Your Santa Catalina favourite is now open for take-away in its new locale.
Those who know Santa Catalina can’t have failed to miss the wonder that was Simply Delicious on the corner of the square near the market. And it was probably with immense disappointment when this stalwart of the lunchtime crowd decided to take a bit of a break to enjoy some well-earned rest. However the wait is over and Simply Delicious is back, in a new format and in a slightly different location part of the way down Carrer Anibal.
On the day we go to visit we find Ronen, the wonderfully dynamic, vivacious Israeli owner, is coming down from the lunchtime rush. Despite only having been open for a short while, already word of mouth is spreading around the much beloved barrio and down into the marinas – there is a new takeaway option and it is, yes, simply delicious.
I’m quite aware that we are taking up a lot of space as we loiter asking questions, digging for stories, learning all about the new venture and taking photos, but not much phases the wonderfully jovial owner and he is more than happy to give us his time. In fact, whilst it is a food takeaway store, there is something more reminiscent to the local bartender who will solve all of your problems while pulling you a beer. The same can be said of Ronen, but this time its over the preparation of a falafel salad.
It’s not surprising that this feeling of calm and problem solving exudes from Ronen as he is actually a trained healing teacher who has spent years travelling the world helping people. In fact, alongside reopening Simply Delicious, he is also in the process of designing a webinar for the younger generation to help them understand their spiritual biology as well as embracing gratefulness, love and energy. It is indeed a noble calling.
So how did the single, 57 year old Israeli with the fabulous curls and twinkly eyes wind up on the island of Mallorca. Well he says, it was simple really, he fell in love. As I roll my eyes ready to hear the age old ‘I followed a girl’ story, he is quick to laugh and correct me. It wasn’t a girl he fell in love with, it was the island of Mallorca herself. He was smitten after only a week and there was no looking back. After many years continuing to work as a healing teacher and a couple of years dabbling in the antiquities business, he finally decided to do something with his passion – cooking – and opened the original Simply Delicious.
Not a classically trained chef, but a passionate lover of food, Ronen made Simply Delicious’s name one that was synonymous with healthy tasty fare, at a reasonable price. However after 5 years of being full nearly every day it was time to take a break and take stock of what he wanted to do. It was here that he noticed a large gap in the market, that of the busy lunchtime trade of people that don’t have the time to sit down for a proper three hour Spanish lunch, but still want something more than soggy supermarket sandwich. And so enter Simply Delicious version 2.0.
Still full of the wonderful eclecticism of the original namesake, the take away option is full of warmth and character and is the perfect place to hang out whilst you wait for your delicious meal to be freshly prepared before your eyes. It eventually became time for us to order and leave the poor man to his actual day job, so we pick up our order and bid adieu to someone I just know is brimming with stories, and head into the park to enjoy our lunch.
The sun is shining as Anouska, my ever trusty photographer and I settle down to see what treats await us. And treats they are. First up is the delicious hummus with tasty falafels. The homemade hummus is rich and creamy and the falafels are the perfect vessel to scoop up large dollops of the chickpea classic.
After this we move swiftly on to the salad which is a wonderful rainbow of colours and textures. Bright purple cabbage, accompanied by the yellows and reds of small cubes of pepper, along with crunchy fresh greens, artichokes, aubergines and courgettes. You can also add falafel, lamb or chicken to the salad for a small supplement.
The wrap was equally delicious and was absolutely huge. It’s the perfect way to eat your lunch if you are literally on the hop and don’t even have time to sit down at your desk. Once again the wrap can be purely vegan or have vegetarian or meaty options added to it. Over the coming weeks Ronen plans to add to the menu with a juice bar, plus salads such as couscous and pasta salads as well as new wraps like the yummy sounding salmon and cream cheese wrap.
Before we headed out to eat our lunch I ask one final question of Ronen. What are his future plans? While he runs the takeaway he also can deliver and feels that in the continuingly health conscious yachting world that we live in, his wraps and salads would be perfect for any boat that is missing a chef during the yard period, or for any of the race crews coming over for the numerous regatta days. As the restaurant is open from 11-4pm currently and then until 6pm after April, he has plenty of time to prep big orders for the boats and to deliver them within schedule. So for any boats or business out there who want a bit of Ronen and Simply Delicious in their life, and who wouldn’t, head on over for a chat to see what this most debonair of gentlemen can do for you.
By Victoria Pearce
Simply Delicious by Ronen
