many Guipuzcoans call
But, let no-one think that these proposals
the place ‘Vinegars’
are a simple divertimento, because there
in remembrance of those brews. To choose a metaphor, eating here is for the stomach the
of them. “The cromlech of manioc and huitlacoche for example took us about a year, because the crunch was not crunchy
closest thing to a happy
and became wet and soft when we put
birthday party. The treat for
something inside. The flavour also took
the tastebuds begins with
us a long time to get right, because
a pudin de kabrarroka (red
initially it tasted a lot like foie gras and
scorpionfish cake, one of the
we added kefir to it”, says Elena, after
dishes that launched Juan Mari to stardom), followed by a cromlech of
admitting that being a family business the Arzaks have no limits placed on them
manioc and huitlacoche (an edible
when it comes to innovating. “If we had
mushroom that grows on maize when
to express it in proportions, I would say
rainfall is abundant), the beetroot Arzak’s dishes are the epitome of teamwork.
are months of hard work behind each
blood orange, the egg accompanied
that Arzak is 40% tradition and 60% modernity”, she calculates.
by ‘milk leaves’, the ‘sea and garden’
Elena”. “We may have arguments”,
artichokes and fried chestnuts in their
The art of combining modernity and tradition
Elena comes in again, “but in the best
juice… Not to mention the surprises, like
Although it may not seem so at first
sense. I have to say that my father
the pitonisa monkfish (enveloped in a
sight, in fact many of the striking
believed in me from the beginning.
crunchy green ball made with leaves of
made in Arzak flavours go right back to
Thanks to his complicity, and the fact
rice and potato starch), chorizo with tonic
very traditional Basque cuisine. “The
that he has let me do many things in the
water, sea-bass fillet ‘cradled’ on an iPad
idea”, says Juan Mari, “is to know the
kitchen, although he had never ceased
that projects images of sea waves hitting
fundamentals of what your people like,
to be demanding. Without him, I would
rocks, or the chocolate toolbox (screws,
and work on it”. And to take risks so
not be who I am today”.
bolts and so on), taking the desserts to a
that eating becomes an experience
different level.
involving all five senses. That is why the
lobster, venison with Jerusalem
In practical terms, father and daughter are like yin and yang. So, where Elena is introverted, an early riser and a delightful person, her father speaks in torrents, boasts of having been ‘a healthy layabout’ and is more disordered, although above and beyond these attributes he is first and foremost an endearing person who gives his all for his guests (whether known or not), and who lives his profession with the passion of a first love.
A day at the Arzaks’ house If eating at the marble kitchen table is an unforgettable experience, no less so is tasting the menu offered by Juan Mari and Elena Arzak at their restaurant the Alto de Miracruz, in the eastern part of San Sebastián, a place that was once a tavern where wines of very doubtful quality were served, the reason why 52
Juan Mari and Elena Arzak in animated conversation over their restaurant menu.