Icíar Pérez and Juan Carlos Pérez-Alcalde will soon welcome their most personal project, which will be located in the capital of Tenerife and will bring with it a new way of enjoying gastronomy.
The young chefs, who were part of the Poemas by Hermanos Padrón team in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for four years, are finalizing the details for the opening of their new restaurant in the capital of Tenerife.
Both chefs met when they were students at the Hotel Escuela in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and since then they have followed the same path in their culinary career. Now, they welcome their most personal project after years of work. "Moral arose at the right time in our careers, we felt it was the next professional step we had to take, out of desire and knowledge. It was a project that had been in our heads for some years and it came naturally", explain Icíar and Juan Carlos.
"Moral emerges at the right time in our careers."
The restaurant, located in the central Santa Cruz street Pi y Margall, occupies the space of an old classic style restaurant that, during the last months, the chefs have been reforming. "The choice of the premises was quick, the first day we visited it we decided, because we saw a lot of potential in it", they comment and assure that they are very happy with the result. In addition, choosing Santa Cruz as a place to settle was also simple, because they felt that the city needed a restaurant like Moral and, in the end, Juan Carlos is from Chicharrero and there is nothing better than being at home.
The start of an exciting project
For both Icíar and Juan Carlos, gastronomy is their greatest passion, not only because it is the profession to which they have wanted to dedicate their lives, but also because it is an element with which they coexist in their daily lives and determines everything from their home to the places they want to travel to. We all have something that inspires us in our work and they love to read, be curious and try everything, but also feel satisfied with the final result and having done things right.
They tell us that choosing the name for the restaurant was complicated, but undoubtedly very accurate, as it perfectly describes the style of both chefs: "For us Moral is to go to the tree to eat blackberries, get your hands dirty and have fun. For us Moral is also that which is between good and evil".
"We want Moral to be that restaurant where you feel comforted by the food, the service and the space."
From a very young age it was clear to them that cooking would guide their lives and they had always wanted to start their own project and launch themselves into the adventure that this means: "We have been trained before daring, being two people everything seems easier". And as they themselves have said, Moral comes at the right time and as a necessary project in the capital of Tenerife: "We want Moral to be that restaurant where you feel comforted by the food, the treatment and the space".
At Moral, both chefs seek to apply everything they have learned over the years and translate it onto the plate, creating a recognizable and tasty cuisine that perfectly describes the essence of both of them. "When we are asked about the concept, because it seems that now all restaurants must tell a story, we always say the same thing "tasty food, good product well prepared"," they say.
Every detail adds to the experience
Moral will be a cozy space for a small number of diners, approximately twenty in total, where customers can feel comforted. As this is the couple's first business venture, both were clear that they wanted a project that they could control and that would not require an excessive staff load: "If Moral has to grow, it should be in a natural way, from less to more".
The space is divided into seven tables, one of them located in a small reserved area, and a beautiful bar for four diners. "We really liked the idea of the bar", explains Iciar, "Firstly, to gain space in the kitchen, as it is open, and, on the other hand, because the customer increasingly likes to see and talk to the chef, so this was perfect here".
"If Moral has to grow, let it be in a natural way, from less to more."
The illusion of both is palpable in their words. The long hours of work dedicated to this project are reflected in the care with which they have taken care of every detail so that everything as a whole results in an experience that permeates every diner who visits Moral. Undoubtedly, Icíar Pérez and Juan Carlos Pérez-Alcalde have arrived in Santa Cruz de Tenerife with a lot of desire and with the objective of giving a new sense to the capital's gastronomy and so it will be.
Paula Vera
Instagram: @moralrestaurante
