Rooster & Bubbles: Ast chicken, a succulent option beyond Sunday | Gastronomy

Despite their antagonistic names, there is a close relationship between and. The first is one of the pioneering premises of the AST in the city, which opened Joan Casas in 1962, and currently have a takeaway store and a restaurant. The second is the modernization of the family business by the Nets, who have followed the philosophy of accompanying the chicken to the cava, but in a more current dining room. After the first march of the first in Pla de Palau they have just opened the second premises in the Eixample. There is one thing that has not changed, the adjusted prices. If you will find a menu of 14.80 euros during the Kikiriki during the week, in the Rooster & Bubbles you can get up for about 20 euros.

Pioneers of chicken in the ast

We begin this family story from the beginning and how Marc Martínez, the net of Joan Casas, pioneer of the chicken in the Ast in Barcelona, ​​tells us. The Kikiriki’s story began in 1962, after the grandfather of this chickens’ saga discovered during a trip to Berlin the roasting machine with a fire similar to the vertical mate that roast with a slow rotation system, as in the Lebanese or Mexican tradition.

Joan Casas had the vision of designing a machine that operated with a city gas, and a neighbor make man built a prototype. Thus he started the first premises Kikiriki, small, in his neighborhood of Hostafrancs, where at first only chickens and croquettes were cooked to take away or food on the bar. But since both Grandpa and his wife, Maria Recasens, were people who liked to leave and celebrate, they decided that their product paired very well with cava. And this detail was a success.

The pairing liked, and in the 1980’s, the store had its peak, with the neighbors queuing on Sundays to take their lunch ready. But joys never come alone and a fulminant heart attack took Joan Casas at the age of only 36. His wife, with four children, became involved in the business thoroughly and continued to run. Thus continued with the opening of a restaurant on Calvet Street, already closed, and another in Gran Via, which is still open and hands of the second generation.

Over time, Kikiriki incorporated other meats into the AT, such as piglets, sausage or duck. In addition, the offer of dishes in the store grew and you would not end at present. Most are recipes from traditional cuisine, such as capipota, beef with mushrooms, cardinal macaroni, stuffed eggplant, paved, cod in the can or with sail, rice and noodles, are part of an extensive menu, which.

Roast and bubbles

The story continues with the grandchildren, Marc Martínez and his sister Anna, who opened the first Restaurant Rooster & Bubbles in 2021 in the Born, with an updated format of the chicken in the Ast that they have always seen at home. The intention was to change the wrap, but not the content, and its star dish is still roasted chicken in the traditional way in a turn that turns, and for greater transparency, the machine is in the same dining room.

A couple of months ago the second restaurant, this time in the Eixample, has been inaugurated, and only enter it you can see that it has nothing to do with a chicken venue in the Ast like those in our heads. In an elegant room, designed by Tranchs Studio, which does not forget the origins with photographs of the grandparents on the walls, they are still true to their feeling, pairing the chicken in the cava with the cava.

At the bottom of the dining room, the house star turns on a roasting machine in the eyes of everyone. The chicken is still and the same cooking method, with a simple mixture of spices, based on salt and pepper, “for the chicken shines,” says Marc. But here they also roast other cuts, such as pig, lamb, duck and piglets, and vegetables like pumpkin. They will not stop here, they want to continue trying new things.

In addition to the classic piece of chicken with potatoes, you can also savor inside a sandwich or a salad. The croquettes, made with roast chicken, of course, are creamy, and the potatoes bravas, an essential starter. In addition, they also offer other chup-xup dishes, and they always have the cava ready. Here are six sparkling references, two of them in cups. They also have a service to take away and do not hide that it is a concept that can be brought to more places.