Some people are capable of transmitting their tremendous passion for their work in every word, and Juan Carlos Clemente is one of them. A staunch defender of local culture, this chef not only offers authentic Canary Islands food at his Muelle Viejo restaurant in Tenerife, but is also an active gastronomic consultant for establishments working to develop a unique identity. We were able to meet him and hear his fascinating narrative as he demonstrated fresh fish preparation. With the Atlantic as the backdrop, our owners were drawn in by his knowledge and the reverence with which he treats each ingredient.
Your Muelle Viejo restaurant has a very clear claim: it only uses 100% Canary Islands ingredients. Where does this commitment come from?
The island is moving more and more towards projects that give clients a 360º experience. That is, local products from a place that offers very personalized, warm service. That’s what we believe Canary Islanders to be like, and that is what we try to transmit at Muelle Viejo restaurant. We don’t want to be just another dining establishment. We want people to come and have an experience and value the essence of the dishes.
More and more hotels and luxury restaurants are offering locally inspired menus. What do you think about that trend?
I think it’s about time we took on that responsibility. For many years, “We’re behind the Kilometer Zero philosophy,” was just a slogan, but it didn’t really happen in practice. Now there are hotels and restaurants truly defending local gastronomy. It’s normal to go to other countries like France and find you are served mostly French food; sometimes the only options are French. What doesn’t make sense is not to do the same thing here: give that same authenticity to customers that visit us from all over the world. Of course we’re capable of preparing any international recipe to a high standard, but there should be a particular reason that travelers want to come here. They can have a different experience here, different food.
This promotion of Canary Islands cuisine is relatively recent. How did it begin to develop?
In the Canary Islands, the hotel and catering industries had their origins in people who came from abroad and promoted international gastronomy, trying to help customers find the things they liked from their own countries without taking into account what was happening here. They worked with their backs to the Canary Islands. But a generation of cooks emerged from this context that were committed to promoting our environment, our gastronomy, and our culture. As chefs, I believe we should contribute through popular recipes and the food we hold in our memories; we should try to recover the dishes and flavors of our childhood and offer gastronomy rooted in our products and our traditions, building a story and a history. After many years of working as a chef, and now being a gastronomic consultant, I understand this to be the way forward. I don’t want to think any other way.
What is it that makes Canary Islands cuisine unique?
Three continents meet in the Canary Islands and we have been a waypoint for many cultures. We are next to Africa and Europe and for years our trips to the Americas and the migration of our ancestors to that continent have resulted in a mix of many gastronomic products. Canary Islands cuisine is the tastiest food in Spain. This mixture of African, American and European culture makes us cook in a singular way that is different from the rest of the country. It’s what we like, and that’s what makes the difference. We’re a little continent with its own products.
Where do you think Muelle Viejo will be in five years?
I hope that in a few years we'll be where we are now. Of course we have to evolve, but at present the hospitality industry is very complicated because of a lack of human resources and the aftereffects of the COVID crisis. Getting very good reviews, as we do now, and being able to consistently offer full service, daily, are great achievements. We try to update our menu every six months, but it is not something we obsess over, because we work with seasonal products; we always have a lot of variety. What we want is to continue to offer good, traditional food in Tenerife and make sure our suppliers continue to trust us.
How was the experience with the Abama owners?
It was a pleasure to work with the Abama group. They are people who really appreciate being here in Tenerife to enjoy their property or stay in a hotel and being offered interesting gastronomic proposals. Our work as chefs is demanding, but we feel rewarded by the smile of a customer who's just tasted something or their surprise when they learn something they didn't know. We are here for them; we do our job with care and refinement to leave them as satisfied as possible.
Tenerife food offers unique nuances, aromas and combinations, and for many of our owners, their interaction with the Muelle Viejo restaurant was a first opportunity to dive into this incredible culinary culture. Beyond the famous papas arrugadas, there's a whole world of traditional Canary Islands dishes awaiting you.
