Update: Croissant Smackdown edition
The winner of Best Croissant in Spain 2014 is also my favorite croissant in Barcelona. At 1,60, it's one of the more expensive croissants, but it's still under 2 bucks! When you bite into one of these masterpieces, you immediately feel the salty sweetness on your tongue - it's just a burst of flavor - delicious and satisfying. It's not overly flakey, and the dough is perfectly baked (without excessive air pockets)... Yes, I've been sampling lots of croissants over the past year - and Oriol Balaguer's is the best in the city (so far).
Original review:
All I can say about their confections is "wow"!
Not only is the chocolate beautifully packaged and presented - the flavors are inventive, interesting and delicious.
A few years ago, my mother brought me a box of Oriol Balanguer - all the way from Spain to Los Angeles... and I was thrilled beyond words. I was ready to savor each chocolate - one a day for the 12 days... because I know at these prices, these are not bon bons to just pop one after the other into one's mouth.. No! So a couple of nights later, when we had cousins over for a dinner party, my mother volunteered *MY* box of chocolates as the after dinner dessert.
but... but... (those were *my* chocolates)
So as a good hostess, I said nothing and brought out the special box - and of course, the Yuzu (japanese lemon flavored center) chocolate that i was going to save for last was the first one that was selected by someone other than me.
Yep, my mother got the pouty-face from me for a couple of days. She did make up for it later that year when a friend of mine was visiting Spain. My mum gave her a box to bring back to LA for me (thanks Julie!)
Now that I'm in BCN, I walk by every now and again and get a good peek at the goodies inside... they are really a feast for the eyes. read more