Antiquari, a surprising tasting menu in the Gothic Quarter
A stony and monumental corner of Barcelona's Gothic and Renaissance times, the Plaça del Rei - it is said that it was there that Ferdinand the Catholic received Columbus after his arrival from the first voyage to the Indies and, incidentally, and this is accurately dated, the monarch suffered a near-fatal attack - a place whose remote atmosphere gravitates among groups of students, astonished tour
The choice is surprising. It's the so-called executioner's house in Barcelona (though it's unclear whether he lived there or directly across the street), where, I'm told at the restaurant, a dungeon and even some sinister tools are hidden in the basement. Be that as it may, the 16th-century house is only open to the public on the ground floor, because the upper floor, Yordi assures me, is under renovation and will be transformed in a few months into a much more sophisticated (gastronomically speaking) establishment. Yes, the current restaurant, Antiquari, is ostensibly more informal, with semi-high tables and chairs and a casual atmosphere, though very much focused on the completely open kitchen, which is only about five or six square meters.
From this kitchen, Yordi (named after his Andalusian mother, who couldn't pronounce the Catalan 'j') and Jorge have created a tasting menu - the only option, 55 euros - which, despite its ups and downs and still lacking technical adjustments, is surprisingly bold in a clearly touristy area with a (euphemism) culinary mediocrity.
Yordi, trained at the Majestic and at Nandu Jubany's banquets, has no shortage of drive and ambition. He wants to succeed in haute cuisine, plain and simple. At 32, he has no intention of taking a single step back.
An unabashed fan of the Adrià brothers and Joan Roca, he kicks things off with a Delta oyster that brightens things up (these smaller, sweeter bivalves with low iodine content need a bit of a kick) with strawberry kimchi, goat's milk yogurt, and yogurt snow. It's the first of a trio of appetizers, followed by a steamed Chinese brioche filled with truffle and topped with summer truffle. The sounds of El Celler de Can Roca resonate... Finally, a foie gras cream donut coated in crispy strawberry. It's clear that Yordi is a chef with a sweet tooth.
A sweetness that sometimes gets out of hand, as in the coconut ajoblanco (with coconut sugar), which attempts to contrast it with pickles and smoked ingredients (sardine, salmon, almonds, grapes) but should strive for more balance. Let's try the Vernatxa Instint Primari, a white Grenache from Terra Alta that flirts with orange hues.
Red and white prawn tartare, lightly salted, with soy mayonnaise and a toasted king prawn dumpling. Ennobling the base of the dish is a freshly prepared prawn bisque, which is then celebrated by spreading it with the spirulina and plankton sponge served as a garnish, creating a truly glamorous ensemble. What he calls "faux risotto" is actually a thick cream of egg yolks with a hint of saffron, inhabited by pieces of duck breast, peas (a thin, delicate variety, as he can't yet afford to be thin) from Llavaneres, and black garlic. A masterclass in rich, creamy textures.
The wild boar tenderloin, arriving at a borderline temperature, is juicy, but suffers from the equally chilled salsify cream. It's complemented by rhubarb confit in its own ketchup and a demi-glace. The cannelloni filled with duck breast, confit, mushrooms, and caramelized apple is particularly interesting, both for its succulence and its elegant presentation. It transforms the béchamel sauce (Yordi is celiac) into a truffled potato cream with strands of a very reduced and gelatinous duck broth. A robust and flavorful dish.
Finally, a deconstructed apple tart (sour apple ice cream, roasted apple in white chocolate and apple peel juice, celery and lime) and a lemon pie in Breton shortbread.
And to be able to finish the after-dinner conversation on the restaurant terrace, in the heart of lost heroic times…
