62 replies to this topic

[pedro]

I had eaten at the restaurant with my parents last week but opted to select my own menu--one of the benefits of being an insider.  I can say that it made for a great last impression on me-- as will Catalunya and Spain.

Simon, I'm curious to know which dishes you chose. Has game started to arrive to Can Fabes?

[Simon Sunwoo]

Dosconz- it was also a great pleasure meeting you. Thanks for the great photos of me and the crew busy at work. Oh yeah the food doesn't look so bad either.

Well my insiders menu could change from day to day, but with my parents I chose to go with mostly the classics.

Well we started with the typical amuse geules with a glass of Cava Gran d'Abbatis Brut Nature. I have to say, Santi's amuses are some of the most striking of all the three stars I've eaten at here in Spain.

Then I let the super sommelier, Juan Carlos Ibanez, choose our wines for us. He chose a wine from a vineyard we had visited together in the late spring, Can Rafols dels Caus, El Rocallis 2000 Penedes. This is a fine example of the great mineral whites that are coming from this up and coming region. This was to accompany the first few courses which included in order:

--"Tomaco" a la albahaca-- a mock tomatoe made by adding gelatin to tomatoe sauce then pouring the mixture into silipad half dome molds. Once chilled and set, you take a mellon baller and scoop out the core, fill with a basil creme anglaise of sorts, put the two half domes together to form a tomatoe sphere (fools a lot of people who think its nothing but a peeled tomato). It is garnished with a sprig of basil, thinly sliced onion and thinly sliced crouton and then drizzeled with a basil oil.

--Ravioli de Gambas al Aceite de "ceps" Santi Santamaria-- this dish used to be the bane of my existence for although not complicated to make, takes a long time to prepare. The filling is nothing but a duxelle of cep and onion confit. The ravioli is formed from a mold filled with flattened Gambas de Blanes (red shrimp right from the region, fresh, delicious and expensive). You see four or five flattened shrimp is used as the "pasta" to encase the cep duxelle. The gambas are raw when first used but pass for less than a minute under the salamander before going out, bare seizing the shrimp which is now between raw and semi cooked.

--Caviar con Tocino--a great dish again. Classic too. Pork fat from the neck of the pig is slow braised (sous vide) then reheated a la minute, placed onto a unctuous island of potato puree surrounded with a foamy "mantaquilla salsa" and topped with Osetra caviar. Sounds a little bizarre at first but once you take your first bite--Mar y Montanya at its finest.

This is when we switched wines, where Juan Carlos chose a suave Valenciso 1998 Rioja.

--Llagosta y Espardenyes con Salsa Curry-- Again nothing complicated here. Just impeccably fresh or should I say live spiny lobster and Espardenyes (something well discussed before here on Egullet) a la plancha with a curry sauce. If I learn nothing more that remembering all the seafood I've eaten off this chrome like plancha, I've learned enough. It is one of the finest ways to cook not only fish but a myriad of other food. BTW, for me espardenyes may be one of my favorite things to eat, but very expensive as well. I will need to find a source in the states for them, because I am already having cravings--but luckily still living in Sant Celoni.

I have to say the Valenciso was not over the top for this dish and with the curry accents went very well. I don't quite know if the 100% Tempranillo makes for a more sublte and elegant wine or if it was the deftness of the vignerons, but I also tremedously enjoyed it with our next course as well.

--Pollo de Bresse (Poulet de Bresse)-- This is where a simple dish hides its somewhat more complex preperation. As has been widely discussed elsewhere in this site, cooking sous vide or vacio (as its known here), gives more control and thus a better finished product. Carved tableside--all I can say is luxurious dining.

The cheese course gives you a cornucopia of excellent Spanish cheeses, that I can confess I do not know enough about. A couple of interesting Catalan cheeses are: Cendrat- covered with ashes, Montsec- local hard goats cheese and one of my favorites-Mahon-- made from Freisan cow's milk.

I love to tell myself that I am not a big dessert eater, but usually I will have a bite of someone elses. I opted this time to skip dessert and just take sorbets and the mignardise.

At this point, I would have liked to have sat around and smoked a Cuban cigar from their great collection (just cause they're not easily obtained in the US and for these prices--got to give them a try), but my parents frown on such activitites. Plus I am not a big cigar smoker.

