It was the vegetarian in which carnivores did not miss meat before the pandemic broke out. Now, the obsession with defending sustainability has led Rasoterra to become the vegan in which non-vegans do not miss animal protein at all.
The bistro run by the Italians Daniele Rossi and Chiara Bombardi, a couple that for years seems to have been taking turns presiding over the slow food movement in Barcelona, ??has just celebrated its tenth anniversary in the heart of the Gòtic. He has done it with clearer ideas than ever and with a renewed proposal, much more in line with his principles, because how could they continue to be “good, clean and fair” if they did not simplify work in the kitchen? How could they be more sustainable if they didn’t first look at being economically sustainable?
Since the world stopped in 2020, they no longer open all shifts as they did before, but only at night from Tuesday to Sunday and on weekends also at noon. In addition, they have renounced the menu, imposing a single formula in the restaurant. It is a menu –with an appetizer, first, second and dessert– for 29 euros without drinks that helps them make their tables more profitable and avoid food waste. “We came up with this idea so as not to raise prices, as many restaurateurs have had to do,” says Rossi, pointing out that they have never cooked out of fashion, but out of conviction, and that this new step allows them to adjust more to the philosophy of slow food movement.
The kitchen at Rasoterra is now in charge of Adriana Carcelén from Alicante, a self-taught cook who avoids those simulations of meat or fish in her dishes that many vegan establishments resort to. His is more of a cuisine of flavor in which the absolute protagonist is the Km0 product that Rossi selects with care, always seeking respect for the land.
Among the first to be offered, we tried the marinated watermelon tacos, pickled red cabbage, caper sauce and spicy vegan sauce –an explosion of freshness– and our favorite this season, the selection of tomatoes with zucchini, lemon and aguachile, which includes a Ancestral variety of cucumber recovered in the Garraf.
We continue with the tempura maitake mushroom with corn, mustard and peach sauce before trying some of the second courses, among which the homemade almond temphe with sea lettuce chimichurri and Mandó tomato (a Collserola variety that has recently been regrown). Among the desserts, the eggplant sponge cake with its jam and pistachio ice cream is delicious, although it could be fluffier.
Anyone who knows Rasoterra will know that its commitment to natural wines has always been very strong. On his tenth anniversary it is even more so. Both Rossi and the head waiter, Javier Rodríguez, are still immersed in the search for new references from small producers and thus achieve an increasingly interesting and constantly moving menu.
