Mercado San Miguel, Madrid

It gets dark pretty early during the cold months, by 6pm the sky is pitch black except for the neon and city bright lights shining everywhere, screaming for attention....but this is more evident in Hong Kong as compared to Madrid.

Somehow things in Madrid were done more subtly in view of the economy crisis and the huge demonstration by unhappy citizens. Even polices have their own demonstration to demand for higher wages. So u see even developed EU countries have their own lil problems so now reflect your own and be grateful.

Mercado San Miguel has been newly renovated so it's all glass and steel with the typical Spanish market feel. Hence it has become more touristy but locals still go there for lil bites and drinks. I am not too sure about locals shopping for produce there but it did sure looked fresh and yummy to me :)))

No trip to any country is complete without visiting their local markets...Right?? :))


Fresh produce from the deep sea....really fat octopus
I really like their octopus bcoz it's fat, creamie and sweet....definitely not chewy as u can imagine


The favourite stall has to be seafood coz both of us really lurve it and it's educational bcoz it is from the market that u learnt the local words for each and every item

Langoustine = cigala *remember our episode here in Seville trying to order cigala???
Razor Clam = Navajas
BIG Prawns = langoustine *don't ask me*
Shrimps = gambas


My dearie Cigala.....I will alwiz alwiz remember your name in Spanish now
in Malaysia, you can get frozen imported langoustine from Classic Fine Food. JS make awesome langoustine oil from them....yeah he just extracted the flavours for his oil to cook pasta/ just for fying vegetables...all the meticulous hardwork but it's really yummy...coz friends who don't eat vegetables ate the most just bcoz the oil used were langoustine oil.

If u ask me to cook for JS...I can't even differentiate all the types and sorts of oil he has in the pantry. To me oil is oil....>.<


then we saw Percebes.....
ugly aren't they???
We have seen Percebes so many times in our lives but never have the guts to try
*we have tried worse stuffs but never Percebes*

Widely consumed in Spain, it is a very very expensive snacks/delicacy
Euro 16 for 100g is about RM 64
per 100g mind you...

anyhow we did try some a few weeks later in Paris...not here in Spain
hahahahahahahhaha will blog about it soon to let u know how tasty it was hahahahhaa
and yes if you are still curious, u eat them RAW

favourite prawns...yup it's that red even before it's cooked.
Usually eaten raw on its own, it's the bestest and sweetest prawns on earth.


Really fresh and shining sardines
JS bought so many canned sardines home.....not just any canned sardines...Grand Cru premier sardines. I have yet to taste any coz I think he's saving them for another World War or prollie End of the World Saga. Where we'll enjoy Grand Cru sardines with Grand Cru wines. :P


All the produce were so fresh and beautifully merchandised


One of my fav shellfish has to be Razor Clams....oh yumsss!!!!
at this lil stall u can select wat u want...and they'll cook them on the spot for u....for those meant to be eaten fresh and raw, they do cleaning/prep service with slices of lemons at no extra charge.


so Monkey got these 2 to prepare some fresh yummy goodness from the sea
hehehehehehe

Fresh Sea Urchin......yummmmsssssssss

3 pieces for Euro 6 = RM 24
yes I know...cheap beyond words


HAMSSSSS
there's a few ham stalls here


all sorts of stuffed olives with anchovies, sun dried tomatoes and also sweet peppers
the size of their olives were like.....prunes???
really HUGE


more tapas everywhere....
the idea is to come here...get a glass of drinks from the bar and walk around the market...
selecting wat u wanna eat and pay as u go from stalls to stalls with ur drinks.

in the middle of the market, there's also a sitting area if u prefer to sit and eat. But to do it the local way means....balancing act between chomping ur food and ur drinks :)))

eggs over cooked sweet peppers and onions topped with flat leaf parsley
there's so much of food everywhere, we just didn't know where to start.

in the end I saw these!!!!!!!
WAHHHH I want!!!!

JS said...look at that Monkey Sorcerer face!!!!
so eppy :P >.< -_-"

Cripsy deep fried pork skin....just like pop corns
downed with a glass of Manzanilla, a spanish dry sherry

woi!!! didn't ur mother teach you not to be so rude, snapping pix of ppl enjoying their food
hehehehhehe

As u can see it's a very very clean, organised and simple market
which also spells really touristy
By far the best market in Spain that we have visited was La Boqueria Market in Barcelona
Read about it *here*

Mercado San Miguel
Plaza de San Miguel
28005 Madrid,
Spain.