Text by Chema Tovar (@Chematovar)
With great worth, Chef Juan Luis Martínez has moved Demo to it’s own place and just opened the doors of Clon.
It may not seem very easy, but it isn’t. There are three distinct culinary proposals with Venezuelan touches flourishing wonderfully under the guidance of its creator and a great team. They’ve recognized their work worldwide, earning highly prestigious, specialized media reviews.
The first of this divine trilogy was Mérito (Jirón 28 de julio 206 Barranco), offering a simple proposal where technique elevates traditional Venezuelan cuisine to a very high level. Labeling this restaurant as fusion would be too simple because it borrows flavors from Peruvian gastronomy. Mérito is the perfect example of what happens when a group of migrants arrives in a city. It’s a way of cooking what is eaten there with what I have here, a daily homage to the land that receives you. It combines what’s brought in the suitcase with experiences from Spain, celebrating with flavor, giving thanks with joy, and discovering a cuisine that has come to stay.
Demo is the middle child; to me, it smells like wheat, honey, sugar, and cardamom. It is a novel concept inviting you to dip bread in coffee, to sit for hours to chat, waiting for hunger to strike again so you can go to the counter for a guava and cheese pastry. In its new location at Jirón Domeyer 282, the busiest street in Barranco, this mischievous child of Juan Luis is delighting many with weekend brunches. It’s the perfect place for a date or an afternoon coffee.
Clon is the unexpected child (Av. Almirante Grau 203A Barranco), arriving to fill life with joy. It resembles its older brother Mérito but with a completely different personality. That’s what Juan Luis told me while Juan Romero, its chef de cuisine, attentively placed a fish appetizer on a quinoa biscuit topped with a ceviche-like tartare, not quite the same as Mérito’s and thin slices of mashua, which I devoured while still enthusiastically listening to talk about Clon.
I browsed the menu and then came an arepa with a smell that made me tear up. I swear I’m not exaggerating. Suddenly, I felt at home or sitting in my aunt’s kitchen, taking a round-trip journey to the rhythm of Joropo —A traditional Venezuelan music—. I recognized flavors and discovered others. This dish connects with the concept—flavors from there with products from here. For those who haven’t tasted a Venezuelan Andean arepa, it’s the interpretation of a smelt-filled bread (Pan con Pejerrey) that’s finger-licking good. You have to try it; it’s a place I want to go to a thousand times. I need to immerse myself in a pool of their homemade sauces and butter.
Options in Clon are plenty, from snack bites to pair with cocktails powered by the Lady Bee team to burgers and chicken sandwiches for a fast grab where everything from the bread and patty to the ketchup is homemade. To full-on plates like the whole grilled fish, the fish curry with purple rice and corn, or their take on “Arroz con pato,” a bowl of sticky green rice with crunchy bites of duck and oyster mushrooms.
I can’t tell you favorite dish at Clon is, but I can tell you that the service is impeccable, the place is beautiful, and everything in the dining area is perfectly managed by Lynn Mare González and her team. The desserts deserve a separate article, but if you go, ask for the lactose-free coconut flan with a sugar-free caramel, an original recipe from Clon next to the classic Flan from Merito. I’m sure you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sharing it would be a mistake; you must eat it alone.
This trilogy will continue to generate a lot of buzz because everything is made with passion, and the result is unique. I was hoping you could put it on your to-do list for 2024; I’m sure the experience will be unforgettable.
