El Cul de la Lleona -- Cuina Marroquina

El Cul de la Lleona -- Calderers 8, Girona; tel. 972203158

Restaurant El Cul de la Lleona

Cul de la LleonaThis restaurant is situated in a little quiet street typical of the Barri Vell in Girona.  It can be literally translated as "The lioness's bottom." It is so named because of a statue nearby at the St. Feliu Square which features exactly that, a lioness clinging onto a column showing invitingly her bottom. It is said that for those who want to become a true citizen in Girona, they will have to kiss the lioness's bottom. After doing this duty, they will never leave the city or even if they leave it, they will certainly come back. In order to facilitate this performance, a few steps were installed beside the column so that visitors could reach the lioness with more ease. However, the steps have been removed since the threat of the swine flu became prominent, so as to prevent the virus from spreading through the lioness's bum. The statue now at the square is not the original one, which has been safely kept in the Museum of Arts in Girona. 

The entrance of the restaurant is subdue and unassuming. Inside the space is small and when it is full it is not easy to pass by. However, the food makes it worth its while. There are tables upstairs also, but it is far more interesting and cosy to be downstairs.

I passed by the restaurant one day and went inside to get their card, immediately I was struck by the aroma of spices. It felt warm and inviting. It is advertised as a Moroccan restaurant. At luncheon there is a set menu, and it is that that I tried.

Tagine

There was only one waiter and he was extremely friendly and welcoming. The service was surprisingly fast and effiicient considering the shortness of hands. In this sense, the organisation was perfect.

At the beginning, two types of olives were served, and both were very good. For starter my partner and I had the same, escalivada wrapped with a thin slice of smoked salmon. 

Escalivada 

It was delicious and very well presented. While sometimes food in Spanish restaurants can be too salty, this dish was just right.

Chicken with Spices

For second, I had roast chicken with spices. The preserved lemon added a very pleasant contrast to the different flavours which combined harmoniously and endowed the dish with a rich variety of taste.

Soupy Rice

My partner tried something different, which was soupy rice (arròs caldós) with rabbit and mushroom. Though it was a more typical local dish, the rice was rightly done without being mashy, and the taste enhanced with the use of spices was exquisite.

There was a tagine of tuna on the menu which we missed somehow, but it looked very good when served at other tables.

Mango SoupFlan

For dessert I had a tasty mango soup with berries ice-cream, and my partner had flan, which was thicker and coarser than the usual ones.

We had a bottle of white house wine which was included in the menu.

The interesting thing was the mint tea. It had a very pleasant flavour and the presentation was attractive. I asked about the ingredients and was given some to take with me! It was a mixture of Maria Luisa, mint, cadamon, anise, star anise, chamomile and clove.

It costed a little over 30 euros for two set menus and coffee and tea.

It is a non-smoking restaurant, which is still rare despite the implementation of the new tabacco law in Spain. However, there is no problem for smokers to go outside and satisfy their cravings.

It is a wonderful little restaurant, both food- and service-wise; and I will definitely go back for dinner and try more typical Moroccan dishes!

Doors of the Bathrooms

McKiernans Irish Tavern

McKiernans Taverna Irlandesa -- Rambla de la Llibertat 30-32, Girona; tel. 972220141

This Irish pub is nicely situated at one of the busiest streets in Girona, with chairs outside so on sunny days one can contemplate the passers-by or the Saturday Market while seeping lazily one's pint of beer. They serve draught Guinness and Murphy's.

The inside of the pub is decorated with typical green sofas and chairs which though look good may not be too comfortable for some. The overall arrangement looks very pleasant.

The menu includes typical pub food, such as chicken club sandwich, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, hamburger, Caesar's salad, etc. They also serve meal of the day, such as chilli con carne, seafood pasta and fish and chips. They feature an interesting dish called Beef with Guinness, with trunks of tenderly prepared beef cooked with a sauce made with Guinness and mashed potato on top. It was a pity that, when I tried, the mashed potato did not taste too much like potatoes, and I may be wrong as to it being made from potatoes at all. I also tried the seafood pasta which, although it said "seafood", I could only find shrimps.

Service is all right, I have nothing to complain about.

