Gastro Garatxe: a tasting menu born in a garage

There aren't many, if any, examples of culinary projects that get off the ground in a garage. The space where we keep our cars wouldn't initially seem like a place one would imagine or want to cook, much less create a signature tasting menu, but Carlos Novo and Eric Ochoa have come along to change our minds. They met several years ago working in Santa Coloma de Gramenet with Victor Quintillà: Carlos was the head chef at Lluerna and Eric at Bar Verat. Later, they went their separate ways to pursue personal projects, and eventually, they decided to reconnect and start something together. After unsuccessfully searching for a suitable location, they decided to open a bar, initially clandestine, for family and friends in Eric's brother's garage in L'Hospitalet. This gastronomic space, with a capacity for eight people, was where they intended to have a good time cooking, experimenting, and tasting wines with their closest friends and family, and where their only aspiration was to enjoy what they love most while covering their expenses. Until it got out of hand.

The garage in L'Hospitalet became a coveted gem: word of mouth spread like wildfire, and people started crowding outside. One of their customers offered them a space in El Prat de Llobregat, they went to see it, and two years ago they decided to move and park their exciting project in a licensed garage, Gastro Garatxe. A space with a large bar where, from Wednesday to Saturday, they offer two tasting menus: the lunch menu (Wednesday to Friday, €40 without drinks) and the more complete dinner menu (Wednesday to Saturday, €75 without drinks). We go for a meal that leaves us wanting to return. The menu begins with "vermouth": a Valencia water cocktail made with orange juice, gin, Corpinnado, and citrus foam, accompanied by a Pata Azul chicken rind reminiscent of roast chicken and a gilda sphere (Gordal olive, piparras peppers). The first course is braised Prat leek with roasting jus. geleé lemon, foam and crumble Cheese and black trumpet mushroom powder. Next up is the three-meat roast cannelloni with béchamel sauce, onion, and Pota Blava chicken roast jus. Then comes the fish: Blanes bonito with potato parmentier and sauce matelote (made with bonito trimmings and red wine). We finished the bottle of Cara Nord Garrut 2022, from the Conca de Barberà region, and devoured the last course, their version of fricandó: pork loin cooked at a low temperature with rosemary and garlic oil, with a touch of chocolate and chanterelle mushroom trimmings from Berguedà.

A dream ending

Joel Ochoa, the dessert artist, offers us a creamy roasted Sant Boi pumpkin with salted toffee, crumble Cinnamon, mandarin sorbet, and honey and orange crisp. A dreamlike ending, hard to improve upon until Roger Poch, sales manager at Recaredo, whom we happened to meet at the restaurant, sent us a glass of Les Voranes 2020 from Celler Bufadors, the personal project of Ton Mata, from the Recaredo family. A delicious sparkling wine, unfiltered and unadulterated, that perfectly rounded off a magnificent meal.

"We're very happy here, the project is gaining momentum, and our work is getting more visibility," said Carlos and Eric, satisfied. Garache is written with tx, of chokoThe headquarters of gastronomic societies in the Basque Country. A space to cook and enjoy with friends and family. In El Prat, there's a gastronomic garage for friends, the Gastro Garatxe.