It’s a restaurant called El Pescadore, in Madrid. . I had been told it was a little casual place and, for some reason, I had expected one of those joints you find on Sydney harbour – you know, huge platters of crustaceans, prawns, squid, fish piled up like those gymnasts who can do clever things with each other’s shoulders and legs.
But it was pretty swishy, yet cosy, staffed by men who obviously know the treasures of the ocean well, specifically the one surrounding Galicia sea in northerwestern Spain. The counter display, set up like a sushi bar, is a wow.
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“Wow, look at those huge crabs.” I had never seen such red crustaceans. Centollos – didn’t get to taste them, but a different league from Alaska king crab I am told.
“Wow, what’s that?” I had never seen such an alien-looking mollusc before. I was told it’s something called percebes (left) – a barnacle-like creature – that grows on rocks. The meat grows on what looks like an alien claw. Eating it is a craft but for us Asians used to using our hands as implements, it’s pretty easy to master.
You pinch the skin till it breaks and then you suck out the flesh. It’s like drinking the concentrate of the ocean. A heady, marine sensation hits the back of your throat.
Pair this with Albariñnho, a white wine from northwest Galicia, and you’ve got the perfect complement.
Although I am not big on prawns – I am more of a fishy – my favourite in Spain has always been the gambas and I’ve loved them from Barcelona to Barcelonetta.
Gambas a la plancha makes me want to do the samba everytime. But these Gambas rojas de Denia (below) – from Alicante, it was the only item that didn’t come from Galicia – made me want to do the tango – which dance afficioanados tell me has more passion than the samba. Bigger than the gambas in Barcelona, they were just lightly boiled with sea salt and had a tinge of garlic. Put them in your mouth and, again, kaboom, it’s like ocean mouthwash.
As if these were not enough, our Spanish friend – you always need a local who knows his country and loves his food – Carlos had also ordered king prawns called Carabineros, so-called after the XVIIIth century Spanish because they look like Italian policemen. I am not sure whether it’s the size or shape, but such detail is forgotten in the face of full-bodied flavours such as these.
“The best part is the head,” said Carlos enthusiastically as he takes the knife to decapitate the creature. “Look at all that juice.”
The Spanish are Chinese at heart, they just talk different. (Watch video below)
And as if we hadn’t had enough prawns, Carlos said we simply had to have the Cigalas de Marin, crayfish a la plancha with sea salt … a very fine and sweet meat but have to say, still prefer the gambas.
Next came the Gallician velvet swimcrabs called Necoras (below). Again Like the percebes, simply boiled with sea salt and bay leaves. These little creatures nearly had me doing the wave I had seen the night before at the Real Madrid stadium when the home team trounced CSKA Moscow 4-1. 
Trounced was how I felt by the time the main course I ordered came – besugo a la bilbaina (grilled fish (sea bream) with olive oil, garlic and a dash of guindillachillies (the Spanish milder version of chilli). It was good but I simply couldn’t do it justice.
Despite that of course I still had room for dessert and I ordered filloasaos, Galician crepes, with cinnamon and brown sugar (left). I also recommend the cuajada – Spanish curd with honey.
To finish off, the waiter brought us orujo de hierbasxx, which has 60% alcohol content. That can finish off anyone, especially someone who’s got half the Gallician ocean in her.
I’ll have to return to eat the other half.
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