Home flavors and distant horizons: Toni Boban’s K.užina, Split

"In the historic city center I found K.užina (Kitchen), the restaurant of young chef Toni Boban that opened just over a year ago and seats about sixty. Born in Malaysia to Croatian parents and returned to Croatia at seven, Boban blends the traditional flavors he remembers from his grandmother with Japanese and broader Eastern influences, always prioritizing fresh, local products. Because the restaurant sits roughly a hundred yards from Split’s fish market (Peškarija), much of the menu centers on seafood: everything from shrimp, cod, mussels and anchovies to seasonal catches such as John Dory, sea bream, scorpion fish, red snapper and red mullet. Signature and standout dishes include Amberjack with Tomato Jam; White Tomato Risotto made with tomato consommé and cooked in onion soup with basil and tomato jam; beef tartare with potatoes and anchovies; Risotto with Confit Lemon; and a Beetroot Dessert with chocolate, lime and raspberries. The house specialty that has won over patrons is Octopus and lemon: Boban sources octopus from Pjero Mladinić of Brač, then oven-cooks and grills it, glazing it with a yakitori-style sauce and confit lemon, serving it with purple carrot and seasoning of pepper, garlic and house-made vinegar, accompanied by potato croquettes the chef says “we always ate as children.” Boban works with a brigade of six in the kitchen (seventeen staff in total), aiming to keep dishes rooted in local culinary foundations while giving them a creative, modern twist." - Sarah Scaparone