Reviewing
a restaurant is not just a matter of how the food tastes. There are
several elements of the dining ex- perience to be considered; atmosphere,
service, presentation, freshness of ingredients, unique combinations,
old dishes prepared in a new way, or perhaps prepared exactly as you
remember, but better. Few restaurants and their resident chefs are
up to the challenge. Which is why many diners often get the feeling
of having "been there, had that". If you recognize yourself
in that description, then I have a surprise for you.
It’s
called "DARNA". And it succeeds on all levels.
Sra. Ayeleth,
the proprietor, chef, baker and enthusiastic inspiration for this
new location for an old Panamá City favorite, has brought a
high level of sophistication to what is essentially a Kosher menu,
but one so beautifully balanced and based on only the finest of ingredients
and expert preparation, that you are unaware of its basic foundation.
Located in the Bay Mall Plaza on Balboa, next to the Extreme Planet
complex, Darna is not the easiest place to get to because of the traffic.
But if you let that trifle stand in your way, you don’t deserve
the exceptional treat that awaits you.
We started
with the Plato surtido de picadas ($13.75), a sample plate of appetizers
whose quality and flavors hinted at what lay ahead. Fried cheese sticks,
grilled vegetables (actually grilled, not just branded with grill
marks as is common elsewhere), Greek eggplant, chicken and corvina
bites, etc., were accompanied by three home-made sauces. While we
usually just "taste" one or two items to save room for sampling
other dishes, this generous appetizer disappeared. Our second appetizer
was Gratan a la tiá Esther ($6.75), a large serving of roasted
eggplant smothered in a rich tomato sauce and topped with mozarella.
Sound simple? It wasn’t. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and
seasoned, the tomato sauce both rich and mild...not an easy feat to
achieve...topped with a thick cover of melted cheese to set it off.
Definitely a good family-recipe to include on the menu.
Soup was
not listed on the menu, so one of my party asked...and yes, a simple
vegetable soup was available. What arrived was a very large, deep
bowl filled with perhaps the best vegetable soup I have ever tasted.
Obviously fresh vegetables were mingled in a rich, velvety broth and
served with a basket of delicious bread that is baked on-premises
by the owner. The soup alone is worth a return trip, as is the bread.
Our
two salad selections, Ensalada Thai and Ensalada Mediterránea
(each $9.55), were delicious. We added an optional, lightly grilled
filet of tuna to the Ensalada Thai ($2.00), and found it to be a perfect
accompaniment. When I ordered the tuna filet rare, Sra. Ayeleth smiled
knowingly, as that is the only way to savor its tender, flavorful
flesh. Cook it ‘medium’ or, God forbid, ‘well’,
and you might was well open a can of tuna fish instead. But at Darna,
the salads were superb.
Now it
was time to move on to the entrees.....four main dishes and one sandwich.
The Portobello Mushroom sandwich ($8.00) came with a small side salad
and proved to be the only slight disappointment of the evening. The
baguette was a bit dry and took away from the otherwise delicious
batter-dipped mushroom chunks. Next up, one of my favorites...gnocchi.
At Sra. Ayeleth’s urging, I reluctantly selected the Gnocchi
ala Vegetable Oriental ($12.50). I say reluctantly because it is served
with a teryaki sauce reduction. Gnocchi and teryaki sauce? The answer,
however, is a decidedly emphatic "yes"! The rich, robust
sauce perfectly balanced the delicate flavor of the homemade gnocchi
and was an instant favorite. Next up was Raviolis with Tomato &
Garlic Confit ($12.50). Just when I thought you couldn’t top
the gnocchi, this ravioli dish stopped conversation with its deeply
flavored sauce and delicate pasta.
As meat
is not served (Kosher, remember?), we selected the Tuna Filet In Pepper
Sauce ($14.50). Again, I wondered....delicate tuna with a pungent
peppercorn sauce? I should have trusted the chef....it was a deliciously
robust entree. The very large tuna filet was, again, cooked rare and
served with al dente roast potatoes. The fish was so meat tasting,
you forgot it wasn’t a cut of beef. This feeling was again reinforced
by the perfectly balanced peppercorn sauce...a sauce which, in lesser
hands, can be overpowering. But not at Darna....a great dish!
Mr. Bob Stiff and his fellow food critics get down to business at
Darna restaurant.
Finally,
we were served Corvina Moroccan ($11.50), which featured this delicate
fish in an ‘oriental’ sauce with just the right bite of
picante. While not a corvina fan, I would gladly order this superb
rendition again. Desserts were kept to a minimum, the best of which
was a nice creme brulé.
But the
kudos for the evening have to be awarded to the main courses. They
are also open for breakfast every day but Saturday, so another visit
is definitely on the calendar to see what magic they can weave with
that simple repast.
Finally,
as we discussed the now completed meal over coffee, it was unanimously
agreed that Darna must be rated one of the city’s best. Excellent
food, great service, modern & comfortable atmosphere. Who could
ask for more?
