I think one of the novelties of being in a foreign country is that I feel twice removed from my Chinese heritage. It is very a surreal and disorienting "out of body" "out of character" "out of comfort" state. It puts into perspective for me what it means to be Chinese. What it means to be the child of immigrant parents. What it means to be the child of Taiwanese-born Chinese parents. What it means to be American-born Chinese. What it means to be an American in a foreign country. A Chinese-American in a foreign country. A tri-lingual Chinese-American in a foreign country. And it makes me wonder how much or how little the people in that place understand this layered identity. How do they process me? All the nuances, the politics, the prejudices, the social constructs, my multi-cultural values, the pieces of my heritage that I choose to wear and the other pieces I've chosen to shed-- They can't they possibly understand any of that, but what do they see instead?

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Same Difference...

Ciutat Comtal
Rambla Catalunya, 18
&
Cervercería Catalana
C/ Mallorca, 236

During my time in Barcelona, both of these tapas restaurants came highly recommended to me. I finally got around to trying them, and it was only a few moments after I sat down at Cervecería Catalana to realize that the two restaurants are exactly the same. The cuisine is completely identical! I was highly intrigued. In the US, we're crazy about branding. So, it's such an interesting choice, to do the exact reverse: to create a masked chain, multiple restaurants which are the same caliber of service, same menu, but disguise each individual property as an independent. Really, in a place like Europe, it's totally brilliant, isn't it? Anyway, enough dorky talk about branding...let's talk food.

An avocado salad (ensalada de aguacates) and also patatas bravas.


This mini hamburger sliders are AMAZING. They sort of melt in your mouth a little. Cheese & onions inside.


Salmon w/ onions & peppers. Also a pineapple-pine nut cream cheese tapa.


Hugs and pan,
Angela
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