This interview takes place between the kitchen garden of the interviewee, the Ibizan chef José Miguel Bonet, and his parents’ country house, where he grew up and learned the family trade: cooking and managing the Es Ventall restaurant.
Es Ventall, a well-known restaurant located in Sant Antoni de Portmany, opened its doors to the public in 1982, when José Miguel Bonet was just six months old, thanks to the enthusiasm and determination of his parents, Miguel Bonet and Antonia Cardona. It is a family restaurant where this renowned chef began working while finishing his studies. “I grew up there, I soaked up the dedication and sacrifice of my parents and without realising it, at the age of 21, I started to take it seriously”, he says.
Staying true to his roots and now head chef at Es Ventall, José Miguel Bonet tells us how he learned authentic traditional Ibizan cuisine from his father, “I loved copying his recipes, he taught me everything he knows about Ibiza’s cuisine and aroused my interest in giving our dishes a new touch and reinterpreting them without changing the essence of the original recipes”. “I wanted to develop my father’s cuisine and offer the public the unique flavour of the usual dishes with a special touch”, he sums up.
After 38 years of being a benchmark for traditional Ibizan cuisine, Es Ventall has been awarded a “Sun” by the Repsol Guide for 2020. “All hard work has its reward and it is true that working as a family is often difficult, but it is also very gratifying,” explains José Miguel Bonet, who does not hesitate to thank his family for all the work they do every day and the values they have taught him. “I work with my sister Marilina as a partner, with my other sister Josefina in the kitchen and of course, with my parents, who continue to dedicate their lives to keep this dream alive and who taught us to fight for what we want,” he says with a smile. “I wouldn’t change working as a family for anything,” he adds.
Traditional Ibizan cuisine of the 21st century has always been the hallmark of José Miguel Bonet, who states that his secret is “to offer dishes whose main ingredients are local, seasonal, quality products”. “When I travel I realise that Ibiza is no less than anywhere else in the world: we have extraordinary products all year round, we are self-sufficient and we don’t need to import anything”, continues the chef, who has been growing his own vegetables and fruit for years.
In this regard, José Miguel Bonet claims that one of the things customers most appreciate in his restaurant is his homemade carob bread, “a star product for us, which we bake in a wood-fired oven and ferment for 12 to 16 hours”. Due to its success, this product has been put on sale in a little stall in the market Mercat de Forada, which is held every Saturday morning.
A faithful lover of Sobrassada, a cured sausage, the Ibizan does not underestimate the importance of a “fresh lettuce” and reminds us that “in Ibiza we are very lucky, as there is no dish in the world I like more than a “sofrit pagès” (traditional meat and vegetable stew)”. He goes on to explain that the real traditional cuisine of Ibiza “is made with chup-chup, over a low heat and with a lot of care and affection”.
Es Ventall’s menu offers a top-class first, second and third course, and this can only be followed by a dessert of the same category. Matías Trellís is responsible for designing and making the desserts and pastries here. A young “very enterprising and innovative” enthusiast who, according to his head chef, “is responsible for introducing new ideas and producing desserts that revolutionise the palate”. “I like my team to be made up of people who are passionate about their work”, he admits.
This interview ends, of course, with a finger-licking recommendation from José Miguel Bonet, “if you come to Ibiza the first thing you have to try is the “frita de pulpo” with fried octopus”, he says. In addition, this young Ibizan chef invites all tourists or regular visitors to Ibiza “to lose themselves and be guided by instinct to get to know the most authentic side of the island”.