The peripheral neighborhoods of Barcelona – untouched by tourism and with cheaper rents – are a land of opportunity for chefs seeking an affordable place to set up shop. These areas in turn attract gourmet gold seekers in pursuit of a brilliant meal at a friendly price. In the residential streets of Sants, not too far from the city’s main train station, one restaurant shines particularly bright, with its eclectic style, influences and, of course, flavors: MinE.
MinE is a combination of combinations, beginning with the owner and head chef, Martin Parodi. Born in Buenos Aires, Parodi is the son of a Japanese father and an Italian mother. He grew up in Barcelona, studied in France and then worked in a number of European countries; even now, despite being based in Barcelona, he’s a man of the world, developing a parallel restaurant project as a chef consultant in Dakar, Senegal.
You can clearly feel this crisscross of international identities, personal experiences and professional influences – “I can adapt to any culture, environment or product,” he tells us – in his restaurant. Parodi opened MinE around six years ago and works closely with his core team: second chef Esteban Cicerchia in the kitchen and Eli Ams in the front room.
MinE in Sants is Parodi’s flagship, attracting clients – mostly executives and white-collar workers from nearby offices – who are looking for a dash of gourmet pleasure; they come for the very affordable menu del día (daily menu) at lunch or for dinners a la carte. The space is modern and sleek but with a rustic touch: plush purple chairs paired with natural wood tables, chic curtains alongside retro household objects.
The menu is also a compendium of various cuisines. There are dishes inspired by ingredients from the local market, including Catalan/Valencian traditional must-tries like socarrat (slightly scorched surf and turf rice that’s crispy on the bottom) and caldoso (a soupier rice dish made with a seafood broth). You can also find the French basics that are commonly found across Europe, like foie gras, which at MinE is homemade and then coated with panko and served with squash confit. Finally, Asian influences are woven throughout the menu, as seen in the tuna or salmon tataki (a dish where the meat or fish is served either raw or lightly seared) or the use of a diverse range of chutneys in various dishes.
“I can adapt to any culture, environment or product,” the chef tells us.
On our most recent visit, we ordered the menu del día, which began with a small bowl of gazpacho with a few mushroom slices – a welcome dish. Then came the starter: goat cheese sandwiched between two discs of refreshing watermelon and topped with basil sprouts. This was followed by horse mackerel filets cooked at low temperature and covered with vegetable chutney.
Curious to try their a la carte dishes, we also ordered the tuna tataki. We weren’t expecting the beautiful dish that came out: the fish was covered with edible flowers and beet and young garlic sprouts, and served over a soft wasabi cream with soy sauce pearls, a juicy pineapple chutney and drizzled with a sesame and ginger oil. This dish was a feast for all the senses, and we were impressed by the well-defined flavors and the many different textures.
The meat main, which on that day was organic veal from Girona in northern Catalonia, sounded so appetizing we couldn’t help but order it. The veal was minced, tossed with capers, cumin and pepper, and then shaped into a thick patty and grilled. Covered with a demi-glace sauce, the patty was served over a potato parmentier made with truffle oil, white pepper, crème fraîche and mustard. Small dollops of red and green bell pepper chutney were carefully placed all over the dish, creating another mix of sweet and savory.
For dessert, we went with their homemade ice cream, and were smitten with the non-traditional flavors, like the super creamy avocado ice cream that was paired with tiny pieces of pineapple and berry syrup. Even more unexpected was the ball of Parmesan cheese ice cream, served with an incredibly light cracker and a touch of berry syrup – a wonderful pairing to round out our meal.
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Published on June 28, 2018
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