I would like to note that if not for the recent thread on Poulet de Bresse in the French forum I would probably have chosen the Cabrito a la salvia--but I had tried the cabrito enough and was curious to try the Bresse Can Fabes style--plus knowing my aging parents and knowing Santi's generous portions--the cabrito would have been overkill--deliciuos but rich.

[Simon Sunwoo]

BTW, does anyone know where I can find espardenyes a la plancha in Barcalona or nearby?

Edited by Simon Sunwoo, 28 October 2004 - 12:44 PM.

[pedro]

You had a great meal indeed, Simon! Your description of the dishes brings me vivid memories of my meals at Can Fabes and makes me wanting to return there.

Then I let the super sommelier, Juan Carlos Ibanez, choose our wines for us.  He chose a wine from a vineyard we had visited together in the late spring, Can Rafols dels Caus, El Rocallis 2000 Penedes.  This is a fine example of the great mineral whites that are coming from this up and coming region. 

Can Rafols produces some of the best white wines in the country. Believe me when I say that making good white wine is not an easy task in Spain due to many reasons . Their Chenin Blanc Vinya La Calma is one of my favorite wines.

--"Tomaco" a la albahaca--

Just a minor correction, the actual name in Catalonian for tomato is tomaquet.

--Ravioli de Gambas al Aceite de "ceps" Santi Santamaria-- this dish used to be the bane of my existence for although not complicated to make, takes a long time to prepare.  The filling is nothing but a duxelle of cep and onion confit.  The ravioli is formed from a mold filled with flattened Gambas de Blanes (red shrimp right from the region, fresh, delicious and expensive).  You see four or five flattened shrimp is used as the "pasta" to encase the cep duxelle.  The gambas are raw when first used but pass for less than a minute under the salamander before going out, bare seizing the shrimp which is now between raw and semi cooked.

--Caviar con Tocino--a great dish again.  Classic too.  Pork fat from the neck of the pig is slow braised (sous vide) then reheated a la minute, placed onto a unctuous island of potato puree surrounded with a foamy "mantaquilla salsa" and topped with Osetra caviar.  Sounds a little bizarre at first but once you take your first bite--Mar y Montanya at its finest.

Two of the best dishes I've ever had. The caviar con tocino immediately catched my eye the first time I saw the menu at Can Fabes. The combination seemed then counter-intuitive to me. The sensation dramatically changed with the first bite. The puree with the mantequilla is as light as a puree can get while being a puree.

This is when we switched wines, where Juan Carlos chose a suave Valenciso 1998 Rioja.

BTW, for me espardenyes may be one of my favorite things to eat, but very expensive as well.  I will need to find a source in the states for them, because I am already having cravings--but luckily still living in Sant Celoni.

Bad new for you, Simon. I'm afraid that non-mediterranean espardenyes (sea cucumbers) have little in common with what you've tasted.

[Silly Disciple]

BTW, does anyone know where I can find espardenyes a la plancha in Barcalona or nearby?

Simon,
After your post about the meal with your parents I'm dying to try Can Fabes! Thanks for the description.
Regarding espardenyes a la plancha, an obvious destination would be Rafa in Roses, although since he serves the day's catch you are not guaranteed to find them. It might be best to call ahead. And if you do go, don't miss the San Pedro a la plancha if he has it.

Silly.

[docsconz]

Simon,

Your menu makes me wish to return to try the dishes that I didn't get to when I was there. I would have loved to try the espardanyes in particular since I never got to try them on our trip. The tomaquet was indeed a fabulous dish. I would be very intrigued by the Bresse chicken as well, although I don't know if I could give up the cabrito.

Any decisions as to where to next?

[docsconz]

BTW, does anyone know where I can find espardenyes a la plancha in Barcalona or nearby?

One possibility might be the Boqueria. kiosk Universal does very nice grilled seafood. Whether or not they would have them on any given day (or ever) is another question, although I bet they would.

[Corinna Dunne]

Great, great posts. A virtual dining experience.
Does anyone know the cost of the fixed price lunch at Can Fabes? I'd also be interested in the cost of lunch at El Celler de Can Roca, Sant Pau, Hispania and Aligue.
Thanks in advance.

