Eclectic is located right in the heart of the old town of A Coruña.
Date of visit: Friday, September 23, 2016
Eclectic Lar Gastronómico is a relatively new addition to the culinary scene in A Coruña, having opened in June of 2016 on a quiet little pedestrian street right in the middle of the old town. Chefs Francesc (Paco) Chicón and Sergio Musso previously had a successful restaurant in Barcelona and decided to make a move from the hectic lifestyle of the big city to the comparative tranquility of A Coruña. To describe the restaurant, one needs to only look at the name itself:
Eclectic refers to the global cuisine, that blends techniques and tastes from all sorts of different cultures where the roots of varied cuisines are brought forth onto the plate using quality local products.
Lar comes from the Galician word Lareira, the word for home. Not house, but home, where you have that feeling of being at ease and comfortable, like visiting your grandma’s house. The dining room is small, very comfortable, decorated eclectically (exactly as the restaurant’s name implies), with an open kitchen that is still a unique feature in Galicia.
Gastronómico because of the true gastronomic experience delivered by these two talented chefs.
Eclectic offers two tasting menus. The
corto (short) is comprised of five savory plates and one dessert while the
largo (long) is seven savory and two desserts. A unique feature is that the tasting menu changes monthly but remains fairly static during the month with certain proteins or vegetables changing depending upon the availability of seasonal products at the market. Because of the dependency on the market ingredients, reservations are required 24 hours in advance. Eclectic takes their wine program quite seriously and boasts a wide range of carefully selected options with a large variety of grapes represented in their cellar.
This appetizer was called ‘chicharron’ de cerdo, but it was actually a pot of flavorful pork rillettes served with onion and olive toast. An excellent start to the meal.
Parrillada de marisco, migas y crema de avellanas – seafood mixed grill with bread crumbs and hazelnut cream
The first course of the largo version of the menu was a variety of seafood (mejillones – mussels, berberechos – cockles, sepia – cuttlefish, pulpo – octopus and a large camarón – shrimp) impressively displayed on an elevated grill. All were cooked perfectly a su punto (just barely done). The hazelnut cream anchored the pile of migas (fried bread crumbs) seasoned with pimentón (paprika) and garnished with a carbón de yucca, a ‘blackened’ (in color, not flavor) piece of the South American root vegetable. A bit of flavorful mayonesa de algas (seaweed mayonnaise) on the side as a dipping sauce brought creamy to the already briny and crunchy plate; a wonderful combination of textures and fresh flavors.
Galicians are quite particular about and proud of their bread. While not actually Gallegos, the chefs at Eclectic follow suit with this thoughtfully composed high quality bread basket. From the top clockwise, pan malta de trigo, pan de centeno, pan de payés, and my favorite of the basket, pan de broa which is a typical Galician corn flour bread made only on Saturdays at a certain local bakery, so the slice arrived freshly baked and still warm.
Cococha de bacalao, pate xoubas y aceite de hierbas – throat of salt cod, sardine pâté and herb (arugula) oil
Yes, you read that right, the throat of the cod. Salt cod always tends to be a bit firm just because of the drying process it goes through, but this version was very carefully done, not too firm and very flavorful. The pâté beneath the cod, made from local Galician sardines, had a strong smell but a surprisingly mild taste even before introducing the arugula emulsion that decorated the plate and balanced the palate.
Crema de pochas con jamón ibérico, brotes y gotas de allada – cream of white beans with Iberian ham and drops of garlic paprika sauce.
With this dish I really came to understand what the chefs mean with eclectic; taking traditional ingredients and using them in (sometimes) surprising non-traditional ways. Here, a cream of white bean soup was made using dried white beans that are cooked then puréed into a soup. Totally traditional. Once the spoon dips in, another layer lies beneath; this one a cream of the fresh green version of that same bean that are in season right now. A total surprise! Garnished on top with deliciously salty Iberian ham (two ways – soft slices of the cured meat and little chunks fried until nearly crispy), scallion, fresh whole baby green beans, and drops of allada (a sauce made from adding paprika to garlic browned in olive oil). Given the length of the menu, I endeavoured to leave something on the plate in each of the courses that came before this one, but it was a losing battle with this delicious soup. I resigned myself to delicious defeat and enjoyed the entire bowl, sampling each of the breads from that tempting basket in the process.
Ravioli de calamar y espuma de pimiento rojo asado – Squid ravioli with roasted red pepper foam over sofrito
Very traditional Spanish ingredients took on a slightly Asian flair in this ravioli made of a wonton wrapper stuffed full with tender flavorful squid placed atop a bed of tomato, onion, and red pepper sofrito (which you can’t see in the photo, bit it’s under there) next to a roasted red pepper cream (the menu called it foamy, but it was actually more creamy). The squid ink painted on the plate is a reminder of what the delicious ravioli filling is made, lest you forget. Once again, I was helpless to the deliciousness and just couldn’t leave anything on the plate; the combination of flavors was just too perfect to leave any behind.
Chefs Musso (left) and Chicón (right) in the open kitchen at Eclectic Lar Gastronómico.
Pescado del día envuelto en hoja de higuera, crema de mejillones con calabaza y emulsión de bróculi – Fish of the day wrapped in fig leaf, cream of mussels, squash, and ginger with broccoli emulsion
While perhaps the least visually interesting plate of the day, this dish had a beautiful depth of flavor. The fish of the day, palomita (butterfish – a firm flesh, slightly oily fish), was cooked at low temperature (sous vide) and finished in a fig leaf to impart flavor (the fish was presented wrapped in the fig leaf, the photo was taken after it was unwrapped). The fish may change daily depending upon whatever is available at the market that morning as the chefs seek out producto de primera (first class product). Once again, the sauces and creams that grace the plate bring in additional flavors that work together seamlessly with the subtly prepared fish.
