The first building on the long promenade of Marina Botafoch is a brand new hotel, called the Sir Joan from, as it would happen the group, Sir Hotels, who are behind a small chain of modern luxurious hotels that take in interesting elements from the cities in which the hotels land.
The hotel on Ibiza is open all year and right now has some cool winter social events that include live acoustic music with Friday Aperitivo or Thirsty Thursday for wine and mezcal tastings.
We went along to see a new resident in the kitchen for what a culinary event the hotel has billed as The Dinner Show.
Finely executed food
Ceviche, but not as we know it
And, indeed it is a show as well as a showcase of local products and very finely executed food with the master of ceremonies, the chef Boris Buono of the Ibiza Food Studio.
Boris is ex Noma, the internationally-famed hyperlocal restaurant where he was one of the original employees. As well as working at what is considered by many to be the world's best restaurant, he has worked for other Michelin-starred establishments and brings his varied skills to what is an outstanding menu.
The Dinner Show is a nine-course tasting menu which shows off Boris's passion and his ‘rustic style'. Nine courses sounds like a lot, but the dishes are not too big and it all gives one an array of amazing flavours.
So, the idea is, that the ‘show' is a presentation of dishes, most of which are explained to you by Boris himself, who sporting a pair of flowered trousers is as colourful as the food itself.
Getting started, we got a welcome glass of Cava, plus a selection of breads; a fabulous grissini extrusion and toasted rye were served with a green alioli and guacamole to get our taste buds tickled. And they did.
Seeing the fresh oysters on the display led to a special request of these yummy bivalves and a pair came dressed with a spicy tomato picada, finished off with a dash of mezcal. What a way to get started!
Delicate and delectable
The exquisite vegetable 'ravioli'
One of the first dishes to arrive was a ceviche, fine slices of white fish, some prawn and a fabulous sauce to accompany it. Delicate and delectable.
Our next course came under a big glass dome containing a lamb and pine nut tartare and was filled with applewood smoke, flavouring the dish. Pure food theatre, and importantly incredible taste.
Prawns did feature strongly in the menu and they were very welcome: a pair of them stuffed with a rosemary branch each were served on a heated earthenware grill covered with chinese writing. Presentation was just generally gorgeous.
The beauty of the plate of vegetable ‘ravioli' was a case in point. Tricorns of beetroot, turnip and celeriac with dollops of peanut sauce and macadamia puree with artfully arranged edible flowers. It was so pretty it was almost a shame to eat it.
It's worth mentioning the wines as it is a big part of the experience. Each course comes with a specially-paired wine that goes with what you are eating. These included a fair number of different whites, many from Catalonia and all were quite special.
Magic and mystery
Food theatre with smoke effects
Two very stand-out wines were the natural ones without additives, a cloudy white and a refreshing red, almost raspberry-like in flavour. Both had a freshness to them that you just don't find in other wines. I'd personally recommended giving them a try.
Back to the food and a fabulously deconstructed bouillabaisse was u next - that's that fish dish from Marseille that uses the leftover fish from the day's catch, so nothing is wasted.
Ours had clams, mussels, prawns and red mullet, the local fish that's a pain to prepare but worth it for its deep flavour. The ‘soup' element was a roasted fish stock and poured over the seafood.
Bouillabaisse, deconstructed
A meat dish came towards the end, a beef tenderloin with bone marrow and sweetmeats. It was a fitting end to the savoury section of the dinner and was served appropriately with that natural red.
Concluding the night was a fabulous chocolate crisp with an orange sorbet, the kind of dessert that I like. Small, delicious, perfectly formed leaving you with a sweet ending.
And sweet it was. We left contented, happy and full of the joys of winter, promising ourselves that we would make a date with Boris and the Sir Joan hotel again soon.
The Dinner Show runs from now until 8 January 2018 every day except Mondays.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Dina Aragon MAIN IMAGE | Sir Hotels
