I was curious about the name. I learnt that In Farsi, 'Yara' means 'courage and strength '; in Hindi, it means 'friends' and 'bringing in the light'. I am sure they needed a lot of courage and strength to set up in Portals, one of the most sought after areas on the island.
But they have quickly established themselves as “a place where friends like to meet, enjoy and spend a special evening together”. What really struck me about Simon was how humble and unassuming he was despite his evident success. Also, how much he cares about his staff and their well-being.
Hei is very clear on the fact that, besides a great location and the best ingredients, his staff is his biggest asset. The stars of his restaurants are not him, or even his guests, amongst which there are many famous faces. The stars are – in his words – his staff.
Sadly, I think that this way of thinking is becoming an exception, rather than the norm in the industry, at least in Mallorca. I went to Yara with a foodie friend who was just as excited as me to try their Yara menu, a showcase of modern Japanese-Mediterranean cuisine that is authentic but not traditional . We started with Edamame with lemon and sea salt which was nice and fresh, with a slight hint of chilli.
Next we were supposed to have Oyster Gillardeau No1 with sake sour and apple , but I spotted a waiter walking past with some delicious looking baby squid , so I opted for that instead. My friend loved her oyster and the accompanying shot, while I .
