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Joan Gomez Diaz is like a human whirlwind, a culinary flash of inspiration who is here one minute and gone the next as he moves miraculously between the kitchens and the restaurant floors.
The executive and operations manager has been causing quite a stir at La Vinoteca Barcelona and Café Amsterdam after they burst on to the dining out scene last year.
The Adliya enterprise on Block 338 has quickly gained a glowing reputation and several of my friends urged me to put it to the taste and service test.
First to face the restaurant reviewer’s pen was La Vinoteca Barcelona. It is spacious, modern yet still comfortable with a black and white theme. (NOTE: I bought the good lady wife Kathryn a black and white handbag for Christmas because it’s the fashion craze of the season and she only went and exchanged it … you can’t win sometimes!)
With daily changes in the menu, regular diners will never get bored and the locals will love it as much as European expats.
During the 700-year Arab rule of Spain, Arabs laid the foundation for the gastronomic style, introducing spices and ingredients that inspired many Spanish dishes.
This influence can be found throughout the menu, which includes a selection of authentic Spanish tapas, mains and desserts.
The tapas can be enjoyed in mezza-style and therefore legitimately shared between friends and partners. I can’t count how many times I have been in a restaurant and kicked myself for not ordering the same as Kathryn … and she will never swap or share.
Well, this time, she couldn’t say no!
The tapas included our first choice of Wagyu Cheeks, slow-roasted melt-in-your-mouth meat served with chanterelle mushrooms and black garlic strawberry puree (BD4.700), Octopus Terrine with Castilian potatoes (BD4.600), Clams and thick, juicy green asparagus (BD3.700) both from the specials alongside the perfect, heart-warming Patatas Bravas, a superb house specialty consisting of crispy fried potatoes stuffed with a spicy sauce made from fresh chilies. Wow!
I was a bit worried about taking Kathryn along as she once suffered Spanish tummy on a trip to the Costas about 30 years ago (she’s not one to easily forgive and forget) and has refused to face a plate of paella ever since.
Her palate, however, was swiftly tempted with the amazing array of tapas before Chef Joan triumphed with an impressive Paella Marinera (BD9.800), a traditional seafood rice concoction oozing with flavour and a fresh catch of white fish, calamari, cuttlefish, mussels and shrimps.
A sweet selection followed. Fortunately it was (another) diet cheat day, and we sampled a terrific Torrija, the Spanish version of French toast; warm slices of rustic bread marinated in milk, lemon and vanilla, served with cinnamon ice cream and a dash of bitter chocolate, a Caramelized Cream Puff with Strawberries Mint Osmosis, and a dark chocolate heavenly mousse called Pa Amb Xocolata (full helpings of all puds are priced BD3.700).
We were well-served by the extremely knowledgeable assistant restaurant manager Ryan Vasquez and Chef Joan made frequent visits to the table and chatted to us and fellow diners.
I followed him back to the kitchen in between courses and it was clear he was the master of ceremonies in either environment, orchestrating the team and adding a final touch before the waiting staff delivered dishes to the tables and he somehow appeared alongside them seconds later. I’m sure he must have a secret corridor.
I’ve never visited Barcelona although I have enjoyed several Spanish beach resorts and sampled the magic of Madrid but I once employed a British teacher to write me a weekly column about life as an expat living in the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia.
He raved about the glorious street art (he made a tidy sum taking photos of it, transferring the images on to postcards and selling them to tourists) and wrote endlessly about the local food.
That’s where Chef Joan, 39, steps in with homegrown knowledge and expertise. He explained: “My aim is to give every guest the best – a product treated with passion and respect - a piece of my heart in every single dish so that they experience something special every time they visit.”
He started cooking at the age of 13. His father was a chef and he started working alongside him in a small hotel in Barcelona before attending catering school. Once he graduated he started travelling the globe to gain experience in the UK, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam and the US. He eventually returned to Barcelona, where he worked with Michelin Star chefs Ferran Adria, Joan Roca and Carlos Gaig and helped open a luxury establishment in Downtown Barcelo Raval.
He also advised the Grand Millennium Hotel in Bangkok and taught the delights of Mediterranean food preparation and delivery in Germany, Turkey and Denmark.
Chef Joan moved with his wife, Susana Gutierrez, also a chef, and their sons, Naiara, 11, and Ian, five, to Bahrain for the launch of the Vinoteca BCN and Café Amsterdam project.
He said: “I think that my career never really started … it was always there. If I had to identify my first touch with gastronomy it was during the long evenings spent with my mother cooking bread in our tiny kitchen in Barcelona. It’s something that even now I can still remember; the smell, the texture of a crispy bread and the flour all around the table.
“I love this profession because I love to make people happy. I love to pamper my guests and make them feel special; make them experience different sensations by playing with flavours, colours and textures.
“Every day is different when you cook, it reflects your character and your mood, and I’m really proud to say that I consider myself to be a very lucky guy to be happy in my profession. It’s the only way, to come back to your home after working 12 or 14 hours and even after that, cook the dinner for your family … that’s me!”
And we’re lucky to have him too.
