La Parrilla Restaurant Undergoes Major Renovation
The La Parrilla restaurant, located in the Botánico Hotel in Puerto de la Cruz, has undergone a significant renovation and expansion of its kitchen. This upgrade features the addition of one of the prestigious Josper ovens and new glass-walled wine cellars to ensure that diners always enjoy their selection of wines, sherries, and champagnes at the ideal temperature.
Alongside this renovation, special mention must be made of the work completed by the hotel’s executive chef, Ria Jahnke, originally from Albania and raised in La Gomera, along with the restaurant’s chef, Martin Agudo. Together, they have crafted a new menu inspired by grilled cuisine, showcasing the finest market produce and items sourced from the hotel’s own garden.
A Culinary Experience for All
The culinary inspiration achieved by the team of chefs results in a perfectly executed menu that captures the aromas of smoke and the texture offered by grilling, creating an experience for not just hotel guests but also those looking to indulge in this gastronomic delight.
Tasting Menu Highlights
The tasting menu begins with a steak tartare of Canarian beef fillet, complemented by toasted brioche, grilled bone marrow, and topped with a Cantabrian anchovy. Following this is a braised mature beef picanha, served with homemade pickles, green mustard, citrus foam, and smoked fresh cheese—two perfect bites.
This is followed by a refreshing green tomatillo gazpacho, featuring grilled avocado, smoked bonito, and coriander, alongside confit leeks grilled with Canarian potato cream, garlic praline, smoked eel, and ash soil. These vegetable-based dishes are both flavorful and satisfying.
For the fish course, Jahnke and Agudo focus on Aquanaria’s Atlantic sea bass, prepared with a beurre blanc and noisette of Canarian malvasía, resulting in a delicious and impeccably cooked dish.
The final hearty course features tender roasted beef with the aromas of listán negro glazed with spices, celeriac, and a chlorophyll emulsion, meeting all expectations.
Desserts and Wine Pairings
The Josper oven also played a role in the dessert, which was a goat yoghurt savarin with lime, grilled Herreña pineapple, palm honey, and its tepache (a fermented Mexican drink made from pineapple pulp).
The wines accompanying this tasting menu included a fino 1730 en rama from Domecq, traditional Tajinaste white from the DO Valle de La Orotava; Gessamí from DO Penedés; Chivite Las Fincas from Bodegas Chivite; Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs from Raventós Codorniú; Románico by Teso de la Monja from Toro; and Pagos de Reverón dulce from the DOP Abona. Overall, it was an outstanding menu that neither felt long nor heavy, and was served without delays.
