I spent New Year’s eve in Barcelona and was invited by the Saboc team to taste their ‘temperature cuisine’. The concept is simple: serving small dishes to share and enjoy the Mediterranean flavours in a cosy, unpretentious environment.
Why ‘temperature cuisine’? Well, the menu is based on four types of cooking:
R A W – L O W T E M P E R A T U R E – S T O V E S – G R I D D L E S
Interesting angle… When you think about it, temperature does play a fundamental role in the kitchen. Taste, textures and the quality of nutrients depend on it. Chef Iker Erauzkin creates a menu which varies from season to season, and we got to sample the Christmas menu, which looked like this:
Saboc is absolutely gorgeous, too. It’s Scandinavian design meets the 60’s. Owners Tomás and Eva García have incredible taste. They thought of Saboc & temperature cuisine as a fun way to navigate through the Mediterranean culinary heritage.
Ordering wasn’t easy, because it meant leaving some dishes out… All in all, I think we made a great choice. Here is what we tried:
Seabass ceviche with orange, coriander and lime. Fresh and delicious.
Orzo risotto with asparagus and prawn casserole.You expect rice and then this little pasta comes along. The subtle prawn taste mixes so well with the cheese… very nice dish.
Beef tataki with olive oil and tomato petals. Probably one of my favorites. The tomato reduction that looks like honey was a brilliant detail.
Country egg with mashed potato and fresh truffle from Lleida, cooked 62°.
I am not usually a fan of truffle. I know, I am crazy. But let me tell you, this country egg made me change my view about truffles 180°. And the mash was sooooo soft and delicate.
Lamb medallion caramelised at 80° with carrots and anise. This lamb is cooked for 11 hours at low temperature. The result? The meat melts in your mouth. The anised vacuum cooked carrots are very nice too. Pure bliss.
Caramelised Duck cannelonni with soy beans, pistacchios and Korean BBQ sauce. Ok, this was my number one favorite. And it just happened to come last as the cherry on the cake. You have to try this.
I couldn’t hide my excitement…
After the 6 dishes, we weren’t sure we could indulge in getting dessert. But then again, how could we not?
Carrot cake with mandarin & vanilla sorbet, topped with dried red fruits. The carrot cake much resembled a honeybread. Fresh, light, perfect way to end the meal.
These were some of the dishes we didn’t get to taste but which look awesome enough that I need to come back and try them all!
Tuna sashimi with vanilla flavoured tomato.
Spheres of fresh mozzarella, tomato and aromatic herbs.
Nestor Fernandez, Head of cooks came to greet us at the end of our lunch and we got to thank him in person for the rad gastronomic trip. I just love it when somebody so talented remains so humble and accessible.
Maxi took care of us the whole early afternoon. He is Argentinean, warm and genuine. He took time to explain every plate, help us with the dish-picking, recommend us wine & tell us about Saboc’s philosophy.
A typical “Riojan”, tempranillo and graciano varieties.
Rosé for me, duh. This moscatel and Syrah wine was so fruity and delicious. Darker than the ones I usually like. But very nice.
Purified tab water.
The place has two floors. The basement is very cosy and can house private events up to some 50 people. Incredible light for a warm atmosphere.
If you’re in Barcelona, lose yourself in the Born quarter and go to Saboc. The food is absolutely delicious, creative and delicate. The restaurant is beautiful and well located. The service, impeccable. The prices, affordable. What else can one ask for?
Anita
Saboc – 3, Carrer de la Fusina, Born, Barcelona – – Open daily from 13 to 23h30.
