With the arrival of spring in Catalonia, the sun’s warmth awakens nature from its winter hibernation and elicits the flourishing bounty of nature. A renewed vibrance that is highly treasured by Executive Chef Marti Carlos Martinez of Restaurant Gaig, the first international outpost of the original Michelin-starred restaurant in Barcelona opened by celebrated chef Carles Gaig.
In homage to the vitality of the warm seasons, Chef Marti and team present a refreshed five-course Chef’s Menu ($158++ per person) that celebrates the vivacious soul of Catalan cuisine. The region’s heritage is weaved through the refined dishes with innovative flair and deep respect for time-honoured flavours.
A trio of canapés transports guests into a culinary experience of a Catalan summer. Lobster salpicón tart is inspired by memories of sunny days at the beach that end with cold, tangy seafood salad. Here, Chef Marti combines lobster and diced vegetables in a house-made kueh pie tee shell and finishes the snack with escabeche espuma.
Relish the lively flavours of salmorejo sandwich, a chilled tomato soup from Córdoba, in the form of an ”ice cream sandwich” – salmorejo sorbet is served between slices of tomato water meringue. The third snack of suckling pig and carabinero prawn follows the regional concept of mar i muntanya (sea and mountain).
Deep-fried calf brains are a Gaig family favourite; Chef Marti recreates the alluring layers of crispy and creamy textures through the roasted offal of suckling pig with tempura bits, paired with binchotan-grilled prawn.
Delight in familiar favourites such as foie gras paired with anchovies, as well as Gaig’s traditional cannelloni, a signature since 1869.
The first starter of duck foie gras terrine and multi-spherical anchovy continues the Catalan tradition of mar i muntanya with French duck liver and L’Escala anchovy served with green apple and confit onion purées. When Chef Carles was part of the military service, he had created snacks using provisions available in the army stores. The pairing of pâté and anchovies was a sublime revelation for Carles.
The restaurant’s signature Gaig’s traditional cannelloni is prepared with a 152-year-old recipe – a legacy of the family and traditionally served only during Christmas in Barcelona. Roasted meat is wrapped in cannelloni sheets and served with truffled cream sauce as a comforting appetiser.
Chef Marti’s squid ink rice and silken floral presents a contemporary take on the Spanish paella. Bomba rice and diced squid are sautéed with sofrito, then cooked in squid ink and a seafood broth of prawn head, lobster head, and rockfish till the intense flavours are fully absorbed by the plump grains. Japanese firefly squid is added just before the rice is done. Draped over the dark rice is a delicate silken cuttlefish adorned with locally grown flowers from Edible Garden City; an illustration of the warm seasons.
In Spain, nose-to-tail gastronomy forms an intrinsic part of the culture that is slowly fading away. To sustain his nation’s heritage and to minimise waste, Chef Marti presents Spanish suckling pig in an array of elaborations in the stellar main course.
Different techniques are applied to showcase the best qualities of each element. Its brain is braised, roasted, and served as part of the canapé with carabinero. Fat is rendered with bacon and transformed into a tealight candle, which slowly melts into a luscious warm dip for freshly baked bread.
Succulent loin is oven-baked till its skin is crisp, and the tail is deep-fried for a lovely contrast of rich, sticky collagen and soft tendon. Mango chutney enlivened with a splash of lime juice and vinegar offers fruity acidity with each bite. Not forgetting the suckling pig’s trotters and bones, which are reduced with butter to concoct the accompanying jus.
A supplementary dish of pig’s head ($25 per half portion) is offered for a complete culinary immersion in the centuries-old practice. The head is meticulously deboned for delightful enjoyment of its crunchy ears and tender jowl; its meat is confit with herbs and spices in sunflower oil before it is finished in the oven.
The palate cleanser refreshes with juniper-forward Xoriguer Mahón Gin and lemon juice – the striking flavours of the Pomada cocktail. The gin-based drink is a staple at summer fiestas in the Spanish island of Menorca, set in the Mediterranean sea.
Local goat’s milk is highlighted through several expressions in the lactic and guava dessert. Sitting on a bed of white chocolate sand, a sphere of milk mousse is covered in guava glaze and topped with wispy cotton candy. Dulce de leche made with caramelised sugar, cloves, and milk is nestled within the mousse. Frozen buttermilk foam and drops of guava purée add sweet and sour nuances.
A repertoire of innovative renditions intertwined with the Catalan heritage – experience the refreshed Chef’s Menu at Restaurant Gaig.
a. 16 Stanley St, Singapore 068735
w. singapur.restaurantgaig.com
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