Food La Vida

Food that speaks for itself

At Food La Vida they nourish from a first class product, part of their raw material comes from the market itself.

Author: Joan Ramis Boscana

We confess: lately we are a bit obsessed with the Santa Catalina neighborhood. That's why today we got lost in the aisles of the market, and we did it on purpose. We walk among its stalls and submit our gaze to a back and forth that we can't stop. We stop for a moment in front of s'Aglà to let their cheese boards hypnotize our senses, we look at the Ecoilla's products and we understand why their food is certified organic. There are less than two hours left before the market closes its doors and, even so, the clientele continues to fill the space with life and color. Diners still occupy the tables of the Arume and have a drink on the stools of the Vermutortillería. However, it is at the bar of Food La Vida where we sit down because its culinary proposal is out of the classic molds, and that really appeals to us.

As we take our seats, we can attest to one thing: this is a small corner for lovers of good food. Food La Vida is a small space where the most abundant dishes fit, a fact that we ratify when we see what the rest of the diners devour. The person responsible for what our eyes see is Sebas, who behind the bar serves his customers with grace and sympathy. Sebas is a Canadian who opened this stall four years ago to make a name for himself in the market. He does not like to frame his creations within the limits of a specific style, he escapes any pigeonhole. He explains all this to us as he moves quickly around his workplace, in front of a wall overflowing with jars of nuts, bay leaves and all kinds of sauces. People who come to Food La Vida do so because they know the establishment. Its public is loyal, and is made up of people who have already tried its dishes and repeat because their stomachs are insatiable.

Although we have just sat down, we get up again because at Food La Vida they have an assortment of twelve different salads that could not look any better, all of them presented in a display case from which we cannot take our eyes off. The platters are filled with some of the most appetizing ingredients, and some customers take them in tupperware because one of the strong points of this place is its take-away service. If the proverb says that "there are colors for every taste", Sebas' salads could satisfy all tastes: one from the garden, another one of mango and pineapple, that one of broccoli and cauliflower, some pasta, that one with tzatziki sauce... A cocktail of salads that unfortunately we will have to leave for another occasion, because there are two dishes of the day that are looking straight at us and we cannot ignore.

We are tasting a Rosa Blanca and we see Sebas' assistant cutting a carrot. From the bar we can see how in Food La Vida they nourish from a first class product, part of their raw material comes from the market itself. That's when Sebas brings us our order, a jerk chicken cooked Jamaican style. The chicken is of a colossal size, and as a dancing partner it has a side of rice and beans cooked in coconut milk. It is seasoned with thyme, Jamaican pepper and habaneros. One bite of the rice takes us straight to Caribbean lands, the ingredients dance in our mouths to the rhythm of salsa until we decide to attack the chicken. As soon as we taste it, we understand why the fame of Food La Vida has spread from mouth to mouth. Its clash of flavors is most powerful, as the meat has been watered by a lime juice that is like an acid caress that stands out among the thyme and green onion. The secret, however, is in the molasses in which it is impregnated. A crazy dish that asks for war.

The other proposal we ordered is another chicken, but this one comes from India and it is a tikka masala with chickpeas, basmati rice and purple onion. And that's how we get: morados (Spanish word used to describe that you eat a lot because it is delicious). This recipe is seasoned with a curry that respects the rest of the team, allowing the other spices to express themselves freely without taking away their flavor. Because that is what Sebas intends with his food, that it expresses itself. Food La Vida is a place where different dishes are prepared every day: pad thai, gnocchi with seafood, chili with meat... Sebas tells us that he has more demand than he can produce. And when things are well done, it shows.