b-served Gastronomy
La Balabusta
Home cooking Eastern Mediterranean style
There is no better endorsement for a restaurant’s cuisine than having its owners sit down at the end of the evening and savour their own food. Founders and owners Ronit Stern and Rafael Campos, assistant chef and general dogsbody respectively, are regularly seen last thing at night occupying the inside / outside window table that looks over the chaflan where La Balabusta is located. This recently opened restaurant is a revelation, simple Mediterranean ingredients, mostly vegetables are elevated to another level of taste. Perhaps not surprising because the same team are responsible for Auto Rosellón , on the opposite chaflan.
The name of the restaurant references a Yiddish term for a well run and welcoming household, the perfect starting point to describe the style of cooking at La Bala Busta. The menu contains a list of some 20 options that reflect what’s in season, featuring mostly km0 organic produce; dishes that are meant for sharing, mostly vegetarian or vegan but always including fish and meat options. Food is served in aluminium trays with oven proof paper adding to the homely feel of the place. The corner location means that everything is very concentrated in a small space, the kitchen, the dining area, wait staff negotiating between tables and the noise of conversation.
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Even though the dishes are familiar to the palette there are genuine surprises, the focus on Eastern Mediterranean recipes features familiar produce but treated differently. Although the menu is regularly updated the following otpions are worth looking out for: Cauliflower shawarma with tahini and pomegranate molasses; the Kebab flowers with yogurt dressing and roasted onion; the roasted aubergine, mushroom and green apple croquettes; the Palamós prawns with rate potatoes and za’atar and sumac aioli; or the house schnitzel, coleslaw, mustard and tasty pickles. And for dessert there’s the cheesecake, kadaif, pomegranate and honey; or the toffee date cake with pistachio ice cream.
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For wine lovers it is recommended to ask the staff about the wines list, also full of surprises. Many of the labels are from small independent wineries, mostly Catalan and national D.O.s. Also included are a few biodynamic and organic choices that reflect the same philosophy as La Balabusta. The ideal pairing for the Middle Eastern style cuisine.
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The bread will not disappoint, the sourdough matches the Eastern Mediterranean origins of the gastronomic concept. And also is a testament to the former baker Crustó that was also the brainchild of Ronit and Rafael in a former business.
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- La Balabusta
- Carrer del Rosselló, 180
- 08008 Barcelona
- Tel. 630 08 22 02
- @labalabusta
- www.labalbusta.com