Ena’s Little Black Book on Donjuán Cartagena. Chef Juan Felipe, a coconut ceviche worth flying for, and the reason you need to make reservations well in advance.
Some of the most memorable people you meet while traveling are the ones who invite you, quite literally, into their world.
We met Juan Felipe in Cartagena during what was supposed to be a cooking class. It became one of the best afternoons of the entire trip.
Juan started his career studying engineering before deciding that food was where he belonged. He left engineering behind, trained in some of the Basque Country’s most celebrated kitchens, and eventually returned to Colombia to build something of his own.
What followed was a glorious, multi-course afternoon of cooking, eating, talking and more than a few “samplings” of mojitos. Juan shared the stories behind the food, introduced us to ingredients we might otherwise have overlooked and seemed genuinely delighted to have us in his kitchen.
And then there was the ceviche.
I still have no idea how he managed to make a vegetarian ceviche with young coconut that was every bit as memorable as anything else we ate. Served with crisp plantain chips, it was ridiculously good. I have tried to recreate it. More than once. I have never succeeded.
Somewhere between the courses and the mojitos, the cooking class disappeared entirely. It simply felt like spending an afternoon with a wonderfully talented chef who loved what he did and wanted you to love it too.
If you are ever in Cartagena, have dinner at Donjuán. Make reservations well in advance.
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