After Rambla’s chef Ruben and Esquina’s chef Carlos had their way in the former’s kitchen, theirs was proof once again that the Spaniards have conquered our palates and then some

Since fresh-off-the-boat executive chef for Rambla, Ruben Beltran Castellnou, needed an introduction to the Philippine dining scene and being that everyone has to get on a plane to Singapore to sample Barcelona-born chef Carlos Montobbio’s cooking at his restaurant, Esquina, this four-hands collaboration was the perfect excuse to get everyone on board and put out some excellent Spanish and Catalan cuisine.    

 

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Media got first dibs at lunch, and later, the ticketed dinner, was a sold out event. Said Dani Aliaga, managing partner and marketing director of Bistronomia, the hive company that gave birth to hot spots Rambla, Las Flores, and Tomatito Sexy Tapas Bar, “We are all extremely happy to have chef Ruben here—he’s got a lot of experience behind him. Chef Carlos, we’ve known for quite a while. We’ve all dined at Esquina and he is extremely talented. We all felt very aligned—both our restaurants are very similar, and the chemistry between Ruben and Carlos is great so we [grabbed the] opportunity.”

Carlos, who has worked at El Celler de Can Roca with the Roca brothers and at the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant, Zuberoa (also in Spain), has been making waves in Singapore for some time now. Ruben, who arrived in Manila last February, honed his skills at the 3 Michelin-starred Les Prés d’Eugénie in France followed by the Vincci Estrella del Mar Hotel in Malaga.

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Above Royal of Parmesan

The first, and very pretty course of several, was served up in pastel rainbow bowls the size of egg cups. Within each cup was a perfectly balanced ratio between the salty and the sweet: Royal of Parmesan, foie, Iberian ham, pine nuts, and sugar apple. At the beginning of each bite, the Parmesan, in its almost custard-like consistency, took dominance, until slowly, the sugar apple cut through nicely to even out the flavour playing field. The Blanc Seleccio 2015 from Sommelier Selection (from which all of the wines for this 4-hands lunch came), with its compatible fruity notes of apple and anise, made for a great finish on the palate.

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Above Plating the Spanish Nigiri
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Above Spanish Nigiri

Next, the Spanish Nigiri looked like a Japanese dish, yet tasted as Spanish as one could get. “This was the first dish I did in Esquina,” shared Carlos. The bacalao brandade (the “sushi rice” replacement) was an emulsion of salted cod and olive oil with mashed potatoes and then emulsified with a robust garlic oil. Sitting atop the sticky consistency of the brandade was a sliver of perfectly roasted sweet piquillo pepper, brushed with a soya glaze.

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Above Rambla
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Above Preparing the Octopus Dish

Carlos, who is known to whip up tasty dishes that are typically good for sharing, showcased this through the next course: Octopus in grilled corn sauce with chimichurri. How octopus is cooked makes or breaks a dish and this one was wonderfully tender. The crunch of the toasted corn cornel bits was a nice textural touch while the drizzle of chorizo oil made for a rich conclusion. The bolder and more aromatic Donzella 2015 was a stunning match here.

The textured masterpiece, however, had to be Ruben’s sharp and piquant gazpacho-like (but thicker) “Salmore Jo.” A cold soup that originates from the south of Spain, Salmorejo is a purée made from tomatoes, bread, oil, and garlic. Ruben, whose version featured chunks of tender smoked eel, crunchy black olive sand, and topped with quail eggs and tart drops of a mango coulis-type sauce, recommended “to mix everything together before taking a bite.” 

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Above Octopus chimichurri
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Above Salmore Jo Soup
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Next was the Iberico Pork Jowl, foiled by a rich and dreamy chipotle mayo and pickled pear sprinkled with a fiery togarashi (a Japanese spice mixture). A fantastic porcine pairing was found in the 2015 Negre Seleccio that spanned a spectrum of red fruits with a spicy background.

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Interspersing much-needed lighter fare with the heavier, gamey courses, the well-portioned flaky fillet of roasted hake was excellently seasoned, “escabeche” style, using the acute acidic flavours of grapefruit juice, and served with de-shelled mussels, octopus and fennel. Savoury, sweet, tart, and sour (and not too fishy!), this was a Spanish-Mediterranean dish well done. Said Ruben, “It’s a little bit complex, but altogether very nice.” 

The neck of Braised Saltbush Lamb came across as very classic and traditional amidst all the pushing of the culinary envelope. Served with a perfectly al dente couscous, fragrantly smoky eggplant “escalivada,” and generously drizzled in a sharp mojo picon (a sauce made popular in the Canary Islands comprised of dried pepper, cumin and vinegar), the lamb went splendidly with the elegant raspberry and vanilla tones of the Sang de Drac 2015.

To temper the ambush of bold flavours, Ruben intervened with a palate cleanser: the sangria-soaked watermelon cubes nestled beside a dollop of tart lime sorbet, a sprig of refreshing mint and, interestingly, droplets of cardamom gel.

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Above The Braised Saltbush Lamb
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Adding gastronomic pomp and flair to the dessert scene was Carlos’ signature BBC of Esquina fame. An absolutely sensual and voluptuous (one felt slightly more so, post-BBC) sweet ending, the acronym stands for individually calorific components: beer ice cream, banana (ok, not as calorie-laden), and salted caramel. The magic ingredient? “We use stout for the ice cream. It’s a very strong beer with an alcohol level of 10 per cent. It tastes like molasses and coffee so it’s a great pairing with banana,” shared Carlos.

Al final, the petit four ended the epic repast—crisp golden-brown melba chips smothered in chocolate ganache, olive oil, and a smattering of Maldon sea salt.