Marmalade
317 Calle Fortaleza
San Juan, PR 00901
My girlfriend's father had been very adamant about how good Marmalede, a
restaurant in San Juan Puerto Rico was. My girlfriend I were very skeptical
because we had been there once a few years ago after it had first opened, and
we had a fairly bad experience. We are
always willing to give a place another chance, so we went with an open mind. We
went with my girlfriend's parents and another couple that they were friends
with one evening during our trip. It is a very chic and modern restaurant, with
a focus on fresh and sustainable ingredients, cooked by the chef whom has
extensively traveled and cooked around the world.
Once
we were seated we indulged in the wine that was ordered for the table from the
extensive wine list. As we read over the menu, I noticed that it looked
completely different than I remembered it. It seemed so very sophisticated now,
with many dishes looking very appetizing. After mulling it over for some time,
I decided on the ceviche with tostones and the halibut cheeks in asapao sauce.
The
ceviche was incredibly fresh and expertly prepared. The fish used was red
snapper, a personal favorite of mine. It was dressed with fresh lime juice,
jicama, avocado and orange chipotle dressing and served alongside of it was
basil infused tostones. The dish was citrusy and creamy at the same time, while
still keeping the integrity of the fish and focusing on its freshness. I also
had the pleasure of tasting my girlfriend's gnocchi with shortribs, horseradish
and peppery greens. The dish was also expertly prepared. The gnocchi were
cloudlike in nature, light as can be and the shortribs were tender and
delicious.
While
we waited for our main courses to come out, they served an intermezzo course of
a white bean soup with scallions, black truffle oil and pancetta dust. This was
simply a mind blowing soup. Never have I ever had a soup so rich, creamy and
flavorful. After tasting it, I could have eaten an entire pot of it. If I go
back, I will order a ton of it and eat it all! It was seriously divine.
The
meal was off to a great start, and I was hoping that the main course was going
to keep the standards of the meal up. O boy did it. My halibut cheeks were
magnificent. For those of you that don’t know, Asopao is a traditional Boricuan
soup that is like a cross between soup and paella. It is usually made with
chicken or shrimp. The broth that was used for the halibut cheeks tasted
exactly like asopao and had all of those traditional, hearty flavor profiles.
The cheeks were tender and moist, and the soaked up the broth nicely. I tasted
my girlfriend's sea bass and was equally as impressed with it. It was served
over a bed of bamboo rice with a pineapple papaya marmalade and a lime ginger
emulsion. The delicacy of the fish and the prominence of the flavors was really
an incredible combination.
Not
to be outdone, my girlfriend's parents raved about the warm banana and
butterscotch bread pudding, so we decided on ordering that. It was the right
call, because it was superbly delicious. It was topped with an aged rum ice
cream and crushed brazil nuts. The flavor was amazing. The only thing I can say
is I wish it had a bit more banana flavor, but other than that it was spot on.
The ice cream gave a nice sharp contrast to the warm bread pudding and the
brazil nuts added a really good bit of crunch to each bite.
Four
solid pints for Marmalade. I never would have guessed that it would have turned
around so much from our first visit a few years ago, but it completely blew my
socks off. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and I would
recommend it to anyone visiting San Juan. Make sure that you get a taste of
that white bean soup because it will change your life! Cheers!
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