Origen 99.9% Tapas in Barcelona
Some of the best tapas at this Barri Gotic resto
Authentic, wonderfully Catalan, well priced and incredibly delicious- this describes the fare at Barcelona's Origen 99.9%. When in Barcelona, it's worth a visit!
Mario Stojanac guest writes this piece for Food Trends readers- a lip-smacking rendition of tasty treats from afar. So get ready to grab your appetites and passports, because Barcelona (one my my favourite cities in the world) calls, as does one of its most enjoyable and accessible restaurants- Origen 99.9%.
It’s been over 6 months since I left Barcelona, yet there is one fantastic evening that still lingers vividly in my memory, so much so that I am just about able to write this off the top of my head. In fact, whenever somebody tells me they are headed to that part of the Iberian peninsula, I feel compelled to give them my little vignette.
We had been walking around the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) of Barcelona for a good few hours and, as the twilight set in, so too did our appetites. Fortunately, Barcelona is one of those cities where you can seemingly stop in anywhere and have a better than average meal. Having full confidence in this fact, we strolled on the cobble stoned streets comfortable with letting our senses guide us. And so it was that we entered Origen 99.9%. Luckily for us, we were prepared to dine early by Spanish standards and finding a table at 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday night was a possibility (half an hour later the place was packed!).
The first indication that we were somewhere unique was the trilingual menu that landed on our table. This impressive listing was more of a magazine that gave us a basic background on Catalan cuisine, recipes and introduced us to the concept of Origen - a tapas bar that prided itself on using ingredients garnered almost exclusively (99.9%) from the province of Catalonia. This meant that produce would be local and the menu seasonal – we were in for a treat.
We started with a traditional toasted torrada (like baguette) served with tomato and garlic, which got the juices flowing while we perused the rest of the 80-strong menu over glasses of (fantastically priced) local Cabernet Sauvignon. The bread was so fantastic that we also ordered a second variation, served with almadroc (pictured above)- a boiled egg and garlic spread made according to a 14th Century recipe. Feeling (slightly) guilty about our carbohydrate intake, we ordered a salad of lettuce, dried fruit and goat cheese – traditional and fantastic. Being a huge fan of mushrooms, I also tried the mushroom soup (Sopa de bolets) which reminded me, sadly, of what mushrooms used to taste like before they were grown half way around the world before landing on my doorstep.
Finding we still had some room floating around, we indulged in a coca (flatbrearoasted tomatoes and olives, as well as a subtly sweet apple and walnut dessert coca (or cake). The menu is also resplendent with fish (particularly bacalla) and other uniquely local dishes, including duck with pears and rabbit with sweet potato and chestnuts. Our friendly waiter then produced complementary glasses of sweet Muscatel (a sweet dessert wine) to round off our memorable evening. Friendly chap indeed, but perhaps deviously so, because we soon found ourselves around the corner at their retail store purchasing just that very bottle of Muscatel in the hopes of taking just little of that evening home with us.
