Category: Relais & Chateaux

Sant Pau ***

Sant Pau
Carrer Nou, 10, 08395
Sant Pol de Mar, Spain
+34 937 60 06 62

Nestled between Barcelona and Girona, in the North Eastern part of Spain, is the charming seaside town of San Pol De Mar. The town is home to Catalan born chef, Carme Ruscalleda, and her three Michelin Starred Restaurant Sant Pau. Chef Ruscalleda is a culinary superstar who has authored several books and won numerous awards. Her total of seven Michelin stars is second only to Martin Berasategui (with ten) in the nation, while sharing the title with Ann Sophie Pic as the most starred female chef.

Chef Ruscalleda opened Restaurant Sant Pau in 1988 with her husband Tony Balam, and it was awarded a Michelin star in 1991. The second star came in 1996, then eventually the third star in 2008 in which they had continuously maintained up to this day. In addition to San Pau, Chef Ruscalleda also operates a pair of two Michelin starred restaurant, San Pau in Tokyo, and Moments in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona.

It takes an hour by train to get to Sant Pau from Barcelona.  The journey itself is beautiful and scenic as the train runs along the coast. The tracks are a few feet away from the sea, and you can literally watch the waves crashing to the rocks from your seat. From San Pol de Mar train station, the restaurant is meters away situated on a small street and easy to find especially with its colorful façade. Sant Pau’s  interior is modest compare to the other three Michelin starred places. The main dining room has an abundance of natural light with walls in rusted yellow. There are well-spaced round tables covered in thick cloth with classic wooden chairs, and they are arranged for the guest to look out to the Mediterranean Sea.  Separated by French doors, is another room which is dimly lit with colors of dark red dominating the space.

Sant Pau offers a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner priced at 189 EUR, while also having an a la carte selection. On this visit, I had the tasting menu. To start, the MEMORIES OF A SHOP– cod croquette, spicy green pepper ganxet, black and “del perol” botifarra, bread with tomato salty cheese cake, olives and herbs were small snacks served all at once. They were terrific intro to this meal, but the cheese cake and its savory aspect was particularly delightful. 

The first course, was the Japanese Style Cured Dentex – beetroot and vegetables. It had a distinct beets sauce that went extremely well with the cured fish. The garnish of fresh diced mix vegetables provided texture that it needed. The ANIMAL, OR PLANT – anemone ravioli, basil, pistachios was interesting. A ravioli made from sea anemone (a type of animal related to jelly fish and corals) features a clean oceanic taste.

 TERROIR FLAVORS- dewlap, beans, xiulet, romesco sauce was a medley of green beans on top of salty romesco sauce. To cut down the sauce saltiness and balance the dish, fat from the pork neck was brilliantly used. Next was the KING PRAWN TWIST-tomato and strawberry velvet which consisted of meaty large prawns that were drenched in floral and vegetal essence lingering sweetness. That was followed by JAPANESE WAGYU-bread, labneh of fine herbs; cubes of flavorful wagyu beef cooked medium rare set on top of crispy cracker covered with shaved parmesan. The pickled cucumber and the fermented yogurt had different types of pleasant sourness that mingled with other ingredients without overpowering them.

The meal continued with the GAMBA TAILS- with saffron, celeriac and green peas. This consists of nicely cooked shrimp tails, accompanied by creamy celeriac, and infused with a wonderful sharp shrimp taste and aroma. MONKFISH LOIN-curry, chutney, asparagus and morels was a piece of tender monk fish covered in leafy vegetables and asparagus. The pair of curry and chutney dots on the plate added an extra flavor to the monkfish while the morels gave it a touch of nuttiness.

For the main course, the CHILDHOOD MEMORIES-Girona veal with fairy ring mushrooms was a scrumptious veal coated in thick lightly sweetened sauce, topped with vegetable gelatin, and almond crisp. The mushroom supplied a beautiful earthy element to the veal.

