Win and seven of wines, in Hiu
The restaurant's first customers were the workers and laborers who made it possible to open it in just over three months; the premises had neither a roof nor windows. "We all shared a long table with them on Sant Esteve to celebrate the milestone," recalls chef Sergi Palacín, who heads the kitchen at Hiu Restaurant in Cambrils. The gesture speaks volumes about him and his willingness to welcome, shared with his sister Judit, a cook and now also a sommelier.
Thailand has shaped his way of life and his culinary culture. He lived there for 10 years, and clearly and intentionally, tastes and flavors are embedded in the core of Catalan cuisine. "I can't help but think about spices, coconut milk, fermented foods, and aging," he notes. He studied at the Cambrils School of Hospitality and Tourism, and years later, they thought it would be an interesting destination to open their most ambitious culinary project. "The main challenge has been consolidating a team, and now we can say we're all looking in the same direction," says the chef three years after opening. They offer two menus, one traditional and one more adventurous, tinged with "madness, fun, and surprise," he says. "I couldn't communicate what I didn't know, which is why I studied the sommelier course in Galicia and now the level 3 of the WSET diploma," explains Judit Palacín. She has just joined Hiu—which means "I'm hungry" in Thai—as the dining room manager, and although her track record is solid and has been demonstrated in excellent kitchens like Mugaritz, she is now making her debut recommending wines.
"We're very much about creating a community, which is why I dared to come here. We created the first wine list with Diene, but the idea is to expand it and rotate it," she explains. He has around 100 wines: iconic wines, but also wineries that will stand out in wine regions such as the DOQ Priorat, the DO Montsant, and the DO Conca de Barberà. "I want to incorporate more, from volcanic soils and Atlantic inspiration, from the Canary Islands and Galicia, where I have a deep emotional connection. By the end of the year we'll have 150," he assures. He plays not only with wines, but also with sake vermouth, fermented ginger, spice distillate, and craft beer. Drinks that create harmonious links with cuttlefish with meatballs, sea fricassee with tuna cheeks, Atlantic sea bass, or beef tongue cooked for 22 hours at a low temperature, inspired by Asia. "The greatest change and pride is that they let us do what we do, that they don't want to change us," warns the chef. This is also true of the liquid offering. It's risky but effective. "In five years, we want to be a more refined version of what we already are," they both confirm.
