Chef Sergi Palacín, who gained experience in Thailand and opened a restaurant in Barcelona, established Hiu in Cambrils, Baix Camp, in 2023. The restaurant blends Asian culinary traditions with local Tarragona ingredients, aiming for an ambitious and distinctive flavour profile.
Palacín's journey includes a decade in Thailand, where he worked as head of R&D at the award-winning Gaggan restaurant. In 2018, his Barcelona establishment, The Alchemix, was recognised as the best new opening of the year by readers of El Periódico.
Born in Barcelona in 1990, Palacín is an alumnus of the Cambrils School of Hospitality and Tourism. His return to Cambrils for Hiu signifies a deep commitment, as he lives above the restaurant. His wife, Narinee Sean In, manages the administration, while his sister, Judit, serves as the sommelier, having previously trained as a chef at Mugaritz and Nerua.
A Unique Culinary Approach
Hiu, meaning "I'm hungry" in Thai, offers a spacious dining area where the kitchen and dining room merge, featuring a calm grill used for smoking fish. Guests are welcomed with a wooden box containing unique ingredients that form the basis of the tasting menu. This presentation, often seen in high-end Japanese restaurants, highlights the restaurant's dedication to handcrafted elements.
Among the homemade ingredients displayed are pumpkin seed miso, bread miso made from leftover spelt bread, cured roe from corvina and sea bass, various pickles, kombucha vinegar, sardine garum with koji, and katsuobushi made from bonito and octopus. The octopus katsuobushi is described as a potentially unique global development, inspired by air-dried cephalopods found in many seas. Palacín emphasises the restaurant's self-production, with a dedicated corner for fermentation jars, which he describes as a "museum of slow time". He states that while fermentation is a trend, it is a critical preservation method for Hiu.
Judit Palacín's drink pairings include Bermutto sake vermouth, Davant del Corral 2020 Xarel·lo, and Julieta 2024 Trepat, all well-received. The menu features dishes such as satay chicken croquettes with a citrusy and spicy consommé, sea bass and crab cake with green curry and caviar, and koji fritters.
Standout Dishes and Desserts
Other highly praised dishes include a sorbet with lemon, apple, cucumber, and hibiscus gel; lacto-fermented persimmon with crème anglaise; and a crunchy carob log with tonka bean ice cream and trumpet mushroom crumble. The corvina with black shio koji, cured and smoked roe, and a pil-pil sauce made from fish fat, alongside beef tongue with massaman curry and leek with peanut praline, also received strong commendation.
A cured mullet dish with salt, sugar, and a blowtorch, served with freeze-dried pickles, red onion gel, and kinilaw (Filipino ceviche), was noted as good but slightly less impactful than other offerings. High marks were given to the battered cod kokotxa with a red chilli mayonnaise, pumpkin and Mogent cheese imo mochi, and a dashi made from octopus katsuobushi. A Mediterranean scallop with red curry and a mosaic of pig's trotters was described as an explosive flavour experience.
Redefining Cambrils Cuisine
The restaurant also serves an ingenious squid pasta dish, disguised as a thin, folded sheet, supporting white prawns with a rich suquet reduction. This dish is praised for its cleverness and aesthetic appeal, offering an excellent, alternative take on the traditional suquet.
Hiu does not fit the typical profile of a Cambrils restaurant, which often focuses on fish and seafood directly by the sea. However, El Periódico describes Hiu as a significant establishment poised to leave a lasting, distinctive mark on a culinary scene traditionally dominated by romescos and rossejats.
