This Is How Diego Fraile Cooks at Di-Ferente: Local Produce and Creativity in El Entrego

In the heart of the Asturian interior, in El Entrego, one of those gastronomic proposals has just blossomed that champion origin as the starting point and creativity as the path. Its name says it all: Di-Ferente, the most personal project of chef Diego Fraile, who, after years training alongside renowned cooks, decided to consolidate his culinary vision in an intimate, honest space deeply tied to the territory. Located on Menéndez Pelayo street, the restaurant is already a statement of intent: here cuisine is conceived from respect for the product, seasonality and the essence of Asturias, but with a contemporary outlook that brings freshness without excess.

Fraile builds his proposal on a clear idea: cooking should be direct, understandable and sincere, free of unnecessary artifice that could obscure what matters most: flavor. To do so, he draws on the local pantry, nearby suppliers and whatever the vegetable garden, the fish market or the market offers each day. That is precisely why, alongside a stable menu, Di-Ferente includes a section of suggestions that changes constantly, allowing the chef to explore new combinations without losing the thread that defines his style: a restrained, elegant creativity always committed to the product.

A start that looks to tradition

The starters set the pulse of this cuisine that respects the classic repertoire but revises it with intention. The Russian salad, seemingly humble, becomes a small tribute to flavor thanks to the chef’s personal touch: garlic-fried prawns that add warmth and depth without stealing the spotlight from the mixture. They are followed by essential creamy ham croquettes, which sum up the spirit of the place well: careful technique, impeccable texture and a recognizable flavor that comforts.

Beyond these popular icons, the menu opens the door to dishes where Asturian vegetables shine with their own light. The cabbage with pig’s trotters and white curry is an exercise in balance between tradition and gentle exoticism; the roasted leek with Mornay sauce and guanciale is pure delicacy with a touch of intensity; and the heirloom Tudela tomato with tuna belly shows that when the product is excellent, the best technique is the one that gets out of the way.

The sea, present without excess

Although Di-Ferente is not a seafood restaurant in the usual sense, Fraile does not give up on incorporating coastal nods that broaden the experience. The lobster in the Ibiza style brings Mediterranean echoes without losing its bearings, while the tuna tartare with coconut ajoblanco plays with textures and sweet notes in an exercise of precision that fully respects the nobility of the fish.

Meats with character and creativity

The meat section of the menu is perhaps where that “cuisine with roots in a contemporary key” that defines the chef is best perceived. The veal sweetbread with citrus meunière, cauliflower and lemon butter combines power, brightness and balance. The oxtail donut with truffled parmentier is a small work of culinary craftsmanship: playful in form, deep in flavor. And the pig’s trotter and langoustine ravioli shows that tradition can dress in subtlety without giving up its identity.

Desserts that honor memory

The dessert chapter reveals a special sensitivity toward the flavors that have accompanied us since childhood. The pistachio Arab tart offers toasted notes and a play of textures; the brioche torrija with Lotus soup is pure sweet delight; and the caramelized millefeuille with toasted pastry cream revives a classic pastry icon, bringing it to a level of refinement that surprises.

A brief wine list, but with purpose

To complete the experience, Di-Ferente offers a small but carefully curated wine cellar, where national labels coexist with a few international wines selected with care. Sparkling wines and new-style ciders are not missing, a choice that further reinforces the Asturian identity of the project.

A living cuisine that evolves every day

Visiting Di-Ferente is not just about eating: it is witnessing an exercise of respect for the territory and for seasonality, but also a personal interpretation that avoids excess and rests on flavor as its central axis. Fraile manages to make each visit to his restaurant different, thanks to the day’s changing suggestions, yet always coherent and faithful to a philosophy that looks forward without forgetting where it comes from.

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