After taking the train from Slovenia to Croatia, I was looking forward to my first meal in this well-reputed but still much less popular country. Most people know about the far south Dubrovnik and the islands of Dalmatia. The northern Istria region is known as a food haven with much influence from the adjacent Italy.
Although not strictly in Istria, I hoped to find Istrian white truffles in Rijeka, but after much walking around I wasn't able to find any restaurant which sold dishes with them (maybe I was a little too early in the year) nor any shops that had any fresh to sell. Therefore my backup was to take advantage of the fact that Croatia has the highest proportion of seaside coast than any country in the world, and eat seafood.
There isn't much information online for dining in Rijeka - it is probably more of a town people pass through or take ferries from than anything else. After much walking, I settled into Na Kantunu for its location in a quiet area near the waterway, there were only a few diners this cold, raining evening and there was some nice space to rest before my overnight bus.
From the recommendation of the host for whatever was most fresh and local that day which seemed focussed upon cuttlefish and squid.
The Black Risotto HRK30 (rizot lignje mala) was delicious - beautifully al dente rice, thick black salty sauce, and tender delicious cuttlefish pieces. The best version of this dish I've had throughout Australia, Mediterranean and even dare I say Spain.
Following the theme of freshness that day, I also had the Small Cuttlefishes & Squids HRK45 (lignje domace) local, boned and fried whole. These were thick pieces of whole squid fried until crispy. A squeeze of fresh lemon complemented the oil and salt well. It was served with a kind of mash mix of potato and spinach - for a bit of balance and to fill you up.
Next time I would order the Black Risotto again. The Red Risotto sounds delicious also, but the host specifically recommended the Black which is why I settled upon it. I think there are many places in the world that can fry seafood well, so I would stick to other cooking methods here. Unfortunately they didn't have Shells that day else I would have ordered that. Fresh local fish of the day is also a good looking alternative.