Mouna

Pure medicine

An interesting mix of flavors, balanced tactfully, in which a restrained sweetness predominates.

Author: Aina Coll

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

Vegetarian, organic and ethical are three of the adjectives that define Mouna, a particular restaurant for both its purpose and its culinary proposal, which is reflected in healthy dishes which are cooked with care and mostly with local produce. We discovered it one afternoon in Plaça Drassanes, next to La Llonja, inside a beautifully renovated building.

Mouna occupies part of the first floor of Espai Buit, a center that hosts meetings, workshops, exhibitions, talks and yoga classes, and promotes holistic wellness. Its entrance, wide and elegant, preserves the typical stone floor and a majestic staircase leads to the upper floors, where the center's programming is also cooked. But it is just to the right of the large foyer when, after descending a few steps, one enters Mouna as if entering an oasis of calm with attention to detail: a few tables, a large bar created with reclaimed doors and white walls that multiply the natural light.

As we settle in, a carefully designed menu arrives in our hands and one of the waitresses takes us to where Mouna's heart beats: here, fresh and local produce is the protagonist of each recipe, with the aim of promoting the fields and supporting the island's farmers, and having healthy and nutritious food be the backbone of the cuisine.

Mouna's philosophy is seductive, so we dive into its menu with full attention and discover a selection of cocas -of onion confit, trempó, zucchini and hummus, and a margarita-, two cheese boards -one of cow, sheep and goat, all handmade, and another of vegetable cheese types, accompanied by jam, pickles, nuts, olives, roasted pear and crackers-; a proposal of fresh starters with seasonal vegetables and salads, and seven main courses, all with two common denominators: they are vegetarian or vegan and none contain processed sugars.

We order a tangerine, turmeric and pepper kombucha -refreshing and original- and a glass of white wine from Vinya Son Fangos, among other local options, such as Capgiró, Soma, Sió and Turgent. For lunch, we decide to share a starter and two main courses, which soon invade our table with an explosion of color and exquisite plating.

Mouna's dishes are beautiful because of their layout, but also because they transmit the beauty of the island's landscape through their ingredients. Elaborate, but without pretension of appearing what they are not, they celebrate the last days of summer through a simple, pampered and meditated gastronomy.

The zucchini and beet hummus coca is presented as an evolution of the typical coca de trempó. Colorful, fresh and surprisingly light. A perfect starter to get an idea of what is about to come.

Between a lasagna and a large ravioli, the open raviolo is formed by superimposed layers of pasta filled with vegetables, topped with a delicious tomato sauce with cream cheese and pesto. A dish that surprises us visually, but once tried, we liked its texture and lightness even more.

Two baked carrots on hummus cream, accompanied by sweet potato and olives, are the second main dish we choose. An interesting mix of flavors, tactfully balanced, in which a restrained sweetness predominates. Pure medicine that nourishes our body and pays homage to our land.

Mouna's dessert menu is completely in tune with the savory proposal and, among the blueberry and vegan cheese cheesecake, brownie, banoffee, ice cream and coconut mousse -the selection is irresistible- we finally decided on the last one, a topping of coconut milk, cashew cream and jam served, beautifully, in a crystal glass.

During the experience, which we prolonged unhurriedly, we tasted, smelled and enjoyed every bite. We let ourselves be surprised and looked for nuances without effort. We connected with what we put in our mouths and with the story - the effort, love and involvement - behind each ingredient because Mouna invites precisely to this. Hence its name, which means silence in Sanskrit. A gift that goes far beyond the palate, a real must in these times.