eat.madrid

packing stress.  waiting impatiently for ups to deliver me the document and pretty much stay put at home (i cancelled a farewell lunch that my team organized for me and i may have to cancel the meeting with an vip from my company if i don't get the delivery in the next hour or so.) as i don't want to miss the delivery man.

i still need to learn the art of packing light, it's my third attempt and i still couldn't fit everything in my packing list into the luggage.  so i will further reduce and repack again after this.  here is an overdue post.  in fact, it's the first destination of my three parts of summer holiday in 2010, but i didn't get around to talk much about madrid yet. so this post is going to be about the yummy and delicious madrid beside tapas that i already mentioned here.

chocolate and churros

you had your breakfast is the famous chocolate and churros, a chocolatier tucked in a small quiet alley behind the oldest church in mardrid. at chocolatier san gilés, you had your portion, you like the chocolate because it is not sweet but thick and full of flavor. churro gives you enough energy to carry on with the sightseeing. you really don’t mind coming back here again for another choc fix.

thick choco and sinful churros, a perfect match. just like the good old time where you remembered your dad dung his youtiao into coffee...

cocido madrileño

at night you go to tarbena de la bola, you choose this restaurant because it is close to where you ‘live’ and you went to try your luck without a reservation but you succeeded. it was quite outside but there are quite a lot of customers.

everyone come here for the one dish – cocido madrileno. it comes in a small clay pot, you first drink the soup with some spaghetti.

the soup is naturally flavored and sweeten by the meat and saffron.

when you are done with the soup, the waiter will pour out the content of the pot and there’s lot of chickpea, a piece of beef, a piece of chorizo, a piece of pork fat and a piece of smoked leg of ham. extra steam cabbage is added to your plate for a complete meal. it is a full meal by itself, you had a great conversation (sign language, facial expression) with a couple sitting next to me. they are super friendly. although you couldn’t understood each other, you were able to comment on the food.

roast suckling pig

you wanted to try the suckling pork at la botin, but the restaurant is not open till 8pm. to kill time, you go to mercado de san miguel and hang around there till about 8pm until restaurant botin finally opens it door. there were already a long queue trying to get in.

you start with half pitcher of sangria, what a binge but it's the end of the day...

you had a gazpacho cold andalusia soup, that's cool and refreshing... it soothes your throat and eventually your body as you wash it down...

a portion of suckling pig, the pork skin is extra thin and crisp, almost as crisp as a filo sheet. all are great and delicious, although it is the most expensive meal so far.

asturian grilled chicken and cider

you walk all the way to casa mingo. it’s a hot and sunny day; you have to walk a good 10 min from the metro station to where the restaurant is located.

casa mingo serves asturian cuisine and is famous for its grilled chicken and cider.you had a chicken all by yourself...

your verdict: it is over rated. the chicken is not bad but is not up to the expectation plus there is no wing on the chicken. what a bummer, not to be able to bites on the wings...

you also order a chorizo to wash down the bottle of cider. The cider is good though.

you were full (after almost a chicken minus the wings, one chorizo and a bottle of cider).  it's definitely a good way to bid goodbye to this city.