Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Arzak Dinner

I knew it was going to be good but...........................best and most eye opening meal I've had. The restaurant was run by the father for years (opened in 1968) and recently the daughter has taken charge. He still comes through the dining room though, as does she to describe the courses you're going to have. Good god they're nice and it shows in their food.

I actually had a hard time sleeping last night in anticipation. Right when I got out of my taxi in front of the place I met a guy from Sweden who was there solo like me, awesome to talk to him about traveling through Europe and I'm sure we'll connect later.

The food.

Corn soup-black bean soup

Fried shellfish sausage wrapped in Phyllo

Venison tartar, apple center, sugar crisp

Caramalized onion, curry and squid ink puff

Lobster, potato puff, lobster oil

Beet root crisp, warm oysters, potato, herbs and bacon

Poached then fried egg, coco crunchies, white truffle

Roasted monkfish, "choral", fish broth and onion shells, pepper beads

Cardoon-iberico sausage tempura

Venison 2 ways, braised breast, seared loin, paprika paper, venison-olive oil emulsion

"Spencer, are you still hungry para los platos umm savory?" 'YES!'. "OK aqui es foie gras especial" 'Gracias!'
Foie Gras, chestnut cream, corn sauce, raspberry jellies, coco puffs

"We will give you tres postres OK?"
"Si!"

Chocolate balls (pop then melt on your tongue), strawberry soup, basil ice cream

Butterscotch covered blood orange cream, black sesame gel, anise sugar

Tangerine cream filled white chocolate. Raspberry sauce.

"Aqui es eh...extra? Ice cream"
"Gracias!"

Ice cream - Banana and black lemon


OK....that is one sick chocolate mold, nuts and bolts?!
Mango jelly, coco-cola (bottle cap jelly and pop rocks for the fizz.)
white bean truffle, cacao crisps with strawberry jelly filling.


Clean and quite kitchen, perfect. I had no idea that there was just one sitting a night.
So at 9 o'clock they seat 20 people and that's all they do for the day.


Hung out for a good long while after in the lounge shooting the shit with this awesome family.
The restaurant is actually a house that had been in the family since the father's grandmother bought it. 
Built in 1897, the mother started serving meals there early on. Long story short, Elena has taken the helm and you don't keep 3 Michelin stars for 21 years by sitting around telling people what to do.
Both of them are hands-on every night and in another life I would love to be a member of this
food-centric family.



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