HOJICHA TEA-yuzu sorbet was the palate cleanser. The tea was served cold and had subtle citric acidity that was quite refreshing. It successfully removed any savory remnant left in the palate.  The sweet courses began with the HONEY AND CUSTARD CHEESE-new concept jellatine honey sweet cheese, which was a cube of cheese custard enclosed in translucent gelatin honey. This had terrific layers of honey and creamy sweetness. The EL MARESME-roses and strawberries had an apparent sugary rose presence that was enticing. Finally, the main dessert, MISSIVE TO THE CLIENT-sakura, ginger, passion fruit had a mild sweetness combined with some bitterness, spiciness, and tartness. The mixture created an enjoyable dessert dish.

I was offered a choice to conclude at my table or at the court yard. Since this was a nice sunny day, I chose the latter. I was then given a tour of the kitchen before being led to my table outdoor where I was served the A CHOCOLATE PIG-lime and lemon amber, Jamaican pepper meringue, Amarula macaroon,raspberry marshmallow, coffee nougat  sea water bonbon.  In order to get to all the sweet stuff, the pig had to be broken with a reflex hammer. This was a playful way to end to this meal.

The tasting menu titled “30 Years of Santpolean Gastronomy” (a reflection Sant Pau’s three decades of history) was an impressive performance overall. It showed a high degree of cooking skills, and the ingredients used in every plate was superb. The modern Catalan cuisine that they served was light and compose of different flavors that were beautifully arrange. Their sauces not only worked as a complement but also added depth of flavors. The wine pairing for 59 EUR is considered a bargain, which featured wines from Catalonia, and consisted of ten glasses that were selected by the sommelier to enhance the taste in each course.

Wine Pairing:

San Pau staff were particularly attentive, accommodating and well informed. They explained each course in the tasting menu clearly and in detail. Mr. Balam had a welcoming attitude that was mirrored by the staff. He is the first to greet the guest as they arrive and his presence in the dining was significant. He took his time stopping by every table to chat with the guest more than once during the course of the meal.

With a tasting menu price at 189 EUR, Sant Pau is one the very few affordable three Michelin starred restaurant out there. But that price point did not diminish the quality of food it offers, and the dining experience it provided.

After my visit, news broke that Sant Pau will close in October 27th joining the like of Joel Robuchon in Singapore, Germany’s La Vie and Chihana (due to fire) in Kyoto as the other three Michelin starred establishments to cease operation this year. Chef Ruscalleda decided to focus on other projects, the restaurant will eventually morph in to a wine bar and will be run by her daughter. The impending closure is a great loss for the nations that prides itself for having world renowned restaurants. During its thirty years of existence, Sant Pau has gradually turned into one of the best in Spain, and made Chef Carme Ruscalleda a household name.

 

 

The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion

The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion
15 Elm St.
Mystic, CT 06355
(860) 245-4621
Website

Mystic, Connecticut is a charming small town in New England within driving distance from New York City. To be exact, the travel time is less than three hours. It makes an ideal weekend escape away from the hustles and bustle of New York City. This town is known for its seaport, the aquarium, and Mystic Pizza; a pizzeria popularized by a 1988 movie starring Julia Roberts. It also has a developing dining scene that was notice by the Boston Globe. The newspaper published an article last September on the growing restaurant community in Mystic and how it is slowly becoming a foodie town.

The Historic Downtown is where most of the restaurant are concentrated. The one that peaked my interest was The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion, located up the hill on a residential street, and a seven minute walk from the main drag. Spicer Mansion is a luxurious eight room hotel, and a Relais & Chateuax member property. The restaurant is the only one in Connecticut to received four stars from Forbes travel guide.

Built in 1853 as a summer home by renowned ship captain Elihu Spicer, the mansion had sadly fallen to despair until the Gates family purchased the property in 2003. It underwent an extensive renovation. Some of its old motif was kept while also giving the interior a fresh new look. All eight rooms were modernized, a dining room was added, the basement was turned in to a speakeasy bar called Room 9 Speakeasy, and the top floor was converted to a lounge.

