marksabout

The whole restaurant experience in Barcelona is somewhat different to in Sydney. Sometimes I just like a nice meal out… But in Barcelona, you really have to know where to go as most of the restaurants around where I live are geared towards tourists. I mean, you can’t just wander down the street and walk into a restaurant and expect good quality… What you can expect if you don’t know where to go is frozen paella, expensive tapas, and greasy things in a baguette.

I’ve been to nice restaurants and eaten good food with friends, but I just don’t stumble upon anything amazing myself – and I’m not partial to guide books – until, well it was over a year ago, I was exploring a part of town presumably while I was waiting for someone and stumbled across the Bangkok Café. I was first attracted to the street, it was gated and had nice little Paddington style terraces. At the end was the Bangkok Cafe, which just looked like the Asian food within would be authentic.

One of my favourite (residential) streets in Barcelona (May 2010). Bangkok Cafe at end (left).

That was May 2010, it’s taken me over 15 months for me to find it again and actually eat there, but I finally did. The Bangkok Café resembles a restaurant at home, with the same warm feeling. Warm? Actually the tables are that close to the hotplates it’s possible they’re trying to create a truly Thai ambience. I was sweating from the moment I entered.

I had to be difficult and request Pad Kee Mao, which wasn’t on the menu, but I’ve been craving some good Thai noodles for a while. The first waitress I asked told me “if it’s not on the menu, we don’t make it.” I told her it was really easy and if she could just ask the other (Thai looking) waitress, I’m sure I could have it… The second waitress explained that it’s not on the menu, but because it’s so easy, “we can do it.” I asked for extra spicy. And that’s what I got. I was literally in tears as I ate, my lips were burning, and I was worrying about the following morning… But it was so good.

Yum

(I was fine the next day, by the way…)