Puerto Rico’s slow-motion economic crisis has cast a bit of a pall over Old San Juan’s once-vibrant art and restaurant scene, but one ray of sunshine amid the gloom is the Marmalade Restaurant on Calle Fortaleza – hailed by many as the best dining on the island.
The creation of owner Executive Chef Peter Schintler – a protégé of Master Chef Peter Timmins and an alumnus of such restaurants as Le Cirque in New York and the unique Le Manior Aux Quat Saisons in Oxford, England – Marmalade Restaurant offers only tasting menus with optional wine pairing.
On a visit a week ago, we were fortunate to get a last-minute reservation, and after walking down Fortaleza past a depressing number of boarded-up storefronts, we entered through the ultra-chic wine bar and were ushered to a very nice table in a cozy side area just off the modernistic yet elegant main room.
Our server Isaac quickly appeared and explained the three options: a four-course tasting menu for $69 a person, a five-course menu for $79 or a six-course menu for $89. We chose the six-course menu, and of course opted for the wine pairing for an additional $56 each.
At Marmalade, each diner gets to build his or her own tasting menu from an offering of eight appetizers, 10 intermediate dishes and eight entrées – enabling two people to sample up to dozen different dishes in an evening. Since that also offered the potential of sampling a dozen different wines, it clearly seemed the way to go.
For the first course, I decided to try the popcorn shrimp paired with a 2014 Chateau de Montfort Vouvray and my husband chose the ceviche paired with a 2014 Botani Moscatel Seco.
The popcorn shrimp is not exactly what you would imagine. It is cilantro and garlic grilled shrimp lacquered with anejo tequila, complimented by ancho-chili spiced crunchy popcorn. A very interesting combination of flavors. The red snapper ceviche, cured with fresh lime, was served with an avocado and jicama orange-chipotle dressing and basil infused tostones. Very flavorful.
Then for the second course, Isaac encouraged us to both try the tiny white bean soup, Marmalade’s signature dish. Thank goodness we followed his advice. The creamy soup was made with scallions, black truffle oil and pancetta “dust,” and the rich flavors melded together perfectly. We almost wanted to lick the bowl. The soup was paired with a 2013 Louis Latour Montagny Premier Cru La Grande Roche.
For the third course, I chose the paella paired with a 2014 Organistrum Barrel Aged Albarino and my husband picked the Jamon Iberico paired with a 2012 Cristom Pinot Noir.
The paella consisted of three crispy mini-towers of chorizo spiced rice filled with smoked chicken, peas and peppers and scented with a saffron-garlic espuma and a chorizo-tomato sauce. It had a bit of a spicy kick. The pata negra ham was served atop delicious honey grilled pears nicely touched off by a blue cheese and peppery arugula dressing.
For the fourth course, my husband opted for the risotto of lobster served with a 2013 Rombauer Vineyards chardonnay and I decided to try the hand-rolled, black truffle pappardelle pasta paired with a 2011 Damilano Lecinquevigne.
The creamy risotto was perfectly prepared, and contained large, sweet chunks of lobster. The pappardelle, with wilted spinach, winter truffle and marsala butter, had a nice truffle taste, and the pasta also was cooked perfectly.
By this point, we had probably already eaten and drank enough (the portions here are quite sizable for a tasting menu – not tiny bites), but it was time for the main event.
I chose as my entrée the striped bass paired with a 2013 Evening Land Celebration Gamay Noir and my husband went for the Niman Ranch natural hormone free lamb tagine paired with a 2010 Arcanum Il Fauno.
The striped bass, roasted with chanterelles and local beets, was finished with an Iberico ham-farsley-garlic imulsion. A superb dish. The Moroccan style braised lamb was tender and flavorful, served with organic chick peas, marcona almond honeyed apricots and harissa spiced green olives.
The final course was dessert. Neither of us, by that time, had any remaining appetite, but I had a chocolate macadamia nut confection and my husband sampled the warm banana bread pudding. We only made it through a couple of bites, and possibly had consumed enough wine by that point because neither of us remember the dessert wine pairing.
Overall, we would give this dining experience high marks. The dishes were beautifully presented – a fusion of great explosive flavors served in a great setting – and the wines for the most part harmonized well. The amazingly knowledgeable and helpful servers here are a 10. The pace of the meal was perfect.
For anyone tempted by this review, we would suggest the four-course menu – not the six – even if you come hungry. It should also be noted that if you have a vegan in your party, Marmalade offers an additional vegetarian menu with 11 tempting dishes.
Chef Peter has got a great thing going here, and if you chance to be in Puerto Rico, it’s even worth the drive from Dorado or one of the other distant island resorts. Marmalade makes one hope that Old San Juan soon recovers from its current doldrums.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected] .
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
