The king of croquettes will open a burger and dessert shop in Vic.

"The people of Osona asked me to open a restaurant in Vic, and on June 18th, if all goes well, we'll open two in the Plaza Mayor," says chef Nandu Jubany, who explains that they will be located right in front of the Merma, the sculpture that is a landmark for everyone in Vic because it's a popular meeting place. It will be a hamburger restaurant, where the most expensive hamburger will cost 15 euros, and another establishment dedicated to desserts. "It's not exactly an ice cream parlor, because they will be desserts, like a Girona apple tatin or a rum babá, which we'll finish with ice cream, in eight different varieties," says Jubany. The chef's goal is for these two establishments to become benchmarks for the following ones he wants to open in other cities such as Girona, Bellaterra, and some Andorran towns. Also, next week, at the Hotel Miramar in Barcelona, ​​Nandu Jubany's signature style will be found in the gastronomic spaces: not in the restaurants, but in the hotel's other spaces where you can also eat and drink. The Hotel Miramar in Barcelona will be the second hotel in the Catalan capital where he works as a chef: the first was the Hotel Majestic, owned by the Soldevila family, on Passeig de Gràcia.

Thus, opposite the Solà and Can Vilada butcher shops, the chef will open his first hamburger restaurant, which he will test this week in The next Cata en la Rambla, the gastronomic festival that begins on Thursday, May 8, in Plaza Catalunya"We just killed calves to prepare 3,000 hamburgers, which are the ones we will cook at the Cata de la Rambla," explains the chef, who comments that the mobile format, food truck, will expand it to more festivals. "We'll also be there for Primavera Sound, with Estrella Damm." This is what they're doing with a livestock project that began four years ago, when Nandu offered his friend Santi Tona the chance to settle on some land he owned, located in Vilanova de Sau, in the heart of Guilleries. "I didn't have anything; my friend had already been evicted, so we started like this: I offered him the land, he brought the animals." The breed of cows and calves they started with was the Limousine, which they soon crossed with Angus, and so, this year, they wanted to take a step forward to make the most of the investment they've made over the years and so that farmers can earn a living, which is what Nandu repeats time and time again.

Regarding the burgers in particular, Jubany explains that there will be something for all tastes, including vegan ones. "In addition, we'll install explanatory videos to show where the meat comes from and the rest of the ingredients we're going to use," he says. The fact is that the chef is committed to product traceability and transparency, because he will make hamburgers, yes, but with local products, and "with breads, sauces, and sides that will also all be made by us, from start to finish." Among the side dishes he highlights, apart from the fries, Jubany says he'll also have an apple tempura, a recipe from his grandmother and aunt, and that will be a good alternative for those who don't want fries. Of course, there will be no shortage of croquettes, the brand's big selling point. And all of this in Vic's Plaza Mayor, because if everyone told him to open a restaurant in Vic, he'd do it right away. And a note about names: Vacanal is a made-up word, a mix between cow and Bacchanalia, which they have created with their own dictionary to refer to the cows they raise and the great gastronomic festival that can be enjoyed in the restaurants.

Dessert finished with ice cream

To continue, in the establishment next door, connected to the burger bar and sharing a terrace, there will be dessert. The most emblematic ones, those that have become benchmarks of Nandu Jubany's cuisine, such as the giant cheese cookies, which can be eaten whole or split in half. And many others as well. All can be finished with ice cream. "And everything can be bought to take home, because the burger bar has a capacity for thirty people," explains Jubany, who adds that when he opens the next establishments in other cities, both offerings will be together, in the same place. "It's here, in Vic, where there will be two establishments; united, but two establishments."

Last winter, Nandu Jubany opened a new space in Andorra called Piolet, located on the Grau Roig ski slopes. This space allows both skiers and non-skiers to recharge their batteries by eating bowls and pizzas, like the ones he makes at his pizzeria in Formentera. Jubany is a tireless campaigner, who has managed to bring beloved recipes like croquettes to all parts of the country and the world. With a workshop located in Taradell, his croquettes are sold in the United Kingdom and also in the United States, although in these countries they are different from those in Catalonia, because they are pan-fried and served with chorizo. Finally, on June 4th, Nandu Jubany also plans to inaugurate the gastronomic offerings of the new Hotel Hincha, this time in Sotogrande, Cádiz.