Having worked in France, Serbia, Laos, Thailand and other countries, One&Only Portonovi’s Exec Sous Chef Goran Tatar now brings the pride of his Montenegro motherland to the plate across the hotel’s three restaurants
How did you first get into cooking?
Growing up in Budva, my whole neighbourhood was in hospitality - chefs, pastry chefs and waiters - so very early on I knew I wanted to be in this industry. I always saw them busy and this inspired me. My first neighbour was Chef de Partie at Aman Sveti Stefan, so from a very young age he would tease me that this was the path I would take. He infested me with this thought and here I am today.
You’ve worked all over the world, but you keep coming back to your homeland. What is it you love most about Montenegro?
Our country is not only diverse in its beauty but also its culinary influences. We are surrounded by a lot of organic and locally produced food. On the sea where we are there is a lot of fresh seafood and fish, then in just two hours you are in the mountains where we have a lot of good dairy, cheese, meat and kajmak. Through the history of Montenegro there has been a lot of cultural influence,
so everywhere you travel through our country there is a difference in the cuisine.
You joined One&Only Portonovi in January this year and have just been promoted to Executive Sous Chef at the resort. Tell us about the resort’s culinary map…
What I can say about the resort is that with three restaurants and our lobby lounge Caminetti, we offer a diverse range of cuisines, meaning every day offers something new. From La Veranda, our Montenegrin Steakhouse with an influence of Montenegrin cuisines and something a bit different to what many of our guests are used to. Sabia is authentically Italian and Tapasake offers Japanese fusion with South American influences.
La Veranda focuses on the beauty of Montenegrin cuisine – tell us about the heritage of Montenegro’s culinary heritage
The heritage of Montenegrin cuisine is vast, with influences from the Ottoman, Roman and Venetian empires. On the coast you see more of the Roman and Venetian influence, with a very Mediterranean take on cuisine. Through the mountains and the North the Ottoman influence is present. With the diversity of our landscape, we are also lucky to be surrounded by an abundance of locally grown, organic produce. Our cooking techniques are very interesting, I often say that our grandmothers have been cooking with Sous Vide techniques before it was a technique. Low and slow is prevalent in our cooking, which can be seen with the tenderness and flavour of our cuisine. People often say Montenegrins are lazy, but really there just wasn’t a lot of time to cook, so food was left at low temperatures for a long time as people went about their day, resulting in dishes that were never overcooked, full of flavour and extremely tender.
What’s your overall vision for La Veranda?
I can say for the future, I would be very proud if La Veranda were to reach Michelin level, and I hope we will be amongst the first in Montenegro. A lot of our colleagues are extremely young and talented, and I believe our new Chef de Cuisine of La Veranda, Bojan Bulatovic, under my supervision, will continue to grow the restaurant to this level.
Talk us through the La Veranda menu...
Our menu, especially the winter menu has a wide range of dishes and experiences, such as tableside service with our beef or salmon tartare. We make the most of seasonal produce with our autumn soups, and citrus for light and bright salads. And we showcase the best of the region with a variety of our low and slow dishes, offering a cozy, home cooked feeling. We also have a variety of top international cuts, with locally sourced beef and fish.
What dishes should we be eating?
For starter, try the salmon or beef tatar made tableside to your personal preference. For main, anything lamb! The Lamb Under Sac or Lamb Boiled in Milk are both delicious local dishes. Order the green beans with goats cheese over olive oil and herbs as a side dish, followed by something light for dessert, like our ‘Biljarda’, which is inspired by a traditional ottoman dessert, similar to rice pudding but elevated to the next level.
The views from La Veranda are spectacular. What other hotel USPs are there?
The sunsets from La Veranda are very special, the restaurant is perfectly positioned to watch the sun set behind the mountains and out to the Adriatic. This time of the year the Lovcen mountains, a very special place for Montenegrins, are covered in snow offering a beautiful backdrop to the resort. Our providore allows guests to try some of the best Montenegrin products, with kajmak, Montenegrin prosciutto, homemade marinated olives and local olives, as well as some of the best products from around the world.
THE GRILLING
First dish you ‘mastered’ An omelette
Motto you live by: Dream big, eat well, travel far
Favourite Montenegrin dish to cook: Lamb boiled in milk
Favourite ingredients to cook with: Meat, cheese, olive oil – because with the three of them you can make beautiful combinations
Three famous people you’d most like
to cook for: Marco Pierre White, my favourite chef. Any inspector from the Michelin Gude. And my family – they’re famous to me
Best restaurant you’ve ever eaten in:
Odette in Singapore. It was a seven-course tasting menu, an experience I will never forget
Greatest food indulgence: Good quality bread
Favourite city to travel to for food: Singapore – it has so much diversity in cuisine and an excellent choice of everything… whatever you think about you can find it
Where to next for your holidays: Dubai, to stay at Atlantis the Palm, as I will be travelling with my daughter. I am excited to take her to experience the resort!