The lighter courses up to this point were paired with this Viñas del Vero Somontano (a Macabeo Chardonnay blend). The heavier courses from here on were paired with this award winning Viña Peón by Adega O Canceliño (a Mencía Garnacha blend). Eclectic serves local Aguas de Mondariz mineral water.
Costilla al ras el hanout con verduras – Pork rib with Moroccan ras el hanout seasoning and vegetables
From the moment it hit the table, the air filled with the smell of incredibly rich and unctuous confit of pork tucked within crispy phyllo dough. The rib bone was there for mere decoration; the meat had long ago fallen off of that bone during a slow, cocina lenta, process. Middle eastern influences came to the table here in the hint of Moroccan al ras el hanout spice in the intensely flavorful sauce over the pork and the yogurt sesame sauce on the side. A brightly acidic cabbage salad balanced out the flavors perfectly. I really loved this dish.
Travel tip: many spices are very inexpensive to buy in Spain and make wonderful souvenirs and gifts to bring home. After eating at Eclectic, I stopped at a spice shop to pick up some al ras el hanout (a spice blend which translates as “top of the shop”, since it contains the best spices of the market such as nutmeg, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, etc.) to take home and experiment with.
Taco de ternera stroganoff con espuma de mostaza – Beef stroganoff with mustard foam
Here, the word ‘taco’ is referring to the placement of the tender sous vide beef into a square on the plate. The two cultures represented on this plate worked perfectly in unison; a flavorful Russian inspired beef stroganoff and a French inspired mushroom and onion duxelles wrapped in a crisp savory pastry crust. A traditional stroganoff incorporates mustard, so here the mustard appeared in three interesting forms (regular Dijon mustard, mustard foam, and mustard in the rich sauce over the marinated steak), along with a pop of sweet and tart in the tiny encurdito (pickled) pearl onion. A perfect final dish; rich, savory and surprising.
Mojito (crema de lima, pasta sucre, gelatina de ron y aire de mojito) – Mojito (cream of lime, crumbled sweet crust, rum marshmallows and mojito air)
The theme of “there’s a lot going on here” continued with the dessert courses. Both desserts were quite complicated, but in the best way possible – full of fun, surprises, and flavor. The first dessert, called “mojito”, was lime cream (with an egg yolk base) topped with crumbled pasta sucre (a brown sugar crust) then a quenelle of cold merengue (that played like ice cream, even though I was told clearly that it was not ice cream) brightly flavored with mint and yerba buena (spearmint). These marshmallows would absolutely not be appropriate for children, but this adult really enjoyed the big punch of rum in each little square. Foam mojito ‘air’ really just provided a little extra texture, as this dish didn’t require any more flavors. Lots going on, but it all came together very nicely.
“La vie en Rose” (mousse de lichis, red velvet de remolacha, hibisco y frutos rojos) – “La vie en Rose” (lychee mousse, beet red velvet, hibiscus and red berries)
It takes three days for all of the components of the “La vie en Rose” dessert to be prepared. The assembly begins during the middle of the meal (in the photo of the chefs above, you can see this plate under construction). Two of the ingredients are beets and mushrooms. (Yes, maitake mushrooms in the dessert!) It’s complicated and exotic, looks like a work of art, and is an absolutely amazing dish. Normally in a tasting menu the final savory dish is the star of the show and then things calm back down in the dessert course. That is not the case here. Lychee cream is on the bottom with red velvet cake crumbles (made with beets), candied hibiscus on top, with a garnish of a maitake mushroom infused with hibiscus on the side, and a ball of hibiscus mousse glazed in a sweet beet sauce at the center of it all. This exceptional dessert was the star of the show and the pinnacle of a truly exceptional dining experience.
The chefs were extremely hospitable and attended carefully to every detail throughout the afternoon. The creativity of their eclectic kitchen, their love of the craft, and respect for the local Galician products are illustrated plate by plate in their menu. At the time of this writing, the menu for October 2016 has been published, and it looks equally amazing. I would love to be able to visit every month to experience what new magical dishes the chefs at Eclectic come up with!
Eclectic Lar Gastronómico
Calle Oliva, 3, A Coruña, Spain (map)
+34 617 62 14 23
Website: www.eclecticrestaurante.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/eclecticrestaurant
Instagram: www.instagram.com/eclecticgastro
Twitter: www.twitter.com/eclecticgastro
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From the Frio (Cold) portion of the menu:
From the Vapor (Steamed) portion of the menu: Siomay de congrio en caldeirada.
From the Brasa (Grilled) portion of the menu: Ventresca de jurel con pimientos del Couto.
From the Fritura (Fried) portion of the menu: Croqueta nigiri de merluza salpresa.
From the Guiso (Stewed) portion of the menu: Curry de Choupas.
Chef Iván Domínguez wasn’t in the kitchen the evening we were there (he was actually in Madrid working on the opening of the group’s newest restaurant), but we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Executive Chef Cristian Santiago Breijo (pictured above in the hat). He was a delight to talk with as we discussed his hometown, the opening of the restaurant, and all of the food and cocktail options over our first round of drinks.
All of the local celebrities hang out here! Deportivo La Coruña fútbol (soccer) star Manuel Pablo (center) joins MyLifeOnVacation (left) and José from Turvegal (right) for a photo. Just to clarify, Manuel Pablo is the celebrity. 9-)
This blogger was VERY happy to be enjoying the Festa do Marisco. I hope everyone attending the 2016 Festa has as much fun as we did last year!
My Life On Vacation Everyday 