table, and offered local Spring water as well as a selection of wines. We choose a Moroccan Rose. It was light, crisp and a beautiful rose color with the crystal glasses glistening under the dim light.



The usual Moroccan salad component of the meal arrives promptly. Little plates of spiced olives, carrot & orange salad, roasted garlic eggplant, zalouk, artichokes & little crispy pastries. These are all devoured with the infinite supply of soft bread.



These beautifully adorned vessels then arrive and rest beside the table.



The first unveiling reveals the oh-to-familiar chicken, preserved lemon & olive tagine. Shockingly, it is a whole chicken! just for the two of us ... we know there is more food to come, so despite it being delicious have to refrain from eating too much.



There is then a tagine of lamb with fresh peas. A massive portion again, we don't even get half way through it ....



Cous-cous with 7 vegetables is a fine example of this preparation, and a very welcome accompaniment to the lamb tagine.



We see a sweet pastilla placed down on the table beside us while we are finishing our main. They are as shocked as we seem with the sheer size, barely managing to get through a 1/4 of it. We wonder what happens with all of the remaining food .... as grand as each of the dishes seem, receiving whole chickens, or giant pastilla, we could have easily had 2 very hungry guests with us and no extra food. As soon as we indicate defeat against the lamb & cous-cous, it is whisked away. Moments later our table is graced with one giant pastilla.



It is absolutely delicious, layers of crisp, flaky pastry with toasted almonds and sweet milk. We manage one slice each, before a pot of mint tea and a tower of fresh baked sweets and cookies completely wipe us out. Oh .. so .. full!

An absolutely amazing setting, the pre-dinner drinks in the upstairs bar with a view of the city a highlight. The food was nice, but next time we will be sure to enjoy it with a few more people ....

Fes et Gestes, the Medina

Our first day in Fes and we venture in to explore the Medina. Our traveling companions Io & H have done the same. We make plans to meet at their Riad late afternoon before heading out for dinner. Kim and I freshen up after our long, hot & dusty day and make our way over to Riad Ghita where Io & H are staying. We are immediately seated in the lobby area and receive a pot of tea. This one has the sugar on the side which you can add to taste and extra fresh mint in the glass. A couple of cookies to the side as well.



We then speak with the owner of the Riad who says Io & H have just wandered out to find Fes et Gestes and suss it out. We figure after our tea that we too would head out in search ... They give us vague directions at the Riad, but within 2 turns we are completely lost. We know kind of it's where-abouts so flag down the Moroccan equivalent of a tuk-tuk; a tiny little truck with an open back space where you sit on the floor. We do our best to describe to the driver where we are headed. He seems to understand, so off we go.



We drive around some bendy roads, chug along up some steep hills and then all of a sudden seem to be heading back towards the fountain & the blue gate, which is where we are staying and not at all near where we are meant to be. We bang on the window to signal him to stop, and hop out while we still know where we are. We head off again on foot, stopping at several shops along the way for directions. We finally make it to where we think we should be and find nothing that is resembling a little quaint tea garden with restaurant. The sun is coming down, and the streets are getting dark ... the Fes Medina is scary at the best of time. Not a horror-movie scary but a overwhelming lack of orientation & unfamiliarity scary. We are about to head back and spot a tiny little sign with a very cursive script that looks like it must say Fes Et Gestes. Yay! We push through the gate and it is indeed a gorgeous little garden.



No sign of the others .... The owner is French, so we head off to ask her if she has seen Io & H. I figure if a tall blonde Canadian girl with a Japanese husband had at all swung by today she might recognize them. Nope, no sign of them. We figure we should wait anyway ... We have a fresh orange juice with a cookie and pick up someones WiFi (in the middle of the Fes Media none-the-less, tres cool!) and send them a quick note that we have made it, and will wait for them there.



We sink into the big armchairs in the library and read through some interesting literature. It must have been a good hour or so later they arrive ... and oh, the stories. They of course got lost, had to pay some young kids to get them back to the hotel, before setting out again on foot (?!) and eventually paying some other kids to take them here. They look exhausted, and hungry, so we head straight to the dining room. 2 large bottles of sparkling mineral water and the meal begins ... An array of Moroccan salads; cucumber with a honey dressing, carrots with orange blossom, shredded cabbage with a mustard dressing, smoked eggplant, roasted zucchini & tomato zalouk, red beets, lentils & more.



The salads are accompanied by a big bowl of bread, with the delicious crunch of the corn meal coating the whole thing. The 2 tagines on offer tonight are both made with turkey, which was quite interesting. The first one with zucchini & onion, the vegetables breaking down into an almost-sauce and keeping the bird so succulent & juicy. The second was turkey with almonds and prunes, the crunch of the nuts and the intense sweetness of the prunes are a great match! Both tagines look a little ugly, but taste great! A bowl of plain cous-cous accompanies the main.





We each get out own little silver tray with a tea pot, sugar jar, cookie & tea cup to finish.



It's been a long day full of adventures in the Fes Medina, but the memories will last a lifetime.



Fes et Gestes
Open every day of the week except Wednesday, from 12pm to 9:30pm
39 Arsat El Hamoumi
Ziat, 30200 FES MEDINA
T: 212 (0) 535 63 85 32

Checking in & checking out our first taste of Morocco

Ah, there really is nothing like a long, warm shower after your travels. The day had been long, and we had journeyed on everything from train, petit taxi and ocean liner inter-country ferry. Down in the lobby of Riad Fes Yamanda we are offered some mint tea and little cookies on arrival, this I could really get used to. Then we were asked if we would like to eat in the Riad tonight - it sounded perfect, not having to venture far on our first night. We came down just after 7pm, and were ushered into a little room, with a table set just for the 2 of us.



We start the meal as you do in Morocco, with a selection of little salads. There were a few little crisp pastries that were filled with a spiced vegetable mix, a Zucchini Zalouk which is cooked with onions, tomato & spice, carrots with orange & orange blossom water and a smokey eggplant. All delicious!



A basket of Moroccan bread is placed on the table which acts as a perfect eating implement to just scoop the salads up. The bread is still warm, has a nice touch of salt and light as air with a very generous coating of yellow corn meal which gives a great crunch.



We share 2 mains, the first a classic Chicken Tagine with olives and preserved lemon. As the lid is lifted, a subtle aroma fills the air - spice, the smell of roasted chicken but most prominent the salt and citrus smell of the preserved lemon.



The pastilla is a flaky pastry that is said to have originated around Fes, so it was no surprise we also chose that. This was a great introduction ... although traditionally made with pigeon, this version is made with chicken, almonds, egg & spice all filled in a light flaky pastry. A dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon give this a perfect savory and sweet combination.



Dessert is a plate of sliced apples in a rich orange reduction that seems to have a smidgen of saffron. Toasted almonds add a nice bit of crunch.



Ah, the mint tea. This stuff is amazing. Gunpowder tea with so much fresh mint it's almost busting the side of the teapot, and a few cubes of sugar. It's poured from great height to aerate and mix the tea. Some little cookies on the side as well.



What a lovely first dinner in Morocco. We are heading to bed early as we are meeting with a guide at 8:30am to venture into the craziness that is the Fes Medina.