Lit with fairy lights and adorned with hanging plants and empty bottles, Bruno, the cosy wine bar on Victoria Park Road playing host to El Jardín this evening, feels instantly warm and inviting after a walk through the cold.
While Londoners are growing increasingly wary of wine bars (the overpriced food, the hipster, and lighting so dim you resort to a phone flashlight to decipher the menu), Bruno might be the perfect antidote to London’s wine-bar-itis. It’s cool and elevated, but never snobby or pretentious. It’s full of cheeky nods to Bruno and his family – hidden in the bathroom is an A4 poster the man himself, shirtless by a pool, beer in hand. It’s silly and soulful, despite the refully curated Spotify playlist.
It’s the ideal setting for El Jardín’s elevated yet approachable dining, drawing on the laid-back spirit of patio barbecues, where food is shared between family and friends. Before I know it, there’s wine in my hand and a generous spread of tacos is on the table. The friendly, expert staff at Bruno guided me towards a chilled red, Le Grain Entier, which more than holds its own against the punchy flavours to come. Delicious.
Chef Michel worked for seventeen years in IT before taking the leap and pursuing his dream of becoming a chef. The food, though, tastes like that of someone who has been cooking his whole life.
The chicken tinga, he tells, me is something that doesn’t exist anywhere else – it’s his own unique take on a classic Mexican dish. It’s an awesome homage to his own mantra of cooking ‘authentically inauthentic’. Colombian-born and London-raised, the chef draws upon the flavours of his childhood - not just Colombian, but that of the London melting pot he grew up in: Caribbean, Ecuadorian, Argentinian. It’s a true Latin American feast.
The tinga flavour is amazing, and unlike any I’ve had before. Richer and sweeter than a typical tinga marinade, it’s closer to carnitas in flavour, and topped with delightfully crunchy homemade chicharrónes. The prawn taco is just as tasty, and notably, filled to the brim. One prawn is served with its head still attached, oozing a deep seafood flavour into the taco. Citrusy and bright, it’s a great contrast to the sweetness of the tinga.
Chef Michel’s time at Side Hustle, where Mexican cuisine takes centre stage, is evident. He credits his Mexican friends there for showing him the care and attention they give to the food they make, and it’s clearly something he’s brought to El Jardín. Even the tortillas are carefully made and warmed, soft enough to melt in your mouth without falling apart mid-bite. The octopus tostada is also fantastic, with delicate, soft seafood paired with a crisp tortilla base. Yum.
The final dish is a simple lentil salad, but it strikes close to home. The sofrito, a family recipe, transports me straight back to my grandmother’s house in Panama. When the weather was good, we’d sit outside over an open fire and cook the lentils for hours. I have to fight the urge to walk into the kitchen and beg for more, Oliver Twist style.
It’s a beautiful nod to his Colombian culinary heritage. In his hometown of Dagua, outside of Cali, his grandmother sold traditional Colombian food, like empanadas and pan de bono. The traditional sofrito flavours echo that classic Colombian cooking and capture that street food soul.
Dessert is just as exceptional: a Basque cheesecake with a berry compote, paired perfectly with a sweet dessert wine.
Chef Michel manages to evoke nostalgia for traditional home-cooked food while delivering innovative flavours you simply can’t recreate at home. It’s an incredible feat for any chef, but especially one who has only been cooking professionally for five years. A meal at El Jardín leaves you both deeply satisfied and eagerly anticipating what comes next.
El Jardin takes place in various venues, at Swirl E10, Hackney Picturehouse next and returns to Bruno in May. Track chef Michel's movements on IG @el.jardin.13
