Karen Martini Brings The Essence Of Ibiza To Plate

One of the most talked about beach restaurant openings of the season, the news that Australian celebrity chef Karen Martini was going to head up the kitchen at Cala Bonita preceded her arrival on the White Isle by month. Together with her husband Michael and their restaurateur friends Craig and Janene, the My Kitchen Rules judge is one of the founders of the charming new seaside destination in S’Estanyol, which, literally days after opening, was already receiving rave reviews about the amazing food.

With a love of Mediterranean cuisine and an aesthetic that celebrates local produce and ingredients sourced right from nature’s doorstep, Karen has put together a menu that is down-to-earth, perfectly matched to Ibiza’s wild beauty and hot climes, and, of course, utterly delicious. In fact, during our interview with the kitchen maestro, not one but two tables stopped to compliment her on the incredible dishes they had just tasted. Here, Karen reveals how Ibiza inspires her and how she thoughtfully created one of the best food offerings on the island…

Welcome to the White Isle! Had you been to Ibiza before you decided to get involved in Cala Bonita?No, never. And I’ve only been on the island for six weeks now!

How are your finding it so far?
I haven’t seen much of Ibiza yet, to be honest. I’ve been either in the kitchen at Cala Bonita or at home at my computer! But I’ve managed to go to Beso Beach in Formentera, which I loved. I also went to Amante and El Chiringuito, because they were places I wanted to see.

How did Craig and Janene convince you to get on board and move here?
Craig got me over the line when he phoned me and told me, ‘Karen, you’re going to die, this place is full of wild fennel, rosemary and pines. We were face-timing, so he showed me the nature that surrounds Cala Bonita and it took my breath away.

How does the nature inspire your cooking?
Everything starts with the environment that we’re in. The whole team is trying to keep things as natural as possible. You could start ‘tricking up’ the food, but we didn’t want to take away the essence of its natural beauty. In fact, we’re really focused on doing the exact opposite. We have the same aesthetic in the kitchen as we do in the restaurant, where everything from the tables to the lamps is handmade – most of the food is house-made and there are no instant stocks or shortcuts.

We hear you even go foraging for ingredients?
Yes, every morning we go for a gentle meander – actually, it’s more of a run – around the cliffs and pick the pine needles and wild fennel..

How did you put together the menu?
When I wrote the menu, I had to reflect on what I would want to eat if I had just come from the beach and was feeling really hot. I didn’t just want to tick a lot of boxes because I could, it was about celebrating the summer experience and creating tasty, refreshing food that compliments that.

What are your favourite ingredients?

I love the fennel. I use it all the way through the menu, even if it’s just as a garnish. I grew up eating it when I was a child and it’s a bit of an obsession. The cucumbers are amazing here, too. You don’t get them like that in Australia. And I’m really excited about the seafood. I’m learning about different fish and I get to cook with razor clams and cockles. We have great seafood in Australia, but the sheer variety here is incredible. The local red gambas are spectacular!

Have you always been passionate about Mediterranean food?
Yes, when my husband Michael and I choose to holiday it’s usually in the Mediterranean somewhere. I love Thailand as well, and I love eating Japanese food, but my husband is Greek, so that’s an added inspiration. The octopus dish on the menu is my little homage to him.

Having never been to Ibiza before, how did you find all your suppliers?
I have a very special friend, Emma Warren Rodriguez, who is my right hand woman across TV, my books and the newspaper column that I write, and I brought her here with me because she speaks Spanish. She has lived in Barcelona for ten years and is married to a Spaniard, so she has helped us to interpret and negotiate. Her husband has a business importing cheese to Australia, so he has lots of great contacts, too.

What is your vision for Cala Bonita and its food?
We want it to be a place where you come for great food, great wine and great music, and let the day go by. Smell the roses, you’re on holiday! This year, we’re open for the summer and we’ll probably stay open until the end of September or the beginning of October, and I hope that we will get customers from all over the world that will come and visit.

Info
w: www.calabonita.com
e: enquiries@calabonita.com
t: +34 605450592