BIG THEINTERVIEW JULIÁN MÁRMOL WITH

The Lago Resort describes itself as the most complete Eco resort in Menorca. It has certainly transformed and uplifted much of the area of the Cala’n Bosch surrounding the lagoon. We had not visited for many years as the low bridge over the entrance to the marina means that sailing boats cannot enter and therefore it was not a place frequented by our sailing charter clients. In our earlier days running Holiday Hires (over 15 years ago), Casas del Lago was on our route to deliver toasters as it had many Irish clients whose children demanded toast for breakfast. Today Casas del Lago is a 4* Hotel with its own Arena Beach Club, home to the Thai Garden restaurant. It is just one of four choices of accommodation on offer alongside Villas del Lago, Bungalows del Lago and the 5* Suites del Lago.

The resort is a major gastrohub with 24 bars and restaurants in total. Guests can sign up for a Foodie Passport giving them access to special menus designed for food lovers at each of the restaurants of the Lago Resort.

At the 5*Suites del Lago the restaurants include:

KAYPA the Peruvian cuisine and Pisco bar directed by Omar Malpartida, a distinguished chef awarded with a SOL from the Repsol guide in Maymanta Ibiza. You can eat on the terrace or be served in your hammock or on your Balinese bed next to the pool. Kaypa has a Ceviche Bar with 7 different choices, and a selection of ‘Creole Fire’ main dishes. There is exclusive access for residents during the day, but non-residents can book from 7pm to 11pm. +34 689 84 84 47

FOC ECO BRASSERIE is the main hotel restaurant, and it features a Menorcan charcoal grill and vines from the neighbouring Binitord winery. The vegetables and fruits come from the hotel’s own organic garden and the lettuces that they grow hydroponically in the same dining room. The eggs are from their “Chicken Villa” and the fish come from their boat in Ciutadella. Non-residents can book from 7.30pm to 10.20pm. +34 971 38 13 06.

For this article we are concentrating on GODAI. the ‘first JapaneseMenorcan restaurant in the world’ led by Julián Mármol. Intrigued by the stories of a self-taught chef with a Michelin star who has prepared sushi for the stars, we wanted to find out more and he was only too happy to meet up and chat.

Julián Mármol opened GODAI restaurant in the Lago resort of Cala’n Bosch in 2021 and immediately hit the headlines when the footballer Ronaldo published a picture of himself at the restaurant with his friends, sports journalist Edu Aguirre and physical trainer Tony Falco. Julian has many friends in celebrity circles and it was Richard Gere who helped to put his first restaurant Yugo the Bunker on the map. He now has several restaurants in Madrid and GODAI in Menorca. Godai are the five elements in Japanese Buddhist thought of earth (chi), water (sui), fire (ka), wind (fu), and void (ku).

Tell me how your career as a chef started

I worked in the car industry for 15 years, latterly as a Commercial Director for Nissan in Madrid. The company paid for me to do a Masters in Asiatic Studies which introduced me to the Japanese culture. Once I had discovered sushi I was hooked and it became my obsession. I was invited to participate as a sushi chef at a private party in Madrid and it was such a success that people suggested I should change career. To begin with I dismissed the idea but after a few more similar experiences I began to realise it could become a reality.

So tell me about your first restaurant

I set up Yugo the Bunker as a private club in Madrid. My idea was to replicate the idea of a traditional Japanese pub or izakaya. In the basement there was a private room for club members, based on a bunker from WW2. It became quite well known and then the food writer José Carlos Capel from El Pais visited and wrote a review. Richard Gere and his Spanish partner, Alejandra Silva, soon followed and then the phone never stopped ringing. I had to move to new premises with an open restaurant on one floor and a private dining club in the bunker below. In 2019 we were awarded a Michelin Star for the first time and it has been renewed each year, including 2023

And you now have 6 restaurants in total?

Yes, I have KUU which I call our R&D centre where a group of 12 people help us develop all the recipes for all the restaurants. The Japanese Ambassador explained the concept of KUU to me; it translates as self-taught, creating something without any foundation or out of empty space. Shikence is a project that I have been developing for five years and it is Mexican cuisine with a Japanese philosophy. Monchis is an offshoot of this idea based in Canalejas Food Hall in Madrid. I create tacos and tamales as tiny perfectly made snacks under the influence of Japan. The Eight is a grill, also in Canalejas Food Hall, which redefines hamburgers and sandwiches, the meats being cooked on a Japanese charcoal grill.

Why did you choose to open a restaurant in Menorca?

I wanted a restaurant next to the sea and Menorca offers superb local fish and my favourite ‘mariscos’ or shellfish. The hotel has its own garden less than 2 km from the restaurant and so we can source the best local products. I call my cuisine ‘fusion without confusion’, based on how I like to see sushi and interpreting it in my own way. I always respect the main product and add something to balance or to improve it but never to mask it.

What can diners expect at GODAI this summer?

I combine the Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine, taking the finest local ingredients and preparing them with the minutest attention to detail to create unique taste sensations.

You can choose from our a la carte menu but if you want something special we have a tasting menu which can take you on a journey from Menorca to Japan. It can be paired with Spanish wines or with Sake or with a combination of the two. The Tasting Menu has 10 different sushi such as Island red prawn Nigiri with Japanese Garlic, tempura lobster with coral broth slaw and Su Mai of sardine with citrus béarnaise from our lemon trees. There is then a choice of black cod Shiromoso with miso and yuzo chives from our own garden or Wagyu hamburger and for dessert there is Matcha French toast or chocolate Milcrep with Menorcan apricots (Tasting Menu Price 135 € )

How much time do you spend in Menorca

The restaurant is open from June to September (adults only) and I spend 7 days a month here over the 4 months. I have two daughters (from different mothers) and they have been here for holidays too.

Do you have new ideas for the future?

I have a new project called Club Unique and I am excited by the idea of introducing new sensory experiences to our gastronomy. This is Kuu through technology, sounds, aromas and projections and we hope to achieve a unique experience.

Julian is 47 years old and despite his fame, he is open and friendly and was happy to spend time talking to us. He showed us pictures of his amazing home in Madrid which is furnished with many beautiful objects including an illuminated onyx coffee table and a full tree inside the apartment. He laughed when John suggested it was not exactly Feng Shui. With so many restaurants and a home designed for entertaining it is perhaps easier to understand why he has never had time to visit Japan!