Carlos and Marcos
It was three years ago that Carlos and Marcos opened their little piece of Galicia in Palma with the simple aim of eating just like they would at home. Today, that personal ‘whim’ has evolved into a sanctuary for the island’s most sought-after ingredients. With a new cooling chamber for museum-quality meats, a fish display cabinet with a nebuliser and five newly opened wine cellars, the Gil brothers are proving that their obsession with excellence knows no limits.
On paper, there was nothing to indicate that Carlos and Marcos, two brothers from Oímbra (Ourense), would end up presiding over the most coveted chargrill in Palma. Neither came from a catering background. One worked as a translator and managed luxury furniture shops, while the other worked tirelessly as an executive. But destiny sometimes works in mysterious ways. Breogán landed in Palma as a spin-off from the typical Galician ‘casa de comidas’ (a down-to-earth eatery that features heavily in nostalgic dreams and memories) with the aim of proving that the region’s gastronomy was as much alive as it ever was. The original idea was very simple: to serve good octopus, Spanish omelette and other wholesome ingredients. The island, however, had other plans.
“We just followed our noses: in the end it was our customers who guided us”, admits Marcos, recalling how they started out. What began tentatively with a dry ager and a couple of beef steaks, quickly outgrew itself. “We went from not daring to buy a loin of beef because it was expensive, to having beef every week because that is what people were asking for.” In just three years, Breogán’s rise has been meteoric. Today, the establishment offers gems such as select full-blood Wagyu and beef that has been aged for over 500 days. “It is the best plaything for a restaurateur: the knowledge that your customers are ready to enjoy whatever you produce, so that you can concentrate on looking for the very best the market can offer”, he explains proudly.
This year, the pair have installed a groundbreaking tempering chamber to do justice to these exceptional cuts of meat. In this chamber, the meat is left to rest overnight before being cooked so that it does not suffer any sudden temperature changes. This results in “more relaxed fibres” so that the steak is served in a state of absolute perfection, and guests can view their particular piece of meat before dining.
But Breogán is not just a Valhalla for unreconstructed carnivores. Its fish and seafood also belong in the same champions’ league. A new display cabinet with a custom-made nebuliser guarantees freshness for treasures from the Atlantic, such as the highly prized bream or wild red bream. In this place they also listen to the Mediterranean, because the pursuit of excellence works independently of postcodes. “If we’re aiming for the best, why would we fail to appreciate what is already here? If there are magnificent red prawns in Sóller or Mediterranean slipper lobster from Mallorca, we get them”, the brothers say firmly.
At Breogán nothing is left to chance. Even its famous ‘tortilla de Betanzos’ [Spanish omelette] is a genuine declaration of intent, prepared exclusively with eggs from free-range hens from the prestigious sustainable production initiative Galo Celta.
The brothers’ unwavering obsession with quality is also reflected in their offer of drinks. This year, they have installed five new wine cellars to store over 200 benchmark wines. “When we started out, our most expensive bottle cost 50 euros. Today, we have customers who order Petrus.” A great qualitative leap that has permanently captured the loyalty of the discerning local population, who now make up 70% of their clientele. Breogán has just completed three years of transforming haute cuisine chargrilling. The heart of Galicia beats strongly here. And it does so at a level that is off the normal scale.
