Today‘s Žakan tavern was, 50 years ago, a fish collection station. Fishermen who caught fish around Kornati would bring in their catch. The fish would be frozen and taken to Murter. The old and modest house, whose walls were joined with seawater, causing them to crumble, is today transformed into an elegant restaurant, the only one on the island of Ravni Žakan. But what remains is that fish is still the most important ingredient here.
While we were on the island, I witnessed the delivery of a large tuna, about 110 kilograms. It‘s an attraction, all the guests gathered to see this trophy fish.
- Our most sought-after dishes are, for example, lobster salad and tuna tartare, as well as various carpaccios. Raw food is eaten and requested a lot. When you have a good ingredient, there is no mistake. And there is no need to overthink the preparation - Nikša Bakulić, chef and manager of the Žakan tavern, tells us. Kornati has been his second home for 20 years.
- I came to Žakan to do one lunch, and ended up staying two decades - he laughs. His phone rings from morning, arranging mooring reservations, sometimes up to 20 days in advance. Around noon, the fish that arrived that day is displayed, and guests usually agree in advance on what they will have for dinner. Around 1 PM, the supply boat arrives with other ingredients. And then lunches and dinners begin.
Desalinator and panels
- We are supplied by local fishermen, and everything else is local too. Also, we try to produce as much as we can ourselves, we have our own garden. Organizing delivery and procurement here is quite complicated. If you haven‘t ordered something in advance, then you simply don‘t have it - says Bakulić. That‘s why it‘s necessary for a restaurant on an isolated island to function as an autonomous system.
- The desalinator produces water, and solar panels and generators produce electricity. The logistics behind providing top-notch service at such a location is the most demanding part of the job - says Bakulić, explaining that when it comes to energy, you also have to think ahead, so, for example, in April and May the desalinator produces water that will be kept in reserve. What if, for example, an ingredient runs out?
- If we urgently need something, we take a speedboat and go to Murter. That‘s the recipe for the most expensive Swiss chard in the world - he laughs. Bakulić graduated from the prestigious Parisian Le Cordon Bleu school.
Who they are and where they‘re from
- People expect showmanship in the restaurant when they hear that. But my diploma decorates my wall at home, and here we stick to tradition. With occasional forays into experimentation. With fish, we want to do as little intervention as possible. We don‘t put raspberries and blueberries on it - he says vividly. About 25 people work at the Žakan tavern. There are chefs, grill masters, waiters, cleaners... And most of them know their guests well.
- The majority of our guests are regulars. For many of them, I already know in advance which table they want to sit at and what they want to eat for dinner - says Nikša. It‘s a misconception, he says, to talk about local tourism as elite.
- Nautical tourism is relatively accessible today. We don‘t look at who our guests are or where they come from. Yes, there are some famous names here, but personally, for example, I‘ve never taken a photo with any guest in my life. We don‘t talk about the names of our guests. Our only goal is for them to rest here - he concludes.
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