[Silly Disciple]

Great, great posts. A virtual dining experience. 
Does anyone know the cost of the fixed price lunch at Can Fabes?  I'd also be interested in the cost of lunch at El Celler de Can Roca, Sant Pau, Hispania and Aligue. 
Thanks in advance.

see here , prices are discussed in the Can Roca thread.

SD

[Corinna Dunne]

Thanks, just been on that thread. I could only find lunch prices for Can Roca and Can Fabes. Have you any info on San Pau, Hispania and Aligue?

[docsconz]

Unfortunately I cannot provide prices as my meals at Can Fabes and Sant Pau were included in the cost of my trip and I was a guest at Aligue. My visit to Hispania was too long ago and my memory of that detail too spotty to provide worthwhile information. While none of these places are cheap, each provided very worthwhile meals. Can Fabes and Sant Pau are right up there with the best meals I have ever had. The likelihood that they or Aligue were overpriced is extremely slim. I'm afraid that does not help with figuring a budget.

[Saborosa]

Re Sant Pau: On the RelaisChateaux site the price of the set menu is given as 89 euros plus tax (7%) and a la carte as 85-90 euros plus tax

[docsconz]

If that was the price of the meal I had there, it was an absolute bargain.

[Saborosa]

Just checked on Sant Pau's own site.

Menú 99 euros plus 7% tax

Edited by Saborosa, 12 April 2005 - 07:24 AM.

[docsconz]

Still a bargain. Thanks.

[SamanthaF]

Sunday lunch here before flying home. Slightly rushed tasting menu - a macaroni dish as one of the courses has changed my view on pasta.

I like this restaurant.

Edited by SamanthaF, 05 May 2005 - 08:47 AM.

[vmilor]

Sunday lunch here before flying home. Slightly rushed tasting menu - a macaroni dish as one of the courses has changed my view on pasta.

I like this restaurant.

What was the main course? You seem positive but a little less enthusiastic than Con Roca. Is this a correct inference?

[SamanthaF]

Sunday lunch here before flying home. Slightly rushed tasting menu - a macaroni dish as one of the courses has changed my view on pasta.

I like this restaurant.

What was the main course? You seem positive but a little less enthusiastic than Con Roca. Is this a correct inference?

We had the Lamb as the main, with 1 other having the sweet bread.

Con Roca was strides ahead, but then did you see the wines we drank!

[docsconz]

- a macaroni dish as one of the courses has changed my view on pasta.

I like this restaurant.

Was this the same macaroni dish that I posted a photo of upthread? Given the time between now and then, I doubt it, but that was a phenomenal dish.

[Corinna Dunne]

- a macaroni dish as one of the courses has changed my view on pasta.

I like this restaurant.

Was this the same macaroni dish that I posted a photo of upthread? Given the time between now and then, I doubt it, but that was a phenomenal dish.

We too were here recently, so presume we had the same macaroni dish as SamanthaF. It wasn't the same as yours Doc, it was called 'macarrones salteados con jugo de trufas', which was baby octapus with large macaroni in a coral coloured, buttery sauce with parsley, served in the pan. I don't remember the macaroni being crispy in the way you described. But it was sublime.

We had the Primavera Menu for 125 euro, and as there are no posts on it, I'll give a run through with a bit of detail.

Amuse gueles were very good, my favourite being the take on 'meille feuille' which I see in your shots. There was also a skewer of ham with melon, a cylinder of black and white pudding, foie on artichoke and quails eggs (I know, I don't know how they made the cut, and they were a bit cold too).

Next was 'huevos aromatizados', (aromatic eggs) which were a real headline grabber. We were presented with two eggs in stands, both with their tops neatly cut off. The quail's egg contained a ginger foam and the hen's egg had a ham and rosemary foam (great combination too). This was sensational and a really good palate teaser.

This was followed by the first of 5 fish courses:

1. 'Caballa en escabeche con foie, cebolla tierna y col' which was roasted red mullet (skin salted and crisped), wrapped in bacon on white asparagus and foie gras with balsamic reduction.

2. 'Merluza de costa con pie de ternera a la "Ravigota" "calcots" y aceite do romesco' was hake on roasted spring onions with concasse of vegetables in a veal jus (with vinegar).

