Jordi Vilà’s three meats arrive at the Catalan Cuisine Table

Three burnished cuts of roasted meat sit upon bright green sauce across a snow white plate, their caramelised exteriors catching the light in the decisive manner of accomplished kitchen work. Each receives its own glossy smear of verde, the surfaces of the meats themselves speaking to control and precision: one amber and yielding, another deep wine red, a third somewhere between mahogany and copper. The composition itself feels like a sentence written in Catalan, each element positioned with intention. This is the three meat roast from Festa Major as it now appears on the Catalan Cuisine Table at Alkimia, the dining room where Jordi Vilà opened his restaurant in 2002 and has held one Michelin star continuously since 2004.

At Alkimia, chef Vilà conjures up fresh, contemporary cuisine which is deeply rooted in Catalan tradition and has a strong focus on fish. He offers a single tasting menu entitled Catalan Cuisine Table, divided into six sections, each of which features a good selection of dishes. The introduction of this roasted trio belongs to the season’s spirit, the kind of dish that roots modern technique firmly within regional ritual. The restaurant relocated in 2016 to the grand piano nobile of the Fàbrica Moritz, the former residence of Barcelona’s historic Moritz brewing family, where six tables accommodate eighteen diners. Reservations at Alkimia are made through the restaurant’s website or by telephone at +34 932 07 61 15.

Imagery courtesy of Alkimia (@alkimiarestaurant).