As much as I love living on a Croatian island, when one wants to surprise a loved one with something a little different, it is not always that easy. Over the last ten years, I have played ‘Hunt the Avocado’ more times than I care to admit, and have driven 10 kilometres on the rumour that there was a recent shipment of fresh ginger. Life on the Sunshine Island has its plusses and minuses for sure.
Driving back from Austria yesterday, I thought it would be fun to surprise my wife with a sushi lunch delivered to her at work. Her favourite fish for sushi is salmon, not a problem if you live in Norway, but rather more of a challenge if you are in Jelsa.
I called my man from Ribarnica Brac, the fish delivery experts and suppliers to many of the city’s restaurants. After some discussion as to how much salmon and tuna I would need for the meal (which had by now expanded to ten people), it was agreed I should pop in to their sister restaurant Re Di Mare to pick up my fish.
Re di Mare is one of my favourite restaurants in Split for a number of reasons. Being owned by major fish suppliers has the benefit of ensuring that the supply of the fresh stuff will not be a problem. It is a firm local favourite, its prices are excellent, its staff a little crazy, and the location is divine for two reasons. For those looking to escape the hordes in the centre, here is a waterfront restaurant which is isolated from the rest of the city, and the effect is a timeless Dalmatian experience away from the crowds. Added to that is the view, as close to the water as any Split restaurant, and with a busy harbour of boat life to observe and appreciate.
I would have to stay for lunch…
The menu is achanging at Re di Mare, but here is what yesterday brought:
Roast fish tuna carpaccio to start with a bottle of Bevenuti Malvazija.
Home-made black gnocchi with shrimp – divine, and all the more so for the contribution of Mr. Benvenuti.
And the simplest and tastiest of Dalmatian cuisine – fresh grilled fish with a blitva and potato side. Seabass was on the menu, and rather good it was too.
There was just enough room for dessert, a delightful cheesecake, Summer Rhapsody.
I could have settled in for the night with that relaxing view, but the last ferry was calling this island boy. It was time to focus on my fish and not missing that boat.
I will admit I am not a fisherman, and my brother-in-law could not stop laughing when I bumped into him on the ferry. Here was my salmon and my tuna, the mission tomorrow to turn it into award-winning sushi for my wife.
Refrigeration was obviously the overnight priority, and it would have been hard to hide this beast from the wife in the family fridge, so I headed for Me and Mrs Jones and begged some overnight chilled storage, which was forthcoming, along with an invitation to prepare the sushi in their kitchen the next morning.
This proved rather a challenge for this Manchester boy, who is used to seeing his fish covered in batter and wrapped in an old newspaper with chips.
After several minutes of hacking, and one or two moments of elegant slicing, I extracted as much fresh fish as I thought I would need.
No sushi master can succeed without the appropriate supporting team, and Total Split Most Junior was pressed into vegetable preparation, a task she took to with gusto.
The end result? I am not sure I will be winning any awards at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, but nobody died (at least not yet), and the initial fruits of my labour were available for delivery to my wife at work.
But not before my little helper had demonstrated her chopstick skills…
The fish was delicious, fresh and of far better quality than the butchered presentation, and it is heartening to know that such products are easily and affordably available in Split. Check out the latest from Ribarnica Split on Facebook.
A fantastic overall fishy experience from Re di Mare and Ribarnica Brac, but it would be remiss of me not to mention the star of the day, swimming around gracefully in the centrepiece fishtank in the centre of the restaurant.
Cleopatra is HUGE. And old. According to my fish man, Cleopatra – whose age can be guaged by her size – is about 50 years old, and weighs over 4kg. She has been living in her new home for a month now, having been caught by fishermen near the island of Pag. Just one more reason to visit Re di Mare, a fantastic experience that is not too damaging on the wallet. Check them out on Facebook.