3. 'Crustaceos servidos en una bullabesa con pan frito y azafran' which was crayfish on diced fried saffron potatoes in a wonderfully light bouillebaisse soup.

4. Then came the baby octapus with large macaroni dish which I discussed earlier.

5. The last fish dish was 'Pescado sequin el cesto del pescador de Blanes con una salsa do algas' which was 2 fish (dourade and an oily fish) with samphire, on a bed of beans with a foaming white sauce which had a delicate touch of curry. Whilst this was yet another perfect dish, it was an unbelievably generous serving, and was one fish dish too far for us. We were becoming overwhelmed...

.. And the mains were next which was a choice of 3 meat dishes:

1. 'Pichon con caracoles y tripa de bacalao' which was pigeon with snails, tripe and tiny onions in a sauce
2. 'Conejo con el lomo relleno', a rabbit, rolled and stuffed, served with potatoes and a mushroom sauce for a minimum of 2 people
3. 'Ris de veau lacado' which was sweetbreads with spring onions and baby onions in a reduction sauce.

We opted for the sweetbreads and the pigeon which was wonderfully succellent and gamey. We were 'hitting the wall' on this gastronomic marathon by this stage.

Next came the extensive cheeseboard and we soldiered on, sticking with the Spanish cheeses which were really good.

This was followed by a sorbet course (pear, mandarin and pineapple) before the 2 dessert courses:

1. 'Bavaroise de madronos con sopa de frutas exciticas' which was a peach and mango bavarois with exotic fruits (more small dice) which was fresh and tingly
2. 'Tartaleta de caramelo, con habas de cacao y helado de cacahuete' was a creamy caramel and praline flavoured (?) tart with wonderful chocolate.

And the last round was the incredibly delicious petits fours which we were incapable of finishing.

The food was truly wonderful, with some exceptional dishes. The sauces were sublime - as you would expect from a 3 star restaurant - and many of my plates went back to the kitchen with not a single trace of sauce (which apparently made chef extremely happy!). However, I think that the menu had too many fish dishes, and much and all as I hate to fault Santa Maria's generousity, I would really have to take issue with him over the sheer volume of food.

The service was excellent and as relaxed as is practicable within the 3 star framework, but personally I prefer to see less of the waiters and the Michellin 'must have' pretensions. What's more, this just didn't sit comfortably with these really nice, sincere people.

I would love to eat here again, but next time I would opt for Espai Coch, which I understand is the 40 euro menu near the kitchen. That would have to be a real bargain: those wonderful sauces, and not too much food.

I'm afraid that fcr a tasting menu (and for value), I agree with SamanthaF, and Can Roca wins hands down against Can Fabes.

[Silly Disciple]

1. 'Caballa en escabeche con foie, cebolla tierna y col' which was roasted  red mullet (skin salted and crisped), wrapped in bacon on white asparagus and foie gras with balsamic reduction.

Isn't Caballa = Spanish Mackerel?

SD

[Corinna Dunne]

1. 'Caballa en escabeche con foie, cebolla tierna y col' which was roasted  red mullet (skin salted and crisped), wrapped in bacon on white asparagus and foie gras with balsamic reduction.

Isn't Caballa = Spanish Mackerel?

SD

I'm sure you are correct here. They mentioned at the time that one of the fish had been changed, so this must be a discrepency between the printed menu and what we actually had.

[SamanthaF]

- a macaroni dish as one of the courses has changed my view on pasta.

I like this restaurant.

Was this the same macaroni dish that I posted a photo of upthread? Given the time between now and then, I doubt it, but that was a phenomenal dish.

We too were here recently, so presume we had the same macaroni dish as SamanthaF. It wasn't the same as yours Doc, it was called 'macarrones salteados con jugo de trufas', which was baby octapus with large macaroni in a coral coloured, buttery sauce with parsley, served in the pan. I don't remember the macaroni being crispy in the way you described. But it was sublime.

This was the one! (Don't forget the bits of ham/bacon in the pan.) I'd go as far as saying that this is probably the best pasta dish I have ever had.

[SamanthaF]

Corrina, out of curiosity, did you consider your experience at Con Fabes to be 3*?

[Corinna Dunne]

Corrina, out of curiosity, did you consider your experience at Con Fabes to be 3*?

