A lovely birthday evening at Restaurante JCG (Málaga, Spain)

Back in Summer 2020, amidst the uncertainties of the covid-19 pandemic, my wife (Angie) and I were moving from my hometown Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Utrecht in the Netherlands, via her Málaga in her homecountry Spain. What an odyssey!

My birthday is in June, and in 2020 I turned 40. So, Angie decided to surprise me with a dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant of Spanish chef José Carlos Garcia, which lies at an renovated area of the Málaga port. It was one of the most amazing food experiences I had in those four decades of my life!

The dinner appealed to all senses, including sight, and I photographed most of the dishes to have lasting memories of that night. While I did not take note of what each dish was, I recall some and will share with you now. I will also tell you about the restaurant and the chef, which I draw from this article in Spanish, by Jaime de las Heras from the website "Directo al Paladar": "José Carlos García, la 'estrella' que ha puesto a la ciudad de Málaga en el foco gastronómico".

José Carlos Garcia comes from a family of cooks, and while young José Carlos dreamed of being a motorsport pilot, he ended up "piloting the oven" (as we say in Brazil) - and indeed mastered it!

Sustainability, ecological awareness and commitment to local products are key values that José Carlos Garcia holds dear for developing his gastronomy - the result is exquisite dishes, from the bread to the desert!

The evening started with cocktails: I chose a Negroni - I think, but I may be wrong because Martini glasses are unusual for this traditional cocktail made with gin, vermouth and campari

To tease the palate, we were served homemade sunflower seeds polvorón, a type of Spanish shortbread that is soft and very crumbly, with a buttery flavour

The dishes were later paired with Spanish wines - unfortunately, there was no sommelier explaining the pairing to us, which was the only negative note from that night

I don't fully recall this one: it's probably an elaborated fish mousse canapé - sorry!

Pigeon liver and chicken parfait with mango - livers are part of the emotional (or "affective") memory of chef José Carlos Garcia, as he recalls his mother spicing up international recipes like Beef Wellington with these during his childhood

Oysters - the sphere if I recall correctly is a marguerita jelly

Shrimp, roasted pepper juice and yogurt with dill: José Carlos Garcia's synthesis of Malágas sea and mountains

White fish, like a ceviche - but again, I don't recall the details...

Fish of the day: seabass

One of the mains was beef with marrow

Ajoblanco or "white garlic": a cold soup typical of the Andalucia region cuisine

A deconstructed apple tart

They offered us macarons - not in the menu to pair the coffee at the end

Angie, my lovely and beautiful wife! Thank you for this memorable evening!

Behind the scenes: José Carlos Garcia's open kitchen

Info about Restaurante José Carlos Garcia
Address: Plaza de la Capilla, s/N, Muelle Uno, Málaga.
Price: Tasting Menu 126,50€.
Reservations: https://www.restaurantejcg.com/reserva.php or +34 952 003 588
Opening: Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner