The Sarmale Roller

Andrei Popescu

Andrei learned to roll sarmale at his grandmother's elbow in a Cluj apartment block, where a single pot of cabbage rolls simmered low all Sunday and fed whoever knocked. He came to Barcelona a decade ago on a construction crew, and now cooks big communal pots for the homesick Romanian families of his neighborhood, who miss the sour tang of home more than anything. He swears good food is patient and cheap, that nothing sours a soup better than a hard squeeze of lemon when you can't get borș, and that a spoon of yogurt stirred in at the end beats any garnish.

RomanianBalkanEastern European

Voice · hearty, warm, frugal, nostalgic, plainspoken

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Andrei's favorites.

45 MIN

Feta and Cabbage Savory Pancakes with Paprika Yogurt

Hearty Romanian-style savory pancakes filled with caramelized cabbage and tangy feta, finished with a warm paprika yogurt sauce and fresh dill. A frugal, nostalgic dish that brings the warmth of Andrei's grandmother's kitchen to your table.

55 MIN

Buckwheat and Ground Beef Fritters with Yogurt and Parsley

Hearty Eastern European-style fritters made with tender buckwheat and savory ground beef, pan-fried until golden and served with cooling yogurt and fresh parsley.

48 MIN

Roasted Butternut Squash Bites with Paprika Pork Belly

Cubes of sweet butternut squash roasted until golden, nestled alongside rich pork belly crisped with bloomed paprika and garlic — a hearty, nostalgic bite that balances autumn sweetness with savory depth, finished with a cooling swirl of yogurt.

43 MIN

Smoky Pork Belly and Butternut Squash Bites with Yogurt and Dill

Crispy-edged pork belly cubes bloomed with smoked paprika, tender caramelized butternut squash, and a cool yogurt sauce brightened with dill and lemon — hearty, warm, and frugal, the way Andrei likes it.

45 MIN

Pinto Bean and Pork Belly Fritters with Dill

Hearty fritters of creamy mashed pinto beans and crispy pork belly, seasoned with sweet paprika and fresh dill, served with a cooling dollop of yogurt and a squeeze of lemon.

40 MIN

Paprika Pork Belly Skewers with Lemon and Dill

Thick-cut pork belly strips marinated in sweet paprika and garlic, seared until caramelized and crisp, served with a cooling lemon-yogurt sauce and fresh dill.

50 MIN

Buckwheat Apple Crumble with Walnut and Maple Syrup

A hearty buckwheat crumble with tender spiced apples, crunchy walnut topping, and a drizzle of maple syrup — rustic and warming, like something Andrei's grandmother would have made for Sunday dessert after a big pot of sarmale.

47 MIN

Almond Flour Yogurt Cake with Honey and Mint

A tender, nutty crumb cake with bright honey sweetness and fresh mint, finished with a yogurt tang that echoes the Romanian love for cooling contrast. Simple enough for a weekday treat, special enough for company.

35 MIN

Sour Cream Buckwheat Kasha with Honey and Apple

A hearty Eastern European porridge of toasted buckwheat dressed with cool sour cream, sweet honey, and crisp apple. Warm, filling, and ready in under an hour.

140 MIN

Slow-Simmered Pork Belly and Cabbage Stew with Lemon and Paprika

A hearty Romanian-style stew where pork belly renders low and slow with cabbage, bloomed paprika, and a bright squeeze of lemon, finished with cooling yogurt and fresh herbs. This is the kind of pot that simmers all afternoon and fills the kitchen with memories.

45 MIN

Sour Lemon and Dill Rice with Ground Beef and Parsley

A hearty, frugal pilaf-style rice dish where ground beef is bloomed with paprika, simmered with rice in broth, and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh dill and parsley. The kind of one-pot comfort Andrei makes when the neighborhood comes knocking.

55 MIN

Creamy Yogurt and Garlic Roast Chicken Thighs with Parsley

Tender chicken thighs marinated in a rich yogurt and garlic mixture, roasted until golden and topped with fresh parsley. Andrei's way: a hard squeeze of lemon and a spoon of yogurt stirred in at the end.

55 MIN

Hearty Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup with Lemon and Dill

A big communal pot of slow-simmered beef and cabbage, brightened with a hard squeeze of lemon and finished with cooling yogurt and fresh dill. The kind of soup that feeds whoever knocks.

45 MIN

Bright Lemon and Dill Potato Salad with Yogurt

A hearty Romanian-inspired potato salad with bright lemony sourness, cooling yogurt tang, and fresh dill freshness. A hard squeeze of lemon and a spoon of yogurt stirred in at the end make this the kind of cold salad Andrei's grandmother would have fed to whoever knocked on Sunday.

80 MIN

Simple Cabbage and Beef Rissoles Baked in Tomato Sauce

Hearty Romanian-style cabbage and beef patties simmered in a paprika-scented tomato sauce. These rissoles are like sarmale cousins — comforting, frugal, and full of that sour-bright punch Andrei loves.

40 MIN

Garlic and Paprika Beef Skewers with Bell Pepper and Onion

Hearty beef cubes marinated in a bold garlic and paprika blend, threaded with colorful bell peppers and sweet onion, charred until succulent and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon and cooling yogurt.

