When it comes to backpacking, or travel in general, I am a firm advocate of splurging on the things that bring you joy and create great memories. For Dave and I, a 12-course degustation dinner at a rising star establishment in a thriving metropolis definitely meets that criteria!

Donde Jose (translates literally as, ‘where is Jose?’) is the creation of Panamanian born, Sydney trained chef, Jose. With a mere sixteen seats in his critically acclaimed (and vey popular) restaurant, we were incredibly lucky to obtain a reservation only two weeks out.

Maybe it was the fact we had a Tuesday night reservation or maybe it was the fact our reservation was made via Joey of PTY Life, our new Panama City friend and tour guide – either way, we were stoked to experience what was reputed to be a unique and innovative dinner.

We were informed the meal would commence sharply at 7pm, and therefore to arrive at 6:45pm in time to be seated. With only 16 seats in the restaurant, it was a cosy space and to make the experience even more intimate, Dave and I were lucky enough to be sat at the Chef’s Table where we, along with a couple from New York City, had front seats to watch Chef Jose and his team prepare and plate up our dishes.

Jose at work (on the right)

Not only that but there was also a huge mirror angled over our table so we not only had a direct view to what Chef Jose and his team were doing, but we (and the rest of the restaurant) also had a birds’ eye view to see what they were up to!

The menu for the evening

Once we were comfortably seated, Chef Jose introduced himself and his vision for Panamanian cuisine to us (and we bonded over our Australian link), before the beverage options were explained. Continuing along the theme of splashing out, we decided to both do the matching wines. YOLO, right?!

Donde Jose is all about taking a theme and telling a story. In our case, the theme for our degustation was ‘A not typical breakfast’, which might seem strange considering we were there for dinner. But that’s the way Chef Jose works – he takes something seemingly familiar; adds a dash of creative genius; a healthy serve of passion for everything Panamanian; and a superstar knack for taste combinations; season it with a personal touch to tell a story; and what do you get? A first class dining experience.

Let me take you on our Donde Jose journey which consisted of four smaller ‘snacks’ followed by four larger ‘savoury’ and then two ‘sweet’ stories….

‘A not typical breakfast’ menu

1^st snack: Smoke almojabano (cheese and corn fritter)
with a truffle aioli and onion ash

2^nd snack: Namffle (waffle made with 100% nampi which is a Panamanian root vegetable) with jobo syrup, spicy yoghurt and basil

(Before combining the ingredients)

(After!)

3^rd snack: Levanta muerto (‘hangover cure’) of clams
with yucca and vegetable rolls

4^th and final snack: Chicken wing dumpling stuffed with native red rice and smoked tomato sauce

1^st savoury story: Grilled octopus inside a caramelised milk
skin taco with garlic and curry puree

2^nd savoury story: Smoked beef tartare with
puff pastry, pickles and bonemarrow gravy

3^rd savoury story: Avocado served over a chicharron
made of beans, pixbae puree and grated pixbae

4^th savoury story: Pork with crackling over scrambled egg yolks

1^st sweet story: Banana bread with achiote and lime powder.
Smoked strawberry milkshake on the side.

2^nd sweet story: Yoghurt sorbet with homemade chocolate
rice crispies and coffee bubbles (the first pic is the coffee bubbles aerating)

What I cannot show you via photographs is the link to Jose’s childhood and Panamanian culture in general that was explained to us as we were served each course. This was the most special part of the evening and connected all the courses together in a beautiful, touching and passionate way. Jose has hit the nail on the head with this innovative interpretation of Panamanian food, and every single course was an absolute delight to taste.

We also had about 7 glasses of wine (more or less!) which accompanies the various dishes, and were a perfect match for the depth of flavour. Needless to say, we had a very memorable evening, and were blown away by the different and unique flavours we experienced.

Highlights for me were the Namffle which had a deliciously wicked sweet/spicy combination, the grilled octopus and the smoky strawberry milkshake – who puts strawberries and a smokey taste together?! But IT WORKS!!

As we paid the bill (worth more than our last weeks’ worth of accommodation..!), we only felt the teeniest bit guilty about spending so much. The food, in fact the entire experience of Donde Jose, is second to none, and Jose can be very proud of what he has created in Panama City.

I would not be surprised if his restaurant is named in the top 50 in the world in the next few years as his reputation grows. A fabulous, 10/10 dining experience!