If you’ve ever had the good fortune of visiting Catalonia, you’d be surprised by two things. Firstly, the citizens eat really late. We’re talking dinner at 9 p.m late. Secondly, metals in Catalonia itself are often culinary marathons where your fellow sportsmen are the people seated at your table — divide, share and conquer a great many dishes.
Here, Executive Chef Marti Carlos Martinez of Restaurant Gaig takes us through the spring menu of the restaurant. Catalunya in spirit, seasonal in taste, and highly recommended for one to go in a group.
Hi Chef, how’s it going?
Businesswise, it’s great! Since the relaxation of the measures, we have been very busy. We just celebrated the restaurant’s fifth anniversary on seventh July and we are very excited about the months ahead.
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So a running trope of Men’s Folio is that we like to ask first-time interviewees to pitch their business or concept in 10 words or less. So if you could humour me by talking about the menu.
Heritage Catalan dishes and innovative fare, inspired by traditional recipes.
Just out of curiousity, how did you pitch yourself to Chef Carles Gaig? I know he was already a fan of your cooking but I’m assuming you had to talk about yourself right?
It was easy, in a way. We already knew each other and a mutual acquaintance had recommended me to Chef Carles for the position at his restaurant. It didn’t feel like an interview, but more like an introduction of myself as a person, rather than a chef, to Chef Carles. I did not delve too deep into my culinary skills.
He was looking for a chef who could speak English, and who is willing to leave his comfort zone. Someone who has the ability to lead, but also be open to learning at the same time.
The lobster salpicon tart at Gaig Singapore.
I have to ask: how close is the food at Singapore’s version of Gaig compared to the one in Barcelona? I’m not talking about a difference in standard but it can be hard to source things in our little red dot.
There are some dishes that are exactly the same, such as the cannelloni which has been following the same recipe since 1869. The location of the restaurant is a significant factor in overall menu curation. In Spain, we have hunting seasons and during those months, Restaurant Gaig in Barcelona would feature the different game meats available. During mushroom season in autumn, there are limited wild mushrooms that can travel well during the long flight from Europe to Singapore. It is not always that we are able to showcase the same produce in Singapore.
The duck foie gras terrine at Gaig Singapore.
We adapt the plating for each location too. In Barcelona, guests associate Chef Carles with traditional Catalan food. Their priority is to enjoy the flavours, so the plating includes more rustic elements. Here in Asia, most people are not familiar with Catalan cuisine. When people encounter a new cuisine, they tend to “eat” with their eyes first.
For example, we are serving Catalan tomato salad as it is summer now and tomatoes are in season. The Barcelona team uses Spanish tomatoes that are grown on a farm just around the corner from the restaurant. We are using French tomatoes in Singapore, as we cannot get the same tomatoes from Spain due to regulations.
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From my understanding, Catalan cuisine has always been very Mediterranean like: it is so robust but you don’t feel awful after eating it. How much of the chef’s menu at Gaig reflects the old (time-honoured flavours) and how much does it reflect the new?
One of the similar things is olive oil – both cuisines feature this which doesn’t make the food too heavy. Lighter, healthier flavours.
At Restaurant Gaig, dishes offer classic Catalan flavours presented in the traditional way or with a modern flair. At the end of the day, we want to keep our heritage alive and that means looking forward. It’s important to blend classic and modern to feed today’s palate and eyes.
The suckling pig at Gaig Singapore.
I think the issue with most Singaporeans is that they’re not super adventurous with food. Is there something you considered when doing a nose-to-tail version of the suckling pig? Maybe the inclusion carabinero distracts from the fact that they’re eating brains!
It’s definitely a point I considered! Ultimately, we want our guests to enjoy their dining experience. Since coming to Singapore, I have seen how other cultures feature nose-to-tail gastronomy as well. For example, in Chinese cuisine, dishes such as ba kut teh feature the large and small intestines and pig tail. I have also seen pig brains at steamboat restaurants.
The current chef’s menu highlights suckling pigs through modern techniques. It isn’t an entire roasted suckling pig on the table. It is actually a selection of parts such as the brain, loin, tail, and fat that are executed through different techniques that highlight their best qualities. So far, our guests are pleased with the menu! Although most of them are surprised when they learn that there’s a pig brain in one of the canapés, they enjoy the snack very much.
Actually, why do you think nose-to-tail gastronomy is dying out?
In the past, times were tough; people had to eat what they had on hand because there was nothing else to eat. When I was young, whenever papa told us that there was rabbit for dinner, we would eat the whole rabbit – from its ears to kidneys and liver.
Now, there are so many choices. At the supermarket, there are many cuts of different meats. People can easily buy the specific parts they want – they no longer have to eat the whole animal.
You also do not really see animal blood, intestines, or brains at butcheries these days, whether in Singapore or in Europe. They don’t appeal to the majority of modern shoppers so retailers stop selling them all the time, although sometimes they bring those items in on request.
As a result, with each generation, there are fewer and fewer people who appreciate offal and they lose interest in knowing how to prepare dishes using an entire animal. Many recipes have been lost to time.
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For the paella, what inspired you to use squid ink as a “dye” of sorts? Actually, I think the presentation is beautiful too. So, tell me about the recipe and your inspiration for its plating.
Squid ink paella is quite common in Barcelona. It’s well-loved by locals. Since coming to Singapore, I have noticed that the preference for squid ink is even stronger amongst local diners here than back home!
Squid ink Bomba rice is delicious but plain black rice can be a little boring for our guests. To give them a more enjoyable experience, I added firefly squid on top of the rice, and covered it with silken cuttlefish – a thin, delicate layer of cuttlefish blended with egg white. I finished the dish with edible flowers to represent spring and summer.
I’d like to ask you this too: I think it’s pretty crazy how everything is so meticulously plated and prepared at Restaurant Gaig. Out of curiosity again, are the assistants timed when it comes to plating like in overcook!
It is not a race, so I don’t time them. But I keep a very close eye on the team when they are plating as timing is important! Otherwise, if the plating process takes too long, the food will get cold.
Lastly, one question I like to ask to end an interview: can you remember your most played song on Spotify last year?
Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan. It’s an energy boosting song and I listen to it on the way to work all the time!
Once you’re done with this story about Restaurant Gaig, click here to catch up with our June/July 2022 issue!
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