Bistro Lampion
Posted on June 2, 2006
It was a tongue-twister of a lunch in Remiza, a hodgepodge suburb of Zagreb with winding alleys and back roads. We had originally planned to leave for Kućište today, but some unforeseen conflicts with the van Josip had lined up prevented the departure. Instead, he, Anton (Josip’s brother-in-law, partner and chef at Restoran Argosy in Kućište) and I had an excellent Dalmatian lunch at Bistro Lampion.
For an aperitivo we each had a rogaćica. This is a specifically Dalmatian brandy made from carob pods. It is a fragrant spirit of dark almond hue, with pleasantly bitter herb overtones and a subtle foundation of sweetness for balance.
The decor and much of the cuisine at Lampion owes a deeper nod to northern Croatia than to the Dalmatian coast, but Dalmatian food seems to pop up on menus everywhere in this country. Most everyone I speak with in Croatia about Dalmatian cooking loves it, regardless of their ethnic or geographical origins. Dalmatian food is simple homecooking, the comfort food of the Adriatic coast. As with many things in this world, its beauty is due almost entirely to its simplicity and purity.
Bakalar is the Croatian word for cod, and also the name of the elegantly simple cod stew seen above. This preparation is traditionally enjoyed around Christmas time, but I didn’t know this when Josip ordered a terra cotta crock filled with enough bakalar for three. The absence of Christmas decorations, elves and wise men did not prevent me from proclaiming the bakalar delectable. And, besides, every day is Christmas to me.
Manifesting a crock of bakalar requires little more than rehydrating dried salt cod and stewing it with sliced potatoes, garlic, parsley and olive oil until tender and brothy. If you want the recipe, read the preceding sentence again. Lampion’s partnership of fish and potato melts in the mouth, and the moat of broth is ideal for točanje, or sopping up with bread. I shouldn’t need to mention that I added about three deciliters of Dalmatian olive oil to my portion. My appreciation for this bakalar was best expressed by the empty bowl that I created but did not photograph.
We nursed what remained of the two liters of gemišt (white wine and sparkling water) as we sopped up the juices from the bakalar and chatted lightly. Then Josip ordered me a baklava. Lampion’s baklava was another first for me, and so was photographing it in the softly lit dining chamber.
This was more like the Greek baklava to which I am accustomed in that it was layered and full of ground nuts, but it was DENSE (another nod to the calorie-bomb cuisine of the north). This excellent pastry almost had the eggy texture of a bread pudding, and ecstasy was mine when my kava finally arrived to ferry it down the hatch…
No journey to the coast today, but this splendidly simple lunch at Lampion was a welcome consolation.
» Filed Under Zagreb, croatia, food and drink
Rogac is a type of locust-tree (or carob-tree). The fruit is called carob (I think).
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CAROB! That explains the soft, earthy (perhaps even a little muddy) flavor I was trying to get my brain around. Thanks for your quick reply, Anita.
John