It is not always possible, but I like to meet the chef of the restaurant that I am writing about, especially when it is about fine dining. I want to know what inspires them, what makes them move, and what their visions are. I met Simon Petutschnig, the executive chef and owner of Fera in Palma and Yara in Puerto Portals, at Calvia Destino Gastro event a few months ago, and he invited me to try his second restaurant, Yara in Puerto Portals.
I was curious about the name. I learnt that In Farsi, 'Yara' means 'courage and strength'; in Hindi, it means 'friends' and 'bringing in the light'. I am sure they needed a lot of courage and strength to set up in Portals, one of the most sought after areas on the island. But they have quickly established themselves as “a place where friends like to meet, enjoy and spend a special evening together”. What really struck me about Simon was how humble and unassuming he was despite his evident success. Also, how much he cares about his staff and their well-being. Hei is very clear on the fact that, besides a great location and the best ingredients, his staff is his biggest asset. The stars of his restaurants are not him, or even his guests, amongst which there are many famous faces. The stars are – in his words – his staff. Sadly, I think that this way of thinking is becoming an exception, rather than the norm in the industry, at least in Mallorca.
I went to Yara with a foodie friend who was just as excited as me to try their Yara menu, a showcase of modern Japanese-Mediterranean cuisine that is authentic but not traditional. We started with Edamame with lemon and sea salt which was nice and fresh, with a slight hint of chilli. Next we were supposed to have Oyster Gillardeau Nº1 with sake sour and apple, but I spotted a waiter walking past with some delicious looking baby squid, so I opted for that instead. My friend loved her oyster and the accompanying shot, while I decided to come back another time for more of that squid.
This was followed by Yara sushi selection, which was tasty and beautifully presented with smoke over rocks… We chose one starter each from the menu, Simmental steak tartar with truffle and brioche and Hamachi ceviche with passion fruit. Steak tartar was very good, rich and full of flavour, but ceviche was sensational! We both loved the combination of flavours, textures and colours of this dish. In case you have not come across it before, hamachi is a Japanese amberjack, a species of jack fish, with a slightly sweet and delicate taste, which worked perfectly well with the tropical flavours in that ceviche.
Next up, there was Broccoli tempura with truffle mayonnaise, a seemingly simple dish elevated to another level with a hint of truffle in the mayonnaise. Tempura was light, airy and crispy, not taking anything away from the characteristic taste of broccoli (which by the way, I like a lot!).
For the main meal, we had a choice of meat or fish and we took one each of Sea bass with miso-hollandaise and wakame cream and Simmental beef fillet with perigueux sauce and sweet potato cream with a view to share them. Both dishes were exquisite, both in terms of flavours and the presentation. The setting of this place is quite relaxed and casual, but the plates in front of us tell a different story, placing Yara firmly in the fine dining category. Sea bass was as light and tender as it should be, while miso-hollandaise and wakame (seaweed) cream provided fun bursts of flavour. Beef fillet was just perfect and went really well with the accompanying perigueux sauce and sweet potato cream. Fun fact I didn't know till that night: Sauce Périgueux and its derivative Sauce Périgourdine, named after the city of Périgueux, capital of the Périgord region of France, are savoury sauces, principally made with madeira fortified wine and truffles
By this point we were already bursting at seams, but I would not leave this kind of a place without trying a dessert. So, we had Yara lemon pie with pistachio and green shiso ice cream. This was another delight I will remember for a long time, both visually and in terms of tastes and textures. Yara lemon pie has joined my list of Top 10 most elaborate and innovative desserts I have tried so far in Mallorca.
THE VERDICT…
This was one of the most outstanding dinners I have had on the island so far! Yara menu is pricey, but worth every cent, taking into account quality of the ingredients, interesting presentation, exceptional service and a great atmosphere. I hope to return to Yara at least for some special occasions if not more regularly.
THE PLACE
Yara Puerto Portals
Puerto Portals, Locales 1-6
Tel: 616 45 38 09
@yara_portals
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Sunday
5.30pm to 11pm
THE BILL
Yara menu - 95 euros per person