Casa Navarra in Mijas: Cuisine with a good base

At Casa Navarra, the long-awaited generational change has been taking place for some time now, although not for long. After Merche and Carlos had previously opened a steakhouse in Malaga city and later in Mijas, where they have been for more than thirty years, their children, Leire and Asier, have taken over the reins of the family business together with Isabel, Asier's wife and mother of his children. This change in the management of the restaurant was to be expected, although almost everything has remained the same as when it was first set up, as Carlos' son has replaced his father at the grill and Leire, his mother at the casseroles and pans.

The cuisine of this house remains unchanged, rooted in the roots of the popular cuisine of the Navarrese farmhouses and also, naturally, in what is usually cooked in the Malaga towns located in the vicinity of the restaurant. The loyalty to local Andalusian products in season is total, not only in the beef, but also in the use of vegetables and fruit typical of each Malaga season. With this generational change, Casa Navarra is a restaurant where the products and the cuisine of Malaga coexist perfectly with those products and those ways of cooking that still smell and taste of Navarra.

I believe that it is now, in autumn, when the cuisine of this eating house, as its owners like to call it, is at its best. This pre-winter season, with the first mushrooms, the pocha beans in full season and its stews, is the ideal time to come to Casa Navarra and enjoy Leire's cuisine. But you also have to come here if you want to enjoy one of the best chops (chuletón) on offer on the Costa del Sol. Asier has imbibed all his father's knowledge in front of the charcoals and takes care of tempering the cuts he has previously chosen before placing them on the grill.

Isabel is in charge of the dining room and so everything stays in the family, as it should be in a family restaurant where generational change is not a chimera.

Cardoons with ham

is the ideal time of year to enjoy this dish and, incidentally, it is one of the dishes that is never missing from the Christmas table in Navarra. Leire carefully selects each stalk to cook them evenly before sauteeing them with ham

Beef cutlets

In this restaurant, charcoal embers are obligatory for cooking beef. There is no need to look for one breed or another of meat, for more than thirty years they have been very clear about it, Andalusian beef is ideal for grilling and the proof is in these chops.

Cod pilpil

There are no secrets here, or rather there are, choose a good cod loin with the right amount of salt, a good oil and make it work with a gentle circular motion. The previous frying of the garlic is essential.

Pocha beans with vegetables

Pochas natural and fresh, arrived at the end of August and peeled by hand. Then the usual dilemma: is pocha a legume or a vegetable? The truth is that Leire's good work ensures that they come out tender and tasty.

Casa Navarra (Mijas): Ctra. Mijas-Fuengirola, 4. Telephone: 952 580 439. Closed: Monday and Tuesday. Facebook: Restaurante Casa Navarra

Prices: Cardoons with ham: 15€ Cod pil pil: 26€ T-bone steak 1 kg: 60€.

Rating: Cuisine: 8; Dining room: 7; Wine list: 6; Rating: 8 / 10