08/09/2016
Well... In Sitges there are many local places to dine, some of them overpriced and targeting tourists, whilst others are recommended and revered by the locals, such is Casa Hildago.
At first I felt I was in a hospital cafeteria, as the lighting was quite bright and the setting wasn´t very romantic or atmospheric. I went for diner at 9 pm (which is a push) instead of the local 10:30 pm diner time, which made me feel even more exposed. But alas, I was there to taste the "famous" seafood dishes. After a humble request I was offered a more private table toward the back, although again this room was glacial with the air-con at full blast (maybe I was just in an uncomfortable mood).
I decided to order a bottle of the Ermita De Espliels Rosado (Rose) - it's a Catalan Pinot Noir Rose from Barcelona - price 15,50€ - perfect for Sea Food.
So as I try to pace my starving appetite, I ordered a morsel which consisted in scallops served Galician style with caramelized onion and ham. Tiny little natural scallops to be enjoyed like one would an oyster. They were slightly chewy due to their size but delish. Even though they were petite little morsels, there were eight on the plate. This dish was 12€ - hmmm - never convert as it becomes the downfall of your trip. So all in all worth it for my first dish.
Service in general is not that top notch in Spain and if you were to convert these prices to restaurants in South Africa, you would expect a five star service. But here most waiters earn actual salaries and do not live on low shift rates and tips, so imagine day after day of annoying tourist. In Spain they are just chilled and not too phased, so have patience and just pour your own wine.
After this first dish, I was told to try the Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus) once again Galician Style. Without a doubt, this was the best I've ever had. It was so soft and tender… You could taste the typical Spanish flavours of the distinctive smoked paprika and salt. In general, the Catalan and Spanish pride themselves on excellent quality ingredients and they don´t use tons of sauces and trimmings. And this time the octopus was the main event. Wow. This particular dish, although described as a "little dish", was quite substantial and included the typical sautéed potatoes as a base. So for 7€ it outshined the previous one...
By the end of the diner I was pretty stuffed but still decided to go on and stop by one of the many gelato cafeterias on the way home.
That was a great meal. Just remember... It’s all about the food and the tradition of making it the way it should be made, with less frills and more appreciation for quality and respect of the product.
****/5
