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Aquanaria and Yemanjá, Lorenzo Matalone’s star product

Aquanaria and Yemanjá, Lorenzo Matalone’s star product

Lorenzo Matalone

Born in Genova (Italy), chef Lorenzo Matalone has dedicated his life to cooking. He began at just fifteen years’ old, earning his first work experience as a kitchen assistant during the summer seasons. After completing his training in Italy, he moved to Spain in 2007 and came to Ibiza (his “second home”) in 2011. Today, Matalone runs the kitchen at Yemanjá: an iconic restaurant and culinary temple on the island where traditional Ibizan cooking takes on a new dimension. The secret to his success? The finest selection of ingredients, including haute cuisine produce such as Aquanaria sea bass, a favourite of Matalone and his team.

Yemanjá restaurant terrace, Ibiza

 

What does Yemanjá mean to you?
Yemanjá is like my second home. It’s a really big, special place for me, where I’ve spent a lot of time, and where I’ve now come back to. And where I’d like to keep on spending a lot more time...

How would you describe your cooking?
My cooking is enjoyable and joyful. What’s most important to me is that I have to like what I’m cooking. My food is simple, fun, and uses really good produce.

What would you highlight about the food that you’ve created at Yemanjá?
I’d draw attention to the starters and raw dishes section. All the fresh, seasonal dishes. I love using meat and fish from first-class sources in both my raw and cooked dishes. And I also really like creating fusion dishes with rice (the traditional side, using everything I’ve learned during my career).

Sea bass carpaccio Yemanjá restaurant, Ibiza

 

How did you discover Aquanaria sea bass?
I discovered it through our trusted supplier (Bamberry Foods), who has supplied it to us for several years.

What makes this product so special?
It’s a spectacular product that we can use to make lots of different kinds of dishes: raw, in the Josper, cooked in portions... It’s really versatile. What I like most is its texture, fat, and flavour.

In your opinion, how has food evolved in Ibiza over the past five years?
Food has developed a huge amount on the island in recent years. Lots of important chefs are coming to Ibiza, lots of synergies are developing, and there’s healthy competition between restaurants. Now there are plenty of really good restaurants that you could name... And it pushes us to always want to improve.

Grilled sea bass, Yemanjá restaurant, Ibiza

 

What do you think is the island’s biggest challenge in terms of food?
The challenge in Ibiza is knowing how to involve everyone who comes to the island, to make them have a unique experience. We live in a beautiful place, that’s something we already have, but, as chefs, we have to know how to offer them something more so that they have an unforgettable experience.

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