It is a place to meet with friends over a pint, so one should not be too picky about the food. Real actions happen in the evenings. They also show soccer games.

As a note, the bathroom is fine, though it has its typical smell. So, if you do not need to go, just leave it.

Mimolet Restaurant

Mimolet -- Pou Rodó, 12, Girona; tel. 972202124

Restaurant Mimolet

This is a restaurant in Girona, a small city northeast in Catalonia with around 95,000 inhabitants. It is situated in the Barri Vell, which means the old city which most of the time is the most interesting part of a town or city in Spain. In there old buildings are preserved and traffic is restricted. Usually the streets are stone-paved and are littered with little enchanting shops.There are interesting suggestions for a day trip to this historic city.

Wooden Mannequin

I went recently for lunch in one of the restaurants there, called Mimolet. It is tucked at a corner with an unassuming store front. The decoration was dominated by wooden mannequins in different postures. The restaurant names after the French cheese mimolette.

We were able to start lunch at 1 p.m. while many restaurants in Catalonia are not open until 1:30 or 2 p.m.

The service was cordial. Although we were quite early, the first in fact, and obviously the staff were not quite ready. However, we were received cheerfully, not like other places I went to where the staff showed you quite clearly you were not very welcomed at such early hours.

The tables were set comfortably apart, though a little more space in between would have been ideal.

We were offered choices as to tables. There are seats at the back of the room and seats near the big glass window which gave a view of the quiet street lined with stone houses and a characteristic white church. We went for one near the window and the traffic was scarse that we did not feel oppressed by inquisitive passers -by.

Besides the full menu there was a set lunch also, which looked very attractive and with a very good price, less than 20 euros. We did not take it because it was a special celebration.

The menu was interesting without being extraordinary. There was one dish that sounded very attractive, pig's trotters with espardenyas, which is a delicious local seafood, very similar to razor clams but different, without shells and with a crispy and delicate taste. I did not choose it though because there were other more seasonal dishes: game.

Now is the season for game, as a visit to the big wet market, La Boquería, in Barcelona will tell. Hares, partridges and wild pigeons are hanged with their full coat which make a macabre still life. The menu featured wild boar, venison and partridge.

The waiters were helpful and friendly, and they did not hesitate to give advice and suggest combinations. For dessert when we could not decide, they offered to combine two different choices so we could try both.

Cream of Squash and Chicken Croquette

We were served an appetizer of the house: cream of squash with blood sausage, chicken croquette and almond stick. It was a delicious combination; and the almond stick was exquisite, with a slight sweetness highlighed by a touch of sea salt that made the contrast stand out.

Fish Soup with Fried Sardines

For first dish, we both had a fish soup with a rice timbal and deep fried sardine fillets. The soup was strong and tasty, which mixed well with the short grained rice al dente. The fried sardin was a surprise but it proved to be a pleasant one.

Venison Steak with Blue Berry Sauce

For second, I had venison steak with blue berry sauce. The steak was well prepared, mediumly rare. The slightly grilled vegetables combined very well with the other ingredients. The young leek was fastly done and acted as a fresh contrast. The carrots must have been fastly boiled preserving its crispiness and raw taste.

Partridge

My partner had a go for the partridge cooked in two ways with mashed potatoes. It was presented in an attractive way.

Peanut Ice-Cream and Chirimoya Sorbet

For dessert I had peanut ice-cream and chirimoya sorbet. Surprisingly the peanut ice-cream stood out, and the chirimoya sorbet, which I had high hopes, was a little bit disappointing.

Bizcocho

The other dessert was bizcocho, biscuit, soaked in ratafia, an alcoholic drink, with rosemary sorbet and caramelized walnut. The sorbet had a stringent taste that refreshed the mouth after the meal.

To go with the meal we had the house cava, a Spanish sparkling wine similar to champaigne, El Xamfrà 2007, from Sant Sadurni d'Anoia.

Bathroom

Another thing that I like to check out in restaurants is their bathroom. The one in Mimolet is simple and pleasant with green paint and matching waste baskets. Cloth towels are provided for drying your hands. I was told that the men's bathroom was decorated with purple.

It is a place that I would visit again, especially to try their set lunch.