Cobaya Experiment #77 was a seven course feast from the talented Chef Carlos Garcia at his Miami spot Obra Kitchen Table. I've enjoyed several great meals at Obra and his Cobaya dinner did not disappoint. True to form, it featured fantastic Venezuelan-esque flavors that popped with each bite along with flawless execution.
Chef Garcia is from Venezuela but trained at the prestigious Spanish spots El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca and Mugaritz before returning home. In 2007 he opened Alto in Caracas, which was ranked as one of the best in Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants.
At Alto, he was cooking high end modern dishes that showcased his creativity and finesse. Fast forward to Obra and he has reversed course. At Obra, he is cooking traditional Venezuelan dishes with familiar flavors but with an elevated and creative twist. It's his take on comfort food and it's delicious.
The horseshoe shaped kitchen table invites diners into his kitchen and it's fun to watch him and his team hard at work plus you get to interact with them as well. The setting combined with the flavorful food is an enjoyable way to dine.
If you haven't been to Obra yet I highly recommend paying Chef Garcia a visit. You can read about some of the dishes I enjoyed on his regular menu here or check out my Instagram feed.
First up for Cobaya was a trio of tasty snacks. I've been craving Chef Garcia's arepa with sea urchin ever since.
Snacks:
Fried Pork Puff Skin + Caviar + Cauliflower
Arepa + Sea Urchin + Guasacaca
Cava Hola Barcelona 2017
Eggplant + Goat cheese + Red wine
The first course was a beautiful bite. Another winner and a great start.
Tuna Toast/ton + Spicy Guava Sauce
Pinot Gris Spatlese 2017
That was followed up with a wonderful combination of oysters, coconut rice and a phenomenal piri piri sauce.
Coconut Sticky Rice + Grilled Oysters
As good as that piri piri sauce was, Chef Garcia managed to top it with a green sauce paired with a perfectly cooked red snapper.
Roasted Red Snapper + Grilled Shishito Butter + Green Sauce
Ribeiro Finca San Cibrao Carlos Moro 2017
The last savory course was a crowd pleaser. Chef Garcia introduced the guinea pigs to his ossobuco before plating it,
Ossobuco + Arracacha Puree + Winter Truffles
Alpasion Vintage Blend Owners Selection, Argentina
The night ended on a sugar high thanks to pastry chef Maria Laura Aguirre's riff on a club sandwich. Chocolate ganache was surrounded by caramelized tuiles and paired with a passion fruit mousse.
Sweet Club Sandwich
Oppenheimer Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 2015
Thank you to Chef Garcia for participating in one of our experiments. And to his Kitchen team,
Estefania Andrade and Mauricio Morales, pastry chef Maria Laura Aguirre, GM Maria Alejandra Felizola and the sommelier who did a great job with the pairing.
And of course, thanks to the guinea pigs for your continued support and interest over the past ten years.
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