So, while we were in San Sebastian I went to this restaurant called Arzak. Thanks to my work, I’d read about it through a couple of travel blogs, but still didn’t really ‘get it’. What the hell was all the fuss about?! So what, 3 stars? Big deal! It’s just food.
Turns out, food can be a big deal. Huge, in fact.
We sat at the chef’s table, tucked away in the corner of the kitchen. Sounds like we were shoved out the back, yes? No. We later found out that it’s the single most-requested table in the restaurant, isn’t always open to patrons, and once you sit there? That’s it. You’re never going to get that seat, ever again. Either that, or they (and the other patrons) lied to us to make us feel like we weren’t getting ripped off. You decide.
It was awesome watching the chefs work – unlike any other kitchen I’d ever been in (and I’ve seen my fair share). It was quiet, for starters. Absolutely no yelling, no panic, no (visible) stress – it was a well-oiled machine, and every single person in that kitchen knew their role, and delivered seemingly effortlessly.
I read the menu, and became confused (not difficult for someone like me):
- Egg with earth tremor (because why wouldn’t you want your egg with a side of natural disaster?)
- Cromlech with onion, coffee and tea (er, I thought we were having dinner…oh wait, coffee AND tea?!)
- Laminated Cardoons (riiiight)
- Soup and Chocolate “Between Vineyards” (I can only assume this was a translation that didn’t *quite* work)
- Lunatic Sweet (dessert, with a side of crazy)
- Mead and fractal fluid (WTF)
- Playing marbles wi…WHAT THE HELL AM I ORDERING?!?!
As you can imagine, I had no idea what to order. So we ordered the tasting menu – a little bit of everything! As we drank our wine and chatted, they started with the ‘amuse bouche’. I think a meal like this is best explained through photos.
This was black pudding and corn soup, and the darker one...no idea
Cromlech with onion, coffee and tea. Not a breakfast item, in fact.
Something involving tomatoes...and dry ice
Foie-gras with silver wafers and wild seeds
Egg...complete with natural disaster
Lobster, potato and copaiba
Sole with ginger oil and coconut bread
Venison with stucco...I think
Lamb ossobucco
Playing marbles with chocolate...the first of many desserts
Mead and fractal fluid...I think...tasted kinda like port wine
Lunatic Sweet - lemon cake (again, I *think* this was what it was called)
Chocolates to finish us well and truly off!
I still, to this day, have no idea what I ate that night. But I do know this:
It.
Was.
Awesome.
I laughed, I cried. Would read again.
Jealous!
The photos kinda helped, but I still have no idea what most of that is! Very brave Chloe, and of course funny!
I once had an 11-amuse +main course and dessert in a 1 star Michelin restaurant in Rotterdam and after all the eating (and waiting) for the main course, when it finally arrived all I was able to say was “So this is it?”
They also had the most weird combination, some of them a failure but some were just unforgettable. I remember the scallops were served just like in picture 3.
Nice post.
It’s crazy, isn’t it? How *expensive* some of those meals are, and then they put the plate down in front of you and you just want to say “Errr, is this my pre-dinner snack?” ;)