New flavors in the usual meetings

The afternoon falls and the guests arrive for the appointment. The Westin Panama offered a tasting of Origen Restaurant & Bar, a new gastronomic space in which the bar becomes the true protagonist of the experience.

The bar, at the back of the room, is the meeting point for groups that gather to talk, enjoy innovative cocktails, taste some snacks with drinks or enjoy a complete meal. The spaces welcome groups of any configuration: a long table for a large group, tables of four or two people, some of them very visible while others blend into the green of the plants or behind a translucent curtain.

The cuisine is inspired by local ingredients, respecting their essence and elevating them through a contemporary vision. Each dish has been designed to share, celebrating the table as a meeting point where conversations, laughter and discoveries converge. For Andrea González, general manager of the hotel, “Origen represents our vision of offering experiences that connect with the senses and create memorable moments. It is a space where gastronomy, cocktails and the atmosphere come together to give life to something truly special.” The usual greetings are given, we take our seats and the evening begins with some house cocktails: gin, vermouth, cucumber and basil; gin, lemon, chardonnay, a completely crystalline cocktail with a subtle line of color on the edge; For those who do not want alcohol, a refreshing lemonade with mint. You can also opt for a glass of wine.

Executive chef Noel Velázquez was in charge of the presentation of its new menu, which offers finger food to share, as well as complete dishes if a formal meal is desired, with options of salads, signature dishes, roasted meats and vegetables, sides and desserts.

“We are starting with a concept to share with some dishes that we call ‘snacking’. All the dishes that we are presenting to you can be eaten with your hands without any problem,” the chef announces and presents us with a Montadito Azulado, with a base of crispy potato, entrail, a piece of blue cheese, a mézclum overflowing with classic vinaigrette with ají trompito and fried onion. It is a very complete bite with the entrails, the creaminess of the blue cheese, the acidity of the vinaigrette, the freshness of the mesclun and the crunchiness of the potatoes.

Origen Atlántico is a bite with salmon glazed baked in shaved honey seasoned with ají trompito, ají chombo and cinnamon, accompanied with a strip of banana as a crunchy element. Salmon does not lose prominence to honey. The banana accompanies it to give a little texture.

One Piece, a bite inspired by the famous Japanese anime, is a siumai stuffed with prawn in a chombo chili base with edible flowers and olive soil. A dish that, although it is not far from its traditional version, is elevated with very precise flavors and cooking time.

Lastly, The Fancy Carne en Palito, mini skewers of beef fillet marinated in garlic and annatto with chimichurri. The meat is tender and very well seasoned. It is served in a molcajete, on some pieces of charcoal that give it some of that smokiness from the stove.

To accompany the main dishes, another round of cocktails:

One with gin, malbec wine and vanilla syrup; another with gin, mezcal, raspberry cordial and rosemary. A watermelon juice for those who give up alcohol. And the dishes arrive:

Mama Chila, a dish that reflects the chef’s childhood when his grandmother cooked for him. On a bed of chimichurri is the finished entrail and on it, otoe in three textures, the main one, a puree. The meat is very juicy, the chimichurri counteracts the oiliness of the puree.

If you prefer vegetables to meat, you will enjoy the Josper Cauliflower, with a rich ember flavor and a touch of spice, on an edamame cream and grated French fries. You don’t miss the meat at all.

We conclude the main courses with Origen a la Italiana, a dried tomato risotto with a tomato sauce decorated with basil oil and feta cheese. A dish with a delicious creamy texture and lots of umami.

It’s dessert time and the chef presents us with two of the four options on the menu: Expresion Micaela, a coffee ice cream made with specialty coffee from the La Micaela farm in Boquete, Chiriquí, with Isabela liqueur, served in a caramel crust and covered with caramel sauce. Coffee maintains the leading role in this dessert that, although it has caramel in two textures, has an adequate level of sweetness.

The second dessert is a Coco sour with a lemon cream and coconut sorbet hidden in some meringue tiles, with a good balance of acidity and sweetness, as well as textures, with the creaminess of the cold ingredients, the coconut flakes and the meringue.

We accompany the desserts with a cocktail prepared with dry Herrerano, hazelnut liqueur, La Micaela coffee and grated chocolate. Sweet ending.