The dining room is bright and refreshing. The interior is welcoming with colors of  white and light grey pattern against the dark wooden fixtures for  contrast. Rectangular tables covered in crispy white cloth on top of burlap sack are paired with comfortable benches. The walls are decorated with framed oil paintings, and an oversized Persian rug covers most of the wood flooring.

A set menu and a six course tasting menu priced at $130 are the dining options. On my visit, I had the tasting menu that began with a terrific amuse bouche of Wagyu tartare with truffle aioli. This bite-size snack was great way to make an impression.

The first course was the Pan Seared Bombster Scalllop-preserved cucumber, pickled mustard seeds, sunflower seeds.  The top layer of the scallop was seared a bit too much, and was almost burned. What a pity, since I like the thought and the taste of the scallop and its deep sea sweetness with the different sour and pickled notes on the plate. The next course was the Pan Seared Foie Gras – quince, brioche crouton, honey comb, which overall, could have been better. The foie gras was over cooked and dry. A would-have-been great combination of richness from the foie gras, the honey comb sweetness and the quince citric zing if executed properly.

The first two dishes were a let-down so far but all was not lost. My meal was redeemed by the remaining courses starting with the Squash & Wild Mushroom Risotto-grana padano, shaved squash, autumn leaf smoked walnuts.  The creamy risotto had a nice sweetness to it. The mushroom imparted an enticing earthiness while the walnuts added crunch to the texture; all the while, also rendering a touch of nuttiness with a smoky element. This was the best dish of the tasting.

For the main course I was served the Roasted Venison-Blueberry Compote, sweet potato hash, baby fennel pistachio. The plating could have used a little refinement, but as far as the dish itself, it was excellent. Lean venison was sous vide then roasted, creating a wonderful tenderness and flavor. In addition, there was also some delightful ground venison meat mingling with other ingredients. Giving the dish a nice touch of sweet berry tartness were drops of blueberry compote.

The cheese course Grand Formage-dried fruits, house mustard, pickles and bread. I trusted the recommendation of my server who chose two different types of cheese locally sourced from New England which surprisingly were very good.

Prior to dessert, I was presented with a cup of hot apple cider from Mystic’s very own Clyde’s Apple Cider Mill.It was fitting for the cold evening.  Dessert was the Butternut Squash Ice Cream-gingersnap, brown butter, roasted pears, maple. The ice cream distinctively tasted like a butternut squash, and the roasted pear was a pleasant fruity cohort. Serving as sweetener were dehydrated caramel and crumbs of ginger snap cookies which is also being used for textures. This well-rounded dessert dish has a cold fruity, and sugary features that works together. For the finale a gelatin with a subtle sweetness was served.

The disappointment was hard to hide since I really wanted to like this meal as a whole. The food had an interesting concept and different flavor elements that complements one another. But it simply lacks the execution which is such a shame, since the kitchen is capable in doing so, shown with the risotto, venison and the dessert. The presentation also needed a little bit of refinement. On the other hand, the $95 wine pairing consisting of six glasses did its job.

I find the staff at Spicer Mansion to be genuinely welcoming and eager to please. The same can be said to those who work in the restaurant. The dining room has trained servers that are well informed and their undivided attention is focus on the diner. Service is a definite strong point of this property.

When Spicer Mansion opened, OHM Hotel Management Inc. managed the operation and assigned one of their own in the kitchen. The cooking at the restaurant was received with positive review. Media outlets like the luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report, did a write up calling The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion as the answer to French Laundry in the east coast. However,  when the owner ended the contract with the management company,there has been multiple chef changes, which more than likely led to the inconsistency of the kitchen.

Wine Pairing:

During my stay at the Spicer Mansion, I saw the owner Brian Gates quite a few times lingering in the property. At dinner he came by my table while I was in between courses and chatted a bit. He mentioned why he purchased the mansion, his future plans and why he decided to take over the day-to-day operation. I realized that he is a hands on owner who wants to truly provide a complete experience for every guest.  As much as I was disappointed with my dinner, I see the potential of the restaurant.  If I am ever around the area, I would certainly visit The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion again.