Restaurant Sa Tanqueta

Reconnecting with Mallorcan cuisine

We could not resist the temptation of tasting an ensaimada cooked in a way never seen before: covered with delicious roasted peppers and exquisite pieces of cod and black olive paste.

Author: Aina Coll

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

At the foot of Puig de Randa and cooked with local products lays a tribute to Mallorcan gastronomy. The recipes of the culinary tradition of the island, in their traditional versions and in some unexpected and surprising adaptations, are the protagonists of Sa Tanqueta, a recently renovated restaurant that houses a building faithful to Mediterranean architecture.

As soon as we arrive, we proceed to sit at our table, placed near a window that allows us to look at the facades of the neighboring houses and admire the immensity of the Pla de Mallorca, in an environment where peace and calm reign.

In our hands we already have the proposal of the place. Fried octopus, ensaimada with grilled peppers, roast suckling pig, burballes, arròs brut and cod with aioli and trempó are all marked with an outline of the island, a sign that indicates to the clueless that these dishes are typical of our cuisine. However, the offer is rounded up by grilled meats, which are cooked on a steaming grill located at the back of the restaurant.

Eager to try different dishes and with the excitement typical of first times, we decide to make a -not easy selection- and ask for three proposals to share. We debated for a while and decided to finally go for the ensaimada, the croquettes and the Mallorcan soups. An autochthonous choice that we anticipated as a journey through flavor and rooted product. To drink, we ordered water and a bottle of wine that we knew, not that long ago, and dazzled us at the first sip: the white Origens of Blanca Terra.

The comings and goings of numerous groups of cyclists on route through Randa entertain us until the first course arrives: the sobrasada and mahonese cheese croquettes. Round and with the perfect size to enjoy them in just one bite, as powerful inside as crispy on the outside, the two ingredients are perfectly assembled and respect each other thanks to a béchamel sauce that nicely balances them out.

The ensaimada comes in our second round. We could not resist the temptation of tasting an ensaimada cooked in a way never seen before: covered with delicious roasted peppers and exquisite pieces of cod and black olive paste. A novel combination that surprises the palate by the unexpected combination of flavors, but that also makes it quite exciting. The combination of sweet and salty, in perfect harmony, leaves us with a marvelous taste. A pleasant surprise that, without a doubt, we recommend to those who want to come here.

After this delicacy, a generous serving of Mallorcan soups comes to our table, a traditional dish that is specially cooked in winter and that will never go out of fashion on its own merits. At the exact point of cooking, this humble dish, simple but so tasty, finishes off a well-enjoyed lunch that we decide to round off with a dessert.

Now, yes, we agree right away without much hesitation and share a chocolate texture. Served in a bowl, a piece of brownie, fudgy and succulent, accompanied by a scoop of white chocolate ice cream, a chocolate mousse -not at all cloying, by the way- and crowned with chocolate crunchies -of course- make up a mix of textures that are a sweet tooth's dream.

Sa Tanqueta's cuisine manages to strike a balance between humble but sensibly executed cooking. Unpretentious and with local products, in a beautiful place that preserves the Mallorcan aesthetics, it is an ideal place to reconnect with our gastronomy for those of us who love it and know it, and to approach it and discover it for those who visit the island for the first time.