When first arriving in Barcelona, I was unsure what the true Catalan food would be like. Throughout my life, I have always been a picky eater, so it was scary to think about coming to a new country and trying new foods. As I looked at menus of different restaurants that were recommended to me, I realized I actually liked a lot of the foods that Catalan restaurants served. I never realized that many of the Catalan dishes were seafood, which is actually a type of food that I love.
This restaurant in particular, El Nacional, is unlike any restaurant I have been to in the United States. The restaurant is one huge building, split up into many different restaurants, such as a seafood restaurant, a tapas restaurant and an italian restaurant. In the middle of the different rooms of restaurants, there is a gelato bar and a normal bar. My family and I went to the seafood restaurant, El Nacional La Llotja. After looking over the menu, my sister and I decided to order salt-crusted turbot. This dish was unlike anything we have ever tasted before. To start, we have never been served a fish whole, with the head and scales on at the table. We both enjoyed this because it allowed us to see that the food we ordered was fresh and came from a fish, not a freezer, like some restaurants do. In Spain, it is important to use the freshest ingredients in order to serve the most tasteful dishes. The dish was outstanding, bursting with Catalan flavors, such as paprika and parsley. My sister and I both agreed we had never had fish that was so fresh, flaky and flavorful! This dish at El Nacional truly exemplified the Catalan way to prepare and serve their food.
Barcelona Past and Present 