Culinary world tour: Vandal

The ceviche at Vandal is doubtlessly the most fancy I ever had. It comes in a cone topped with coconut foam and looks like an helado. Together with a Margarita Picante it was the fabulous overture to an exceptional dinner at one of Santa Catalina’s culinary hot spots.

Actually, the amuse gueule had already set the tone. A bite of watermelon marinated with raspberry, salmon, avocado and wasabi carefully decorated on a green tile. Vandal’s menu reflects the chef’s experience in prestigious restaunts like Noma in Denmark, Mirazur in France, and the Blue Elephant Cooking School in Thailand.

So, the curry that came with my suckling pig was a scoop of sorbet, and the black angus carpaccio was served on a bed of warm pesto foam. But not only the food is special at Vadal. The restaurant features an urban-industrial chic, from the outside you would rather expect a bar. Inside, the dark concrete walls with partly sprayed colors and edgy graffiti nicely contrast with the bright open kitchen.

Born in Argentinia with Italian roots Bernabé Caravotta travelled the culinary world before he decided to settle on Mallorca. His ceviche won the first prize of SaTapa2014 when he was creative chef of Forn de Sant Joan, Ombu and Koa.

Last year, Bernabé and his friend, maitre and sommelier Sebastián Pérez opened their own restaurant Vandal. The logo on their aprons symbolizes the craftsmanship of navigating the global culinary trends and traditions: a wind rose with kitchen knifes and the consonants of Vandal.