martin berasategui

[cabrales]

I'd be interested in learning what the best way to go to Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria may be, if one does not plan to rent a car. How far is this restaurant from San Sebastian? What are the hotels closest to Berasategui?

Also, would it be safe to assume that a train from Biarritz/Bayonne is an efficient way to cross th border into Spain for San Sebastian? What are the hotels closest to Arzak, and have members eaten at Arzak's kitchen table?

[Charles Smith]

Cabrales-

Arzak's a short taxi ride out of San Sebastian- not sure which hotel is closest, but any of the seaside hotels would be a reasonable distance.

Berasategui is approx 5-6 miles from San Sebastian, if I recall correctly, although I did not eat there :-(.

I did not have the opportunity to eat at the kitchen table, but I did get to witness a very emotional breakup that made the evening very interesting.

I hope that's helpful

Cheers,

Charles

[cabrales]

have members eaten at Arzak's kitchen table? 

Bourdain's episode on FN last night addressed San Sebastian. Arzak's kitchen table was depicted, and among the items served was a poached egg dish.

[cabrales]

Berasategui informed me that Ibiltze is the closest hotel to it (34943365644). The hotel is less than 2 km away, and would be about a 10 minute walk. Room prices begin at approx. 30 euros a night. Another hotel in the little suburb of San Sebastian where Berasategui is located is Txartel.

[cabrales]

Around this time, Berasategui should be releasing a new book called "Calendario de Nuestra Cocina Tradicional, Hecho para la Gente de Hoy" (Aurrera).

[cabrales]

Below is Berasategui´s current tasting menu (at 88 euros, years indicate date of creation of applicable dish).

Amuses:

-- Palourdes crus a l´huile olive (a type of European clam, raw with olive oil)

-- Filet d'anchois avec de la tapendae (anchovy filet with olive tapenade)

-- Soupe de lentilles (Lentil soup)

-- Toast au fromage et jambon Iberique (toast with cheese and Spanish ham)

-- 1995 Millefeuille caramelise d´anguille fumee, foie gras, petits oignons et pommes verte (Millefeuille caramelized of smoked eel, foie gras, small onions and green apples)

-- 2002 Mosaique de coquilles Saint-Jacques et huitre, accompangnee dún coulis gelantineux de corail (Mosaic of scallops and oysters, accompanied by a gelatinous coulis of the corail of the scallops)

-- 2002 Salade tiede de coeur de chou-fleur avec d´anchois d´ail, creme a la laiture de ferme et jus iode (Warm salad of the heart of cauliflower with garlic-flavored anchovies, a cream of farm lettuce and a seafood-flavored jus)

-- 1999 Gelatine chaude aux fruits de mer avec soupe dánis etoile et sorbet au fenouil (Hot Gelatine of seafood with a star anise soup and a sorbet of fennel)

-- 2001 Chipiron Saute avec son encre en raviolis cremeux ( Squid sauteed with its own ink in a ravioli)

-- 2002 Truffe Noire avec betterave, salade liquide aux herbes et fromage Mont d´Or (Black truffles with beetroot, liquid salad of herbs and Vacherin Mont d´Or French cheese, this dish carries a supplement of 15 euros or so)

-- 2002 Foie gras chaud avec soupe de chataignes roties au cardamome (Hot foie gras with a chestnut soup roasted in cardamom)

-- 2002 Bar Roti avec Vinaigrette acidulee aux pistaches et creme aux tubercules a l´ancienne (Bass roasted with an acidic vinaigrette, with pistachios and a cream of potatoes?)

-- 2002 Cerf Grille avec son propre boudin saute, cerises, pommes douces et tuille croustillante (Deer grilled with its own sausage, cherries, gentle apples and a crunchy tuille, of beetroot)

-- 1998 Pieds de Porc Iberique Farcis, Avec Crouton de Cepes et Fromage Idiazabal (Pigs´Feet from Patta Negra pigs stuffed, with a crouton with porcini and Idiazabal cheese, this was not from the tasting menu and was ordered in a half-portion size at less thn 15 euros)

-- 2002 Desert au Chocolat au The (bonbon, glace, creme caille et granite) (Chocolate dessert with tea -- candy, ice cream, creme caille and a granite)

-- 1999 Cafe au lait glace, soupes caramelisees et pruneaux (Ice cream of coffee with milk, caramelized brioches and prunes).

Without going into the details, Arzak is markedly better than Berasategui relative to my tastes.

[lizziee]

Without going into the details, Arzak is markedly better than Berasategui relative to my tastes. 

Cabrales,

Details, please!!

[schaem]

Why is Berasatagui's tasting menu in French?

[Lord Michael Lewis]

Why is Berasatagui's tasting menu in French?

Berasategui's restaurant is less than half an hour from the border. Weekday lunchtimes see the dining room full of French enjoying what, due to the comparative expense of France, is a three star bargain.

[Bux]

French is still the lingua franca of food. The clientele is international. Once in Lasarte, it was hard for us to find a local who had heard of this restaurant which is outside the urban center. Berasategui is a Basque restaurant more than it is a Spanish restaurant and few people speak Basque. For practical as well as political reasons, French is a reasonable choice.

[Lord Michael Lewis]

French is still the lingua franca of food. The clientele is international. Once in Lasarte, it was hard for us to find a local who had heard of this restaurant which is outside the urban center. Berasategui is a Basque restaurant more than it is a Spanish restaurant and few people speak Basque. For practical as well as political reasons, French is a reasonable choice.

I think it's a touch fanciful to put this down to politics, rather, like most good restaurants, there would be menus available in several languages and Cabrales, known for her Francophilia, would have asked for one in French.

[schaem]

I would love to see a tasting menu in Basque!

[cabrales]

like most good restaurants, there would be menus available in several languages and Cabrales, known for her Francophilia, would have asked for one in French.

LML -- That is actually the reason. Berasategui probably had menus in English too, but I did not inquire. The Berasategui dining room team that assisted me was