Our experience at La Luz De Candela was among the best we've had in all of Spain. Having traveled to San Sebastian, Cadiz, Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona - La Luz De Candela puts Malaga on the culinary map of Spain in a big way. Owned and operated by two delightful Frenchmen (hailing from the Loire Valley) the hospitality and cuisine this restaurant offers is exceptional.
We were warmly welcomed by the first brother - maitre d, manager, server - hospitality savant. He kindly offered a guide to the menu in both English and Spanish, offering delightful descriptions of daily specials, and stand outs on the menu. We began with a couple chupitos of delicious repasado tequila, and proceeded to select a beautiful bottle of Tamaral '13 from their thoughtfully curated wine selection. We picked out several dishes to share and let our server take the reigns. To say the coursing of our meal was beautifully orchestrated would be an understatement - it was perfect.
We began with a beautiful pate of foie gras, a creamy and glorious display of duck that opened up a world of hunger and curiosity. It was followed by the salad of the day. What could've easily been an afterthought was a clebration of the seasonal greens available locally, lightly dressed with an orange blossom vinaigrette. The perfect salad to lift our palletes and ready us for the treats to come. Up next was a dish of perfectly seared scallopsset over a light puree of sunchokes (jerusalem artichockes) and confit artichoke. The scallops were remarkably fresh, lightly salty, increadibly buttery in texture - little clouds of the sea. Our next plate was a flaky and delicate filet of turbot, lightly glazed, and served with a few fresh snap peas (we are in the heart of pea season). As we transitioned to our next course - the kitchen really started to tease the throttle of our experience. An homage to the brothers' mother's Alsatian heritage we were met with lightly carmelized spatzles served with oyster mushrooms and a light but powerfully umami forward pork cheek jus. An odd standout in the south of Spain - this dish screamed of history, appreciation, and family. The last of our savory dishes was a powerhouse - confit of secret iberico served with a delicate gratin of potato, and sauce of ham and fig. TRANSCENDANT.
Enchanted by this display of culinary prowess - we had to get two desserts. Where most restuarants drop the ball, La Luz De Candella turned up the heat with their masterfully prepared desserts. Almond frangipane with pistachio chantilly and fresh raspberries, and a white chocolate and yogurt soup with fresh mint. These immaculately crafted desserts offered the perfect amount of levity after our rich meal. Needless to say - spoons were scraping bowls. With all of our wine gone, the first brother came by with a homemade infused muscato. This is where the generosity of the hospitality reallly reallllllly showed. We were the last one's in the restaurant, our muscato well enjoyed, when the brother comes over with the bottle of muscato and pours us another. Are you kidding me? In what universe were we dining?
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