A quiet road develops slowly and peacefully along the silent green fields. Soon to be white mountain tops separate Errenteria from Astigarraga. The path straightens with each step and an ethereal and misty atmosphere descends silently over the most precious hideout around. There lies Andoni Luis Anduriz's masterpiece: Mugaritz.Simple and rectilinear lines outline the structure, the flowers climb high abandoning the perfectly organized gardens, the sky plays in the back and epic balad and even the stones move incessantly. Pure harmony.
The senses awake from a numb citadine sleep. Now everything comes back to life, everything is calm and there our journey into the "outer" world began.
white cloth, a sculpture. Two envelopes: to submiss, to rebel. And then Joserra, one of the best for being professional, a friend, for sharing his good vibration and enthusiasm and living everyday as gatekeeper of the Mugaritz's purgatory, a reality that separates a timeless dimension from the ferocious rhythms of Anduriz's and Javi Vergara's brilliant apprentices.
That day Javi held the wand and worked the magic in Mugaritz's fairly new kitchen. He suspended his activities and greet us with sympathy and enthusiasm, everyone seemed happy and eager to please the guests. The state of the art kitchen, the prep kitchen downstairs, the offices and the tailler...impressive, clean.
...and back to our table, the show was about to begin.A special thanks for Joserra for the second guided visit to the "bowels" and for everything else and to Anduriz (who was not there) for the experience and congratulations for such an achievement, not for the awards or Michelin stars, but for the mixture of feelings sensed throughout the day at Mugaritz. Remarkable!
Service: 19/20
Led by Joserra and with our team composed of Nicolas, Elisabeth, Izaskun, Marta and Zigor the service flowed with perfection. "In our restaurant we are all equal, men and women are alike, and according to our philosophy we will not serve women before men necessarily, unless you want us to"...no problem with that, this is your home, just please us. Sympathy, infallible coordination, informality, correctness and discretion, attentive to details. This has got to be one of the best front of houses team I have ever seen. Thanks Joserra and team and congratulations (also) on this Mugaritz.
Restaurant décor and ambience: 19,5/20
The description above details with precision where we were. Inside a modern and spacious countryside house, low artificial lights to correct the dark rainy day (the restaurant has plenty of natural light). Minimalist the space, minimalist the table, empty, just white cloth and a sculpture. And how the minimalist played along so so well with the comfortable silence of joy and amazement during the lunch. The kitchen: state-of-the-art, open with natural light, white, clean, crowded with a calm and focused staff. The cold prep kitchen downstairs and the offices and the tailler upstairs completed the visit to Mugaritz. Mugaritz is tuned with the place it stands, it is an extension of it, is part of the nature.
Food: 19/20
The food far from comfortable is cooked to perfection, with detail and precision, through complex processes applied to simple ingredients. Perfection, detail and precision are easily spot when ingredients are measured and weighted to the last centimeter and gram and stored in individual portions, so that everyone is served exactly the same quantity; or the stocks are tasted by three different persons in order to preserve quality and consistency. It is impressive the "simplicity" of the dishes composed of two to three components, in general, using classic ingredients in successful and invulgar experiences of technological creativity and modernity. Anduriz constantly plays with textures, temperature and flavours, you may like the food or not, but you cannot ignore his geniality and creativity. Praise for the consistency from the first to the very last dish. The tasting menu is the only available and everything is truly remarkable...
On the menu:
"La boca llena de flores, frutos secos y granos de sal" (left picture): an amazing mixture of textures and flavours served in an edible bag.
"Cristal de almidón y azúcar manchado con praliné y crustáceo" (right picture): what a fine sugary base with a fresh taste of the sea in an unexpected combination.
"Focaccia de almidón de pueraría a la parrila": extra crunchy, simple, perfect."Salsa crujiente com cidra" (left picture): crunchy and ingenious. "Refresco de agua de bulgur. Pepinillo impregnado em ginebra con grano de enebro" (right picture): this fresh derivation from wheat is an unusual but comfortable drink. The gherkin terribly crunchy and natural."Vinagre casero de miel, cebada fermentada y corazón de tomate maduro" (bottom left picture): extra points for the complexity of the vinegar and purity of the tomato, however the combination of the two results in an unpleasant explosion of acidity.
"Gelatina de atún con patatas rotas y jugo de marmitako": a traditional home recipe with strong flavours and a blend of textures (soft, liquid, gelatinous).
"Higo cocido en arcilla blanca perfumada con haba tonka" (bottom left picture): sweet burst in the mouth. beautifully presented.
"Potage de avellanas con nácar" (bottom right picture): more impressive the presentation than the flavour itself.
"Shhh...Muerdete la lengua:" (picture below) a masterpiece...the presentation, geniality, flavour, unthinkable texture and surprise and yet so simple.
"Sopa de mortero con especias, semillas, caldo de pescados y hierbas frescas" (picture below): and now the guests work the mortars and prepare the seeds for the herbs and stock. Great idea to promote the interaction between the hosts and the guests.
"Noodles de cerdo con extracto de arraitxikis y arroz inflado": once again a pleasant and surprising combination...with a pinch of extreme geniality and creativity.
"Mendresca de bonito asada con cebolla, pasta y semillas de guidilla": a star! fresh out of the sea cooked with precision, detail, care...so lonely in the dish. But do we really need someone else to share the spotlight? Absolutely not.
"Texturas de pescado de bajura" (picture below): it is not fair to come after the bonito. Below expectations but still on the top of the world.
"Costra del asado de cordero con algarrobo y pipas de girasol majadas": after the star, the first of two solists. Excellent the crust topped with the seeds, the interior once again cooked to perfection, with precision and detail. Top notch.
"Pieza de vacuno asada, emulsión de carne y cristales de sal" (picture below): the other solist. Solitary in the slate, pink, full of flavour, tender and then the emulsion...what a perfect way to end the mains.
"Nueces rotas, tostadas e saladas, crema helada de leche de cabra y gelatina de Armagnac" (picture below): the richness of the Armagnac gelatined hidden in the shockingly "nuts" all of them "bent" over the smooth goat milk ice cream. One of the best ever desserts...
"Corte de helado al whisky" (right picture): once again the problem of being served after a masterpiece.
"Cucurucho de flores e cravos"(left picture): creative idea, perfect execution, but not a "must".
And just like that the voyage to the fabulous world of Anduriz ends...
"Los enunciados de los platos no solamente describen aquello de lo que se componen, sino que también llevan implícito aquello que desearíamos que hubiese...paisajes y momentos evocadores, técnicas imaginárias e incluso ingredientes nuevos" in Mugaritz' menu.
Wine list: N/A
We did not have the chance to look at it. We asked for the wine pairing and the choices were wise, correct and inexpensive. From Germany to France, ending in Spain we wandered through our voyage with fresh and enjoyable aromas.
Wine sampled: (i) Rudesheim Estate 07 (Rheingau, Georg Beuer); (ii) Ekam 09 (Costers del Segre, Castel d'Encus); (iii) Les Galets 10 (Juracon Sec, Clos Benguères); (iv) La Calma 07 (Penedès, Can Ràfols del Caus); (v) Las Gravas (Jumilla, Casa Castillo); and (vi) PX de Añada 08 (Montilla Moriles, Alvear).
Genre: Modern/Creative/Basque
Price: €220/person
Michelin: ** (2011: 3rd S. Pellegrino World's best restaurant)
Date of visit: Summer 2011
Overall: 19/20
Pros: Creativity, service, food, ambience, the experience.
Cons: None, except if you do not like modern and experimentalist food.
Mugaritz
Aldura Aldea 20-Otzazulueta Baserria
E - 20100 Errenteria
Tel: (+34) 943 522 455
Tel: (+34) 943518343
Fax: (+34) 943 518 216
http://http://www.mugaritz.com/
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