In my heart, I have to say yes, because the food was so good. All of the ingredients were eyewateringly fresh, and every course in its own right was not just technically perfect but really well balanced and so, so delicious. I am not terribly keen on the 2* / 3* differentiation because the added star can bring some baggage with it and it's not all to do with the food. Certainly the amuse and petits fours showed the extra distance, and the service, as I mentioned was textbook 3* and very, very cordial.

However, there is the question of how much you penalsie a chef for serving a menu that is not as balanced as it could have been (too many fish dishes), and erring on the side of generousity. For me, this would not be enough reason to say that the experience was not 3*.

[SamanthaF]

Thanks Corinna.

For me, I found Con Roca strides ahead of Con Fabes for service and food.

Saying that, the most stellar meal (food and service, not including wines) I've had Spain side was in Abac in Barcelona, and that's amazingly only 1*!

[Corinna Dunne]

I agree. Can Roca was phenomenal. I was totally seduced. I haven't been to Abac, so must give it a go... whenever I get a chance to get back.

[Bu Pun Su]

Last May this year, toghether with my family and cousin, we went to Sant Celoni with the sole purpose to eat at the famous Can Fabes. The restaurant is not too far from train station, but it's not that easy to find since it required many turns as far as I'm concerned.

Can Fabes is located in the rural/suburb area. One would not expect to find a world-class restaurant around this location. It is very Catalan, from the food, wine and some of its decoration. Since it's not easy to reach, we did not think too much to directly order the grand menu of Santi Santamaria (he was not there unfortunately). The restaurant is quite flexible when we requested some changes in the menu since my parents did not fond of eating raw/half-cooked food. They started ok, but the dishes get much better towards the end (the main courses - fish, seafood and meat are all excellent). And it ended nicely with festival de chocolate dessert, recalling that I'm not a big fan of chocolate dessert, but it's different.

The wine list is pretty impressive. We decided to taste the local wine, even the one made by the restaurant. However, to be honest the quality is just fine, not as good as French wine in my opinion. The decoration is divided into the modern and old places. Both are nice with different feelings. The service is excellent, on par with any other 3* michelin I've been. The only bad part (not caused by the restaurant) is that we only had 3 hours there since my cousin needed to catch up her plane back to Barcelona. Hence, after the main courses, we rather hurriedly eating the cheese/desserts and some extra from the kitchen. Nevertheless, the restaurant kindly sent us to the station since the taxi's not willing to drop us (I guess the distance is somewhat too closed)

Overally, I'm very satisfied eating here, . The cuisine reflected the dynamic and progressive culture of Catalonia. Very different style to El Bulli, according to the waiter who used to work for Ferran Adria in Roses. Here the dish is served like our daily food, almost no fancy laboratory science at all. My overall score is 95/100, slightly above Le Bristol - Paris (93/100), but still below L'Arpege and ADPA. Here are some of the pictures of the dishes we had. Enjoy! (Thanks to Pedro Espinosa from this forum for helping me translate the dishes' name)

http://andichahyadih...can_fabes_summ/

[docsconz]

Which local wines did you have and what French wines are you comparing them to? How did you select the wines?

While they do not partake very much of the hypermodern arsenal, they do use sous vide quite liberally and to great effect.

[Bu Pun Su]

We had 2 bottles of wine
2004 Belondrade y Lurton
2003 Cuvee Santamaria Finca Panta

I just compare them with French wines in general
To name a few I had before (I might be being unfair if one is much more expensive than the other - don't really remember the price)
1997 Leroy - Les Fremieres, from Chambolle-Musigny
1999 Marcel Deiss - Engelgarten, from Alsace
Coteaux du Languedoc "Aurel" 2001 - Domaine Les Aurelles

Usually for top restaurants, I let the sommelier choose the wines for me. I think that's the fun part. First of all, I don't really know whether the dishes there have strong or light taste. Secondly, just to see if they could pick the right one for me (I know this could be very subjective)

How did you pick yours? Perhaps I could learn for the future. In general, for the white wine, I prefer rather light, dry, and not sweet. Whereas, for the red one, I like a rather strong one, quite sweet but not to the extend to take over/dominate the food's taste. But again it depends on the food's taste.