El Quim de la Boqueria
Double Espresso on Ice
Pan con Tomate
Patatas Bravas
Iberico Croquettas
Butifarra Sausage and Aioli Sandwich
Iberian Bellota Ham Sandwich
Foie Gras and Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with a Fried Egg
Carrot Cake with Cajeta
Crema Catalana
Tucked inside Mercado de La Boqueria, a popular locals spot early that later sports hour-plus lines thanks to a tourist-friendly location at Rambles 91, it was just past 07h30 that a couple of visitors stopped into El Quim de la Boqueria en route to Montserrat, two open seats at the corner ready and waiting with full view of the kitchen as well as overhead monitors giving guests a clear vantage of each work-station.
Originally opened in 1987, owner Quim Márquez originally planning a fairly modest operation with just five stools focusing on all-day Breakfasts and Tapas harnessing products sold at the market, intervening years and good fortune plus hard work have since converted El Quim de la Boqueria into nothing short of a Barcelona phenomenon, a move to aisle five in the late-80s followed by subsequent expansion in 2000 now seeing the space seat over twenty with a team of Chefs present each day of the week preparing Food that is fresh, honest and delicious.
Since joined in the kitchen by his son Yuri and several others, the more sizable stand complete with in-house dish-washing facilities and more movement than those who’ve never set foot inside a professional kitchen can even understand, it is almost immediately after seating that those lucky enough to grab a stool will be presented with a menu featuring check-off boxes by a Chef who will largely serve as that section’s Server and Cook, the decision of what to order a matter of deciding what sounds *best* as the vast majority of the menu at least sounds very good.
Truly an impressive place, each Chef working in his or her assigned area to prepare several cold dishes while a central stove is used to ready made-to-order Egg Dishes and fried items, it was with Coffee in hand plus Water that the bald man behind the counter quickly perused checkmarks before getting to work, thin slices of Bread quickly toasted on the griddle subsequently brushed with a Tomato and Olive Oil mixture and served next to cut and fried Potatoes topped with Mayonnaise and a smoky Red Pepper Sauce.
Sticking largely to traditional Tapas and specialties recommended by others, the famous Cuttlefish Eggs and Fish dishes alas not appealing so early in the morning, it was with a second order Pan con Tomate ordered and Patatas finished that round two arrived on fresh plates, the quartet of Croquettas crispy and golden atop creamy Cheese studded with Ham while the two Sandwiches both spoke to quality ingredients, the Ham stacked two layers thick and thus a very good bargain while the warm Sausage was snappy with plenty of herbs that played well off the Aioli.
Individually frying several Eggs in small skillets with Pork Fat, the curled edges light-brown with Yolk still runny and ready to slick any dish to which they were added, it was atop a tangle of Wild Mushrooms and about 100grams of seared Foie Gras that one of those Eggs came over the counter as the morning’s final savory plate, every aspect of the stack rich with umami and appropriately priced at €24.00 when accounting for both the portion and ingredient quality.
Going so far as to even make the Desserts on site, most prepared during off hours as El Quim is only open from 07h00 until 16h00 Monday through Thursday with slightly longer hours on Friday and Saturday, it was with a thick slice of Carrot Cake and room temperature Catalan Cream that the meal came to its conclusion, the former sweetened by Apple and smooth Cream Cheese frosting plus a pipette of Boozy Caramel while the later was torched prior to service giving it a crackling top above the milky, barely-set lower layer.