Sergi de Meià: Roots and tradition

Meià: Vilanova de Meià, a small town in the region of La Noguera in the wonderful lands of Lleida. Sergi: Sergi "de [from] Meià", a chef working 70 km away from his birthplace of Vilanova de Meià who has never forgotten his roots and the products of the land.

What we’re describing today is rigorous, traditional food in the purest sense. In a very commercial spot right in the middle of the Eixample, we find this signature, very family-oriented restaurant, Sergi de Meià, where Sergi and his mother Adelaida offer a cuisine based on the fresh products from their land, from ours, through the most traditional recipes from Catalan cuisine. The outcome is refined dishes which are truly worth your while.

Intellectually and gastronomically, the concept behind Sergi de Meia is sophisticated – you can’t sample a Spanish goat civet just anywhere. The venue is the typical shotgun layout on Carrer Aribau; not quite up to par with what it purveys inside. It fits 50 diners and has poor acoustics and extremely sober décor, so it’s not exactly ideal for an intimate dinner. But if you’re a true foody, it’s an intriguing place for lunch or dinner… or even breakfast with a fork… and spoon!

Ready for intense flavours and dishes that are not exotic but that you’ve never tasted before? Let’s get down to the menu served to us by Sergi and Adelaida, his mother and the soul behind the service. We begin with a little “Roasted meat croquette” which is extremely flavourful and well fried. We then go on to a “Seasonal vegetable ceviche” which is truly exquisite; the only part of it that could be improved is the name, since ceviche brings to mind a different dish than what we were served. Nonetheless, the dish – for us a salad of extraordinarily fresh and aromatic vegetables cooked al dente and seasoned with a bit of spice – is an exquisite beginning to a good meal.

Roasted meat croquette

Seasonal vegetable ceviche 

Back to basics… we are served “Oriental-style onions”, a recipe from Escoffier (19th century) which is not only extraordinary but also, to us Miguelines, a harbinger of the cuisine that awaits us in the forthcoming years: a journey back, way back, to traditional cooking, but an updated version of it. Spices, long cooking times and local products that are a far cry from the spherifications and circus acts (which we also like) so popular today. Along the same lines, we sample an “Eel with garlic and pepper”, a strong recipe typical of fishermen and farmers in the Delta de l’Ebre who would wince if they saw that their “staple”, this “subsistence” dish, is regarded as great cuisine… with a price to match.

Oriental-style onions

Eel with garlic and pepper

Showcasing his technique, Sergi serves us “Rioja-style eggs”, egg yolks in tempura – the breading is cracked to release a delicious, orangey yolk – over potatoes from La Rioja, mild… with less chorizo than we would have liked. In any case, it is a good idea, well executed. Let’s continue. A “Prawn head rice” that is delicious, although we wish for a harder rice, like Arroz Bomba; however, its intense, sea flavour is above reprehension. Our mouths are happy.

Rioja-style eggs

Prawn head rice

Changing tack, what comes next isn’t for everyone… and it’s pure Catalan: “Catalan-style roasted chicken”, Sergi de Meià-style. Strong flavour, tender meat. Then “Spanish goat civet”, a dish that we Miguelines were tasting for the first time in our lives (which we appreciate), and which delights us with its powerful but balanced flavour. And finally, “Moorish squash”, another ancient recipe from the 15th century, accompanied by goat meat, whose flavour we find extremely strong, perhaps too strong for the average palate.

Catalan-style roasted chicken

Spanish goat civet 

Moorish squash

The desserts are delicious and noteworthy, sure not to let you down. We should highlight the “Chickpea fritters”, whose name may not sound overly appetising if you have a real sweet tooth. But rest assured they are extraordinary.

Chickpea fritters

If you want to sample a true vindication of Catalonia’s culinary history, a truly committed, accessible venture without either flourishes or gratuitous nods, Sergi and Adelaida from Vilanova de Meià are awaiting you in their small restaurant. Note our prediction: cooking is heading towards the ideas that you will taste in here, at Sergi de Meià. On these days when it’s hard to fit it in, set aside room in your stomach to savour a different kind of menu that will leave you thinking. Happy 2017!

Where is Sergi de Meià?

Address: Carrer d'Aribau, 106, 08036 Barcelona

Telephone: 931 25 57 10

Timetable: Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 to 11:30 am, 1:30 to 3:30 pm and 8 to 10:30 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday

Website: http://www.restaurantsergidemeia.cat/