Alkimia
Roasted Red Pepper Flat Bread with Herring Oil and Anchovy Ganache
Langoustine, Prawn and Fish Tartare, Boccato di Cardinale
Tuna with Sherry Tomato and Acidulated Lemon Juice
Rockfish Rice
Grilled Turbot with Oyster Romesco and stuffed Courgette
Sourdough
French Fries and Iberico
Roasted Chicken and Pumpkin Ravioli with Cheese Cream and Ginger
Striploin with Roasted Sweetbreads and Chicory
Menjar Blanc with Seasonal Fruit and Cava Gelee
Citric Souffle with Fruit Salad and Orange Ice Cream
Chocolate Cake with Pickled Plum Ice Cream
Double Espresso
Caramelized White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Macaron
Open from Monday through Friday at Ronda Sant Antoni 41, the relocation over one year ago apparently still a secret to the manufacturer of Audi’s GPS (and several late arriving guests who were overheard telling the receptionist that they’d gone to the former location first,) Alkimia by Jordi Vila is one of those polarizing Michelin Stars that has many supporters but an equal number of people who claim the restaurant in “terrible,” a visit on Tuesday afternoon validating both opinions in one way or another.
Set-up as a sort of clandestine space, the buzzer near a small sign at the door allowing guests with reservations to be rang in before climbing stairs lined in wrought iron, it is upon reaching the top that a large wall of fluid-filled vessels looms with the foyer to the right, a reservationist speaking slow and monotone before leading parties to the dining area where things thankfully lighten up.
Clearly an expensive restaurant, the Chef’s agreement to design a menu for longtime Brewery Moritz in 2011 still an ongoing partnership that assuredly helped Vila build-out the space next door with a modern open kitchen, digital screens and elegant softening touches beneath the original painted ceiling, it was at a table only feet away from the line that a seat was offered, the menu divided into two tastings and an a la carte section with the shorter Jordi Vila menu described as “more traditional” across-the-board more appealing on this particular afternoon.
Named after the Spanish word for Alchemy, though in reality not nearly as Modernist or ‘molecular’ as such a title would suggest as Chef Vila instead looks to rejuvenate tradition by way of technique-driven cooking featuring high quality products, it was with Wine declined and Water poured that the menu quickly got underway without an amuse, the Roasted Red Pepper Flat Bread smoky and sweet in front of a glass filled with bitter Granita and topped with a leaf of Lettuce filled with herbal crumbs and a sort of Cannelloni filled with Anchovy Paste.
Continuing strong with Seafood, a plate of Tartare absolutely pristine with tender chunks of sweet flesh playing well off tangy Yogurt, it was next that a Red Prawn with Caviar was served, the flavor immediately ‘off’ with an intensely bitter liquid gushing forth as the Head was squeezed and something, that if intentional, seems severely misguided as it immediately made one wish the next course would come and additionally threatened to spoil the rest of the meal.
Still reeling from the Prawn, a description of what had been experienced brushed away as “yes, it is intense” by the server who thankfully brought course three no more than two minutes later, suffice it to say that “Tuna with Sherry Tomato and Acidulated Lemon Juice” was definitely better than the Prawn but still not particularly well-made as the Fish got lost amongst competing ingredients, the Rockfish Rice pleasant and texturally intriguing despite the fact that the protein was slightly overcooked amidst tender Grains and a net of aged Manchego.
Said to be a master of Catalonian cuisine, a focus on ‘modern, fresh and light’ methods used to coax the best out of his ingredients, it was finally with a meaty Filet of Turbot that Vila and his team served a dish that was truly remarkable as the Oyster Cream and Squash Blossom stuffed with earthy flavors each contributed something different yet complimentary, the Sourdough used to wipe up some sauce a nice touch while the “French Fries and Iberico” follow-up was a throwaway course that seemed far too gimmicky.
Again showing some skill with flavor pairings by way of the Chicken and Pumpkin Ravioli, a very “Thanksgiving” sort of dish that found balance between freshly grated Ginger and a thick dollop of what tasted like Cottage Cheese, savories were rounded out by Medium-Rare slices of Beef set next to a Sweetbread cooked rubbery, the Almond Milk Palate Cleanser with Peaches pleasant enough as was the €14 a la carte add-on Lemon Soufflé served slightly browned with a sidecar of Fruit Salad and Orange Ice Cream that was added to the center of the red-hot baking dish immediately.
Told that Chef Vila also creates his own pastries, an impressive fact considering the fact that the combined menus contain a dozen daily, it was prior to a double Espresso that Dark Chocolate Cake with a texture like Pudding was enjoyed alongside Pickled Plum Ice Cream, the flavors complimentary and without a doubt the meal’s highlight besides the Turbot though the Mignardise of Caramelized White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean was also well executed with a clean break and smooth cream featuring restrained but lingering sweetness.
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