Disfrutar had for a while been on my bucket list and had it not been for Covid I would have visited it last year so it’s safe to say that I was very exited walking through the doors.
Unlike other restaurants at Disfrutar you walk through the kitchen on the way to the main dining room which is open, airy and with an impressive view of the kitchen.
To begin with we got a super refreshing passion fruit aire sorbet. This was to be the first of many sweet and fruity snacks that would mark the beginning of the meal and that it would not be a classic menu, just in case you had any doubts.
The next snack was to introduce another technic in the form of two spheres and a frozen litche. The highlight was however the crispy beetroot “cake”. Again super aire and with an amazing flavor. Distint beetroot but without the iron flavor that is sometimes dominant for beetroot. Just delicious and proving that despite all of the techniques it’s still all about the flavor.
Next up was probably their most iconic dish. The caviar and sour creme bun that was enjoyed together with a truffle infused vodka. The vodka Introduced nice earthy umami flavors that complimented the caviar very nicely. It also introduced another level to the dish where a drink was to be seen as part of the actual dish besides the pairing
A innocent looking pouch and mango was up next. Now it might have looked simple but damm was it delicious. It was just the most delicious salty caramel you could imagine. Finishing with a whiskey infused mango.
For the last two dishes a cider with dry ice had been bubbling and now we were to have it as part of the next dish with a smokey asado cheese millfurmet. The sweetness and smoke from the cider matched perfectly the smoke from the cheese. Just such a nice dish.
Next up a gazpacho sandwich that held intense sweetness without ever being mistaken for a dessert. From the first mouthful I was impressed by the delicate flavors and only second by the impressive techniques and play with temperatures with the cold center and lukewarm “bread”. A very impressive dish.
We were now going to San Sebastián for a classic pintxos dish. Mackerel with olive, different buttery gels and capers. Nice strong and powerful flavors but not one that blew me away.
The next dish was the only dish that felt like technical show off. Fake tempura in the form of pine and rich mushroom. I loved the mushroom leaf but I would have loved it more had it been part of a dish rather than a single element where I felt quiete alone.
I absolutely loved the text dish. In an egg was a trumpet gel and on top a “fried bread” which held a rich egg yolk. Once the top has been bid of you could mix the two cremes into a rich and creamy creme. The flavors, presentation and construction of the dish were all on point.
I also absolutely loved the next dish. Raw green asparagues wrapped around a white asparagues creme that could be either eaten with grated macadamias nuts or an elderflower sorbet and depending on which you choose it felt like two completely different dishes. It became tree different dishes when eating the top of the green asparagues with a passion fruit gel.
We were to continue with asparagus. This time in a multi spherification served with roasted pinenuta and bonito. Here the classic dish had been deconstructed and assembled therough great techniques but still with the same flavor profile as the original dish.
You can also call the next dish a deconstruction of a carbonara but I am not sure that would be accurate. It was the most creme and delicious carbonara I have ever had. Gelatin had replaced flower to make the pasta and hereby creating the most delicate pasta which gave the actual sauce even more space to shine and so it did. I absolutely loved the dish. First of all for it’s flavors but secondly also because they used their technical skills to improve the flavors of the dish and not just to change textures.
Our next dish was apparently a Catalan Christmas dish. A salmon “cake” with small olive oil spheres and on the side a cucumber gazpacho with a olive sphere to. A combination that worked very nicely together.
A massive langostine was presented with tree potato “cremes”, a saffron sauce and a seaweed foam. Again a dish with a drink as part of the dish where it this time was a capuchino like bisque.
The next dish completely blew me away. In reality a simple constructed dish but just so well thought out and executed. A ribeye tartare and it’s grilled fat presented with a small sauce and an intense broth. Again playing with contrast between hot fat and cold meat and contrast of lean vs fatty. To finish a small chili pepper crisp that held so much flavor and almost none the heat proving just how much flavor there actually are in chili’s if you can take away the heat. I absolutely loved this dish. I loved the flavor first and foremost and the whole concept of the dish still blows me away. Truly a memorable dish
The next dish felt both classic and yet not classic at all at the same time. Corn spheres and the most delicious foi fras. Again just amazing flavors where the cognac and the essence of the corn truely complimented the foi gras and was probably the best foi gras dish I have ever had.
Our final salty dish was pieces of pigeon with sauces that looked like a a beautiful painting. The merian was a good match for the meat but the meat has to much iron for my taste.
Our first dessert was nice and refreshing in the form of a mix bethween passion fruit and coconut.
Cheesecake with sorbet. Another magical combination where the sorbet gave the dish a completely different identity than you would normally think of when you hear cheececake. Classic flavor but innovative techniques
To finish another classic combination but just executed well in unusual techniques and presentations. Oliveoil and chocolate
As this was my first visit to Disfrutar I wanted to try the classic menu as it’s fair to say that it holds it’s fair share of iconic dishes. The funny thing about the menu is that despite some of the dishes being 6-7 years old they don’t feel al old. The complete experience feels very much like a restaurant pushing boundaries in every sense. I was unsure how the balance between technic and flavor would be as it is we’ll know for it’s technical capabilities but it should be equally famous for its outstanding flavors. Some dishes present classic flavor combinations but in new techniques like the asparagus dish while in the carbonara dish the techniques improves the flavor of the original dish and lifts it to another level and at its core all of the dishes are it’s great flavors.
The service and decor of the restaurant is classic 3 Michelin star level, attentive, professional, personal and well the people were just very kind.
It is therefore pretty safe to say that we were blown away from start to finish and strait into my personal top 10.
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