Chicken Rice is to the streets of Singapore, what tacos are to LA. It’s the street food of a nation with some of the best food in the world. Anothony Bourdain stopped in Singapore last year for his show No Reservations, and talked about the Chicken Rice as if it was God’s gift to the streets of Singapore. Video of that episode here. So, I just had to try it. But where would one get Hainanese Chicken Rice? In the Chinese mecca of LA of course, the San Gabriel Valley.

We headed out to Alhambra after doing a little research on the old iPhone Yelp app. Savoy Kitchen looked like the place to go. So we headed out on the 60, just 15 min or so outside of downtown. Not very far to travel considering Singapore is 8,774 miles from Los Angeles.

This seemingly easy dish to prepare isn’t as subtle as you think. The Chicken is boiled is garlic and ginger, then cooled quickly in an ice bath to room temperature. The rice is cooked in the stock from the boiled meat, the chicken is then chopped and plated with the rice, and served with a garlic and ginger puree, a spicy red chili sauce, and a little soy. How you dress your dish with the condiments is a national debate, and this being my first time, I just pour everything over the rice.

The flavor combination is pure bliss. The tangy ginger working with the the kick of the red chili and salty soy sauce. I take a bite of chicken, then right behind it gobble down some of the delicious rice. It’s as wonderful as Bourdain says it is.

They’ve got a bizarre menu of Chinese inspired pastas and pizzas at Savoy Kitchen, but unfortunately didn’t try anything else off the menu. Things like Conch and Noodle Soup, Ox Tail Stew, seafood pastas, and several different kind of pizzas. Full menu here.

As I sat there and ate my dish, I started thinking of how I could recreate this at home. I found what seems to be a close recipe, but something tells me my attempt would fall short of the original made by someone with years of experience. So for now, my new love lives in Alhambra, and I will return with reinforcements soon.

For the next two weeks we are exploring the Mediterranean. We’ll start in Spain, with stops in France, Italy, Corsica, Gibraltar, and Morocco. Some would call the Mediterranean a foodies paradise. So far, it’s everything I had hoped for.

Our first stop is the Gothic quarter in Barcelona. The city is full of amazing architecture, tapas, and wine and beer cafes. Barcelona is a beautiful city. There is no doubting that people here love their food. Anthony Bourdain says the best food in the world can be found here and he’s not kidding. There is a tapas bar and café around every corner, markets filled with meats, cheeses, fruits and veggies, and the fun goes deep in into the night and morning. After all, this is the home of El Bulli, considered by most the best restaurant in the world. (No, I didn’t go to there, they were booked solid through 2008.)

After grabbing some pastries and coffee at La Boulangerie, we explored the city a bit. Which included the amazing baroque Catholic Church, La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, both designed by famed artist and architect Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi began construction on La Sagrada Familia in 1882. It isn’t estimated to be completed for another 25 years, long after his death in 1926. It’s an architectural marvel inspired by his naturalistic, singular and organic style.

We worked up a hunger, and thirst, so on our first stop we stumbled upon Bosc de les Fades Café. A quaint, dark, little mystical tavern, decorated with trees, fountains, and even a fake thunder storm that would sound off every 20 min or so. The lights would dim, then the sound of rain and thunder came barreling over the speakers and a bright white light would flash, simulating lightning. I downed a glass of Spain’s national beer called Estancia Damm, and we headed off in search of some tapas and sangria.

After hoping on the metro to get out of the Gothic district and into Barceloneta along the oceanfront, we came to find out that our tapas destination, El Vaso de oro, is closed during the month of September. So we settled on Mikel Extea, a famous tapas joint in the Gothic district just off Las Ramblas.

The sangria was delightful. The fruit soaked wine was perfectly sweetened with just a little sugar and citrus. The albondigas was reminiscent of a Spanish grandmother’s stew, with peas, carrots and mushrooms, all sitting in a light tomato broth with the meatballs. The potatas bravas were different than I had had in the states. Drenched in a spicy, mayonnaise sauce, the potatoes didn’t have much flavor and were baked, but not crisp. It was the paella here that stood out. Easily the best I had ever had. The bottom of the rice in the hot pan was crisp, the top was swimming with flavor from the mussels, clams, langostine and chicken.

Next was the Pinotxo bar in the famous La Boqaria. An open air market filled with fruits and veggies, butcher shops and counter top tapas bars. I was in heaven with the enormous amounts of Jamon Iberico everywhere, hanging by their hooves, the delicious salted pork waiting to be devoured with a loaf of bread and some cheese. (Remind me to check out Bar Pinxto when I get back in the states, so I can say how great Pinoxto in Barcelona was and sound super cool.)

After finally squeezing into a counter seat at Pinotxo, we were greeted with smiles and broken English, with no menu it was just sort of point and eat. We ordered delicate croquettes filled with various meats, seafood and cheese, a delicious sausage, and an unbelievable beef stew. I could have sat there all day and tried everything. But my stomach is only so big and we had to get headed to the ship. There is plenty more food waiting for us on our adventures ahead, next stop Provance, France.

* Special thanks to Zane from Three Sheets and Marta for the excellent recommendations in Barcelona!