Young chef
Erik Batagelj, a young chef from Novo Gorica (born 1999) and owner of the bistro 9:45, has seven years of experience in several restaurants along the coast. He set out in Bovec with ambition, but not recklessness. The dishes are modern, original, with original seasoning, but simple enough to be bistro-like, so that they are sophisticated, but not overly refined, thanks to the local, seasonal and best ingredients.
9:45
During the Covid period, the clock stopped at 9:45 every evening. Because the curfew started at 10 pm … and the boys were still full of ideas for the future. That’s why moving to Bovec was a special challenge, because the clock stopped here years ago. Now it’s ticking again, because Bistro 9:45 has set itself the goal of awakening Bovec culinaryly.
Amuse-bouche
Pork skin popcorn, fried oyster and jellied sour milk, in an oyster shell, on a decorative plate. Just one bite is enough, because it says/shows everything; that the chef knows, wants, and tries.
Carrots
Carrot cream with lime, caramelized carrots, beetroot, scallion, roasted sesame. Glazed carrots with brown sugar and balsamic glaze, pickled beetroot, cold carrot and lime zest cream underneath, scallion. Meatless, but not missing anything.
Trout sashimi
Trout, orange emulsion, marinated fennel, fennel oil. The trout has been marinated in a mixture of salt and sugar for three hours, under it is an emulsion of orange juice, lime and orange peel, on top of it is marinated anise for two days, and topped with fennel oil.
Pumpkin soup
Roasted butternut squash soup with cinnamon and cloves, caramel, roasted pistachios and almonds.
Risotto
Creamy risotto with White Valley cheese (Golden ring), roasted walnut pesto with Bovec cheese and olive oil, marinated pear with lime.
Guanciale
Tagliatelle, wide noodles, guanciale, smoked pork belly, coffee, vodka, Bovec cheese and a little pecorino.
Rib-eye steak
Rib-eye steak, potato millefoglie, parsnip cream, toasted anise.
Duck breast
Confit duck breast, carrots cooked in their own juice, carrot cream with lime, buckwheat popcorn.
White chocolate and persimmon
White chocolate mousse with lemon zest hides a surprise under a cocoa butter and white chocolate crust – persimmon jam. Everything that comes with it, Turkish honey cream, roasted pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds, is a reward.
Pear
Pear cooked in gin and its own juice, hazelnut ganache made from dark chocolate, chocolate crumble.
Accompayning wines
Aperitif: Brut sparkling wine, Bizjak; Trout sashimi: Sauvignon 2019, Hedele; Marinated carrots: Burja Belo 2022; Duck and ribeye: Merlot 2019, Gradisc’iutta, Robert Princic; Dessert: homemade Teran liqueur and homemade cognac (from a friend).