95 MIN

Braised Pork Belly with Sweet Paprika and Caramelized Onion

Hearty braised pork belly slow-cooked with sweet paprika and caramelized onions, finished with a bright squeeze of lemon. This is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with warmth and feeds the soul.

45 MIN

Paprika Carrot and Potato Mash with Butter and Dill

A hearty, comforting mash where sweet carrots and earthy potatoes come together with bloomed paprika butter and fresh dill. Simple, frugal, and nostalgic — the kind of side dish that makes you feel like Sunday dinner at grandma's.

135 MIN

White Bean and Pork Belly Stew with Paprika and Carrot

A hearty Romanian-style white bean stew with slow-simmered pork belly, bloomed sweet paprika, and bright lemon — rustic, frugal, and deeply comforting.

50 MIN

One-Pot Paprika Beef Stew

A hearty Romanian-inspired one-pot stew with tender beef simmered in a rich paprika-scented broth, finished with a squeeze of lemon and cooling yogurt.

60 MIN

Crispy Pork Belly with Garlic and Dill

Thick-cut pork belly roasted until the skin blisters and cracks, basted with fragrant garlic butter and finished with a shower of fresh dill. The kind of humble, gutsy dish that fills a kitchen with warmth and makes everyone lean closer to the table.

180 MIN

Grandmother's Sunday Sarmale

Hearty Romanian cabbage rolls stuffed with seasoned pork and beef, slow-simmered in a tangy tomato sauce until tender and rich. A Sunday staple meant for gathering.

110 MIN

Braised Cabbage with Smoky Pork Belly

Pork belly cut into lardons renders slowly alongside onion until the fat runs clear and the kitchen fills with smoke-and-sweetness, then shredded cabbage goes in with smoked paprika and a lid goes on. It cooks down to something soft and unctuous, the cabbage absorbing the pork's richness and the paprika's warmth in equal measure. Frugal food that punches well above its price.

65 MIN

Romanian Fried Cheese Doughnuts with Yogurt

Cream cheese worked into a soft dough with egg and flour, then dropped by spoonfuls into hot oil where they puff and turn golden and hollow inside — papanași in everything but the name. They come out light, with a faint tang from the cheese, and the yogurt spooned alongside is not a garnish but the whole point of eating them. A sweet that is barely sweet, and better for it.

40 MIN

Charred Eggplant Salad with Lemon and Onion

Eggplant goes directly over the flame until the skin blackens and the inside collapses, then it is peeled and the soft flesh chopped rough with raw onion and lemon juice that cuts through the smoke. No oil needed — the eggplant provides its own. Spread it thick, eat it cool, and do not apologize for how simple it is.

50 MIN

Sour Trout Soup with Lemon and Dill

Trout simmered with potato and carrot in a clean broth that stays clear and light, then lemon stirred in just before serving turns it properly sour the way a Romanian fish soup should be. Dill floats on top in loose handfuls, its fragrance lifting off the hot surface. Delicate fish, honest vegetables, a tart finish — nothing extra needed.

50 MIN

Bright Sour Vegetable and Potato Soup

Carrot, celery, potato, and bell pepper build a gentle, clear broth that simmers until everything is tender but still holding shape. Then the lemon goes in — a hard squeeze that lifts the whole pot the way borș used to back in Cluj, turning something mild into something bright and alive. Light on the stomach, honest on the palate.

60 MIN

Garlic-Roasted Pork Loin with Potatoes

The loin gets studded with garlic and rubbed with thyme before it meets the oven, the potatoes arranged around it to catch every drop of rendered fat as the meat tightens and browns. What comes out is tender in the center, crackling at the edge, with potatoes that have soaked up the whole story. Good Sunday food — patient, plain, and deeply satisfying.

70 MIN

Stuffed Peppers in Dill Tomato Sauce

Bell peppers packed firm with ground beef and rice and set upright in a pot of tomato sauce to braise low and slow, the filling swelling as it cooks until the peppers turn silky and the sauce thickens around them. Dill stirred into the sauce at the end is what makes it Romanian and not just stuffed peppers. Feed a crowd and ask no questions.

35 MIN

Grilled Garlic Beef Mititei

The Romanian sausage without a skin — ground beef worked with garlic, paprika, and black pepper until the texture binds tight enough to hold a grill. They blister and char fast over high heat, the fat hissing into the flame, and what comes off is juicy, smoky, and punchy with garlic. No fuss, no garnish — just eat them hot.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

cabbageground-beefwhite-ricepaprikayogurtgarlicyellow-onionpork-belly

Favorite tools

StockPotDutchOvenWoodenSpoonChefKnife

Reaches for

cabbageground-beefpork-bellyyellow-onionpaprikagarlicpotatocarrot

Steers clear of

cayennesoy-saucetahinicoconut-oil

Flavor Profile

The Loves

bright lemony sournessslow-simmered pork richnesssweet paprika warmthdill-and-parsley freshnesscooling yogurt tang

The Defaults

a hard squeeze of lemon to sour the pota spoon of yogurt stirred in at the endsweet paprika bloomed in oilcabbage rolls simmered low

The Avoids

fiery chili heatfussy delicate platingwatery underseasoned soupwasting good scraps