Raining Truffles in Motovun, Croatia

A funny thing happened on my much-needed-and-enjoyed vacation…I ate more black truffles in one sitting than I’ll probably cumulatively eat throughout the rest of my life. Mounds upon mounds of the often $600-per-ounce tuber were shaved on top of various courses as I, along with my wife and two good friends, dined atop a mountain in Motovun, a gorgeous hill town in the Istria region of Croatia that just happens to be one of the truffle capitals of the world.

Istria, which used to be owned by Italy and is directly across the Adriatic from it, is a little-known area of the world that knocked me on my foodie ass. Along the coast, seafood as fresh as possible comes in daily and even flops around still alive at the fish market in Rovinj (the town where we stayed). Inland in Istria, in the mountainous areas, truffles are like a religion – and let me tell you, the gospel there is good.

It was a meal at Mondo Konoba that shattered all of my expectations and reasonable economic logic about truffles. Mondo is a restaurant the New York Times calls “the best little restaurant that you may never reach,” mostly because it’s up a gigantic frigging hill – mountain, actually – that cars are not allowed to navigate. If there was ever a summit one should exert some energy to reach, this is it, as funky truffle heaven awaits.

In the U.S., you’re lucky to ever even see a truffle on a restaurant menu. Even further, should you order something with actual truffles and not truffle oil, you’ll wind up with a massive price tag but likely a fleeting glimpse of a speck or two of the supremely aromatic and expensive tuber. In Motovun, however, the chefs make it rain truffles as if they’re cheap grating cheese. Only photos can truly prove at this point what I mean. Below, the courses enjoyed by a group of four, the total cost (no wine was consumed)…about $100.

Scrambled Eggs With Truffles: Seriously, if there were ever a death-bed situation and I had to pick an appetizer, this is it.

Beef Carpaccio With Truffles: Yes, all of that stuff on top is truffles. If any chef had the bankroll and/or balls to serve this in an American restaurant, I’d estimate this dish would cost $75-100. At Mondo Konoba, it was just shy of $14.

Squid Ink Gnocchi With Seafood and Black Truffles: Earthy mussels and squid in a thick tomato sauce, and probably 1/4 ounce of black truffles.

Tagliatelle in Truffle Cream Sauce: This was my entree. Probably not as truffle-y as the rest of the crew’s dishes, but still tremendous.

Black Truffle Ravioli in Truffle Sauce: My wife’s choice, and a stellar one.

Thankfully, I got through customs with a heaping stash of truffles in various forms, and will be using my stash judiciously as this meal will forever haunt my dreams. Thank you, Motovun and Mondo Konoba … a truly gorgeous place both visually and in cuisine.