Chambacú: Cooking as a Weapon to Fight Colonization

BarcelonaWhat is Chambacú and what does it mean? The simple answer is that Chambacú is a newly opened restaurant located at 185 Muntaner Street in Barcelona. But if we go beyond the surface, putting that name on a restaurant is quite a statement of intent. Chambacú was the neighborhood of Afro-descendant slaves in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, when they regained their freedom. It was the place where people living on the margins and displaced by armed conflict lived. For years, it was an island owned by former Colombian President Rafael Núñez, who left it as an inheritance to his driver. Over the years, this water-filled land grew with shanty towns. They used rice husks and garbage to gain land. It was one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, and in the 1970s, the settlement was eradicated and its residents relocated.

Why did chef Santiago Sánchez (Cali, 1981) choose the name of this neighborhood to name his restaurant? Because the restaurant is a tribute to Latin American cuisine, not to what the colony imposed, but rather to what was already available thanks to the indigenous tribes and the knowledge they gained when African slaves arrived. Two impressive murals can be seen on the restaurant wall, representing this recognition. They are the work of Venezuelan artist Ivanna Gautier and articulate the philosophy of the place. This is not a Colombian restaurant, Sánchez warns. "I don't want borders or flags," he says, but rather to put the spotlight on the most invisible people on the continent.

From Simón Bolívar to Zuly

Santiago Sánchez is a smiling chef in love with history. He talks about Simón Bolívar and Zuly. She was his babysitter since he was little. "Most of us were raised by people of African descent," he tells me. Zuly currently lives with Sánchez's sister and shows me a photo. His sister, who works for a multinational company, is the one who was able to provide the capital for him to open this restaurant. Why in Barcelona? It's a matter of time. He's done every job possible and has been cooking since he was little. When he turned 30, he could afford to study cooking, and he did so here, in Bellart. There, he met teachers who believed in him and would change his life. One of them was Oscar Albiñana, who encouraged him to intern at Mugaritz. Santiago Sánchez had no idea what Mugaritz was, but he listened. He stopped by Andoni Luis Aduriz's house. Just before that, he met Edorta Lamo, with whom years later he opened Arrea!, the successful restaurant in a village in Álava.

After years in the Basque Country, Sánchez ended up in Barcelona because his son was starting university there. Thus began the Chambacú project, a restaurant divided into two spaces. The first part is informal dining. Cocktails and popular street teak, though it has been filtered through the fine dining scene. The other part offers a short and a long version of a tasting menu. The first part is accompanied by probiotic drinks they've prepared, and the wonderful explanations of their sommelier, Daniela. Then comes the wine selection, which is all Catalan. "We need to promote local wine," says Sánchez.

The dishes are delicate and transport you to their tastes, as well as allowing you to delve deeper into their ancestral culinary techniques. You can visit Mexico, Chile, Peru, or Colombia in a single meal without leaving the Eixample district. In fact, it's a great introduction to the gastronomy of these countries. I think it's best for diners to discover the dishes themselves, but I would recommend that, if you like spicy food, you order what they have homemade. Pure vice.

I also recommend asking about the La Linterna posters—the signage for Cali, his hometown, that covers the restaurant—which are very striking. He'll be happy to tell you about them. When asked where he wants to go with his restaurant, he states his goal: "For people to enjoy it and be happy seeing how Latin American cuisine has evolved thanks to the combination of cultures. To offer good food, good cooking, good drinks, and for my sister to recoup her investment." A dream with its feet firmly planted on the ground.