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Mar Chica The perfect recipe for a night out in Palma

Looking for a fantastic meal in a beautiful setting? Perhaps a dance and some great tunes? Or just a cocktail with a view? Well, look no further than Mar Chica.

Mar Chica was opened last year next to Porto Pi overlooking the water and is a reincarnation of the popular restaurant that was a favourite in Mallorca for decades. The space is open and inviting yet sophisticated and calming with intimate lighting in the restaurant and true attention to detail that carries through from the table settings to the decor. The roof terrace offers sea views and is the perfect place to sip on a signature cocktail or dance the night away until the early hours at the weekend. Boasting some of the best Mediterranean/Asian fusion available on the island, the live sushi station is something that draws a lot of hungry diners through the door. The owners of this restaurant refuse to compromise on quality, using only the finest of ingredients for their dishes and cocktails and service is key in Mar Chica. Every waiter, barman and chef knows everything there is to know about the menu and nothing is too much trouble. Mar Chica also specialises in cocktails with a talented and creative mixologist that will happily make a bespoke cocktail for you to enjoy with your meal or on the terrace. Aside from great food and cocktails, a DJ also entertains the wellheeled crowds on Fridays and Saturdays so, whatever it is you are looking for, make Mar Chica the next place you try this weekend!

Mar Chica - a must-try for any foodie in Mallorca

The Celebrity team went to spend an evening at Mar Chica and we were lucky enough to eat our way through some of the highlights of the menu (and drink our way through some of the cocktail menu, of course!)

By Ben Mulvey

We were seated by the window with the stunning views out to sea and were warmly greeted by our waiter. Claudio, the owner, came over to explain the concept in a little more depth and asked us what we wanted to eat. We decided not to order for ourselves and let the experts choose for us - a decision we certainly didn’t regret. Kicking off our intercontinental menu was a Spanish Yuzu Martini with more ingredients than I knew could fit into a glass but the outcome was a smooth, tangy, fruity cocktail with a punch of tequila that tasted very Mediterranean. The first dish to arrive was an Ebi Crispy Roll made with tuna, avocado, ventresca (tuna belly) and rice with a sesame sauce. As somewhat of a sushi sceptic, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed this which left me intrigued to see what they would serve next. Next up was the Usuzukuri, thinly sliced fish (‘pez limon’) with olive oil, passion fruit and Japanese herbs. The fish may have been sliced thinly as per the traditional Japanese recipe but the flavour was intense and complemented by the passion fruit which

gave it a delightfully tart flavour. More starters came and we were slightly apprehensive about the number of dishes but we didn’t want to stop eating. We tried panko-fried octopus which was light and tasty, steak tartar which was profound in flavour but light in texture, and a few other dishes that were simply outstanding. For the main event, we were recommended the black cod (a real favourite for anyone that loves Japanese cuisine) marinated in miso and served with Japanese mushrooms. The cod was cooked to perfection and simply melted in the mouth and the miso flavouring was delicate so as not to overpower the flavour of the cod. The crispy skin and the soft mushrooms created a contrast of textures that is hard to achieve without making the cod too soggy or very dry but this was clearly not an issue for the talented chef at Mar Chica. Steak is a dish that is not overly complicated in theory but so easy to get wrong, especially as it very much depends on the way people like to eat it but at Mar Chica they just get it right. The simple flavours leave the meat itself to do the talking and every slice was spectacularly juicy and soft. Concluding our culinary journey from the Mediterranean to the heart of Asia were the desserts and, having loosened our belts a little bit, we tucked into a devilishly indulgent chocolate coulant with chocolate ice cream, a light and fluffy green tea mousse and a yuzu cheesecake with fruits of the forest. The restaurant ensured that we ended our meal on a high as each dessert was unique in its own flavours and textures and left us happily contemplating the cacophony of flavours we had just experienced. It is always a pleasure to try new restaurants and to be able to tell other people about them but it is more of a pleasure when the restaurant makes it so easy to recommend. Mar Chica, in my opinion, excels in every aspect of the restaurant experience from the service to the food, the cocktails to the coffees and I would recommend that you add it onto you ‘must-try’ list - you won’t be disappointed! Marchica Restaurant Carrer Torre de Paraires, 1, 07014 Palma 971 593 902 | info@marchicapalma.com www.marchicapalma.com

FINDING FAIRWAYS Mallorca Golf Course Reviews with Matthew Cull FINDING FAIRWAYS Mallorca Golf Course Reviews with Matthew Cull

Hello readers, and welcome to another new Celebrity Magazine Mallorca feature. In Finding Fairways, I will have been to play one of the many courses in Mallorca and will write a review in each edition. In the U.K I had previously worked for a leading Golf industry magazine, and in fact, I launched my own golf industry publication in the USA some years ago, so the golfing world is very familiar. When I became involved with Celebrity this was always a feature I wanted to roll out. I got the ball moving ( (pardon the pun, sorry that was terrible ) by sending out an email to all the golf courses on the island a short time ago, stating what I wanted to do and within minutes I had an email back from Golf de Alcanada Director of Golf, Kristoff Both saying “Count us in, Matthew”. This was the type of response I had hoped for, and others followed quickly after. I now have the rest of the course reviews planned in for this year and the beginning of 2021 as well. As a result of Kristoff ’s enthusiastic and swift response, we of course kick things off with a review of Golf de Alcanada.

Golf de Alcanada

Nestled in a quiet corner of north east Mallorca, just a stone’s throw from Alcudia, Club de Golf Alcanada is now considered by many as the best golf course on the island.

In complete darkness, late January, I set off from home in the south western corner of Mallorca at around 7am, and picked up Celebrity Sports writer Alex in Palma en route to the north of the island, a journey that took around an hour with clear roads. Just before arriving at the course we pulled the car over by Alcanada beach to witness the sunrise. I’m not generally ‘a morning person’ so I don’t get to see many rises, but this one was certainly worth the early alarm call!

Driving range

Arriving at the course, I noticed the electric car charging points, some of them provided by Porsche, with whom the club has a collaboration in place. Everything about the clubhouse, restaurant and pro shop, even the changing facilities

are nicely presented. The well-stocked professional’s shop has everything you would expect from the usual consumables, clubs, and an excellent range of golf clothing from some of the top apparel brands. I had heard many people speaking very highly of the course and facilities at Alcanada, so it’s been a course I’ve wanted to play for a long time. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jr, Club de Golf Alcanada’s 18- hole course opened in 2003 and is located right by the sea. The 6,499-metre lay-out blends naturally into the typical Mallorcan landscape. The club takes its name from

a nearby island just off the shore which, complete with its own lighthouse, can be seen from most of the holes. Apart from the splendid sea view, players are surrounded by pine and olive groves throughout their round and, even though a young course, Alcanada is already recognised by a number of well-known golf magazines and golf guides as one of the finest courses in Spain and Europe. The capable groundstaff had the course looking in pristine condition, this really was one of the nicest courses I’ve played. After a quick warm up on the driving range, Alex and I headed to the clearly signposted first tee.

The pro shop

You don’t get an easy start here; hole one, a dog-leg left is long and tricky to navigate for first-timers here. Judging your yardage ( or meters of course as the markers indicate on most courses in Europe ) is paramount. It doesn’t get much easier to be honest; this course would be a good challenge for most low and intermediate handicap golfers. Maybe a little frustrating for the higher handicappers. A course playing at more than 6000 yards off the yellow tees, naturally there are some very long holes, including the two 500+ yard par 5’s, but there are a nice variety of holes lengths and features, and the par threes are certainly where the mid to high handicappers can look to make a birdie. I found the holes on the front 9 more interesting, yet the back nine more challenging and the scorecard reflected this. With many of the holes enjoying the sea

the stunning course set up and wonderful scenery. I can see why it has won the hearts of many and is considered as one of the very best courses in Europe. During our round, Alex and I enjoyed a good chat, some about life in general but we spoke a lot about what makes a good golf course. We will all have different views of a course and there is no right or wrong as such. For me it’s great customer service when you arrive it’s nice to be made to feel welcome. I like a challenging course lengthwise, but one without too many bunkers. I also like nice, wide and forgiving fairways on the par 4 and 5 hole tee shots, I play golf for relaxation, I don’t want to be searching for lost balls all the time. Alex’s view was pretty similar, but he added that he was fond of courses that were comfortable for all handicaps, with greens and pin positions accessible for the higher handicapper. Halfway houses with food, drinks and restroom facilities were mentioned too. I can’t disagree with that. So, Alcanada ticks all of these boxes. A big thank you to Kristoff, Jenny and all the hardworking team at Golf de Alcanada for your kind and generous hospitality. If you’re a keen golfer, whether full-time resident here on the island, part-time resident or indeed here on your holidays get a tee time booked today. Club de Golf Alcanada Tel:(+34) 971 549 560 Website: www.golf-alcanada.com Email: info@golf-alcanada.com Address: Carretera del Faro s/n, 07400 Port d’Alcúdia, Mallorca

Restaurant terrace

views. overall, this was an absolute pleasure to play. The staff at Golf de Alcanada are wonderful and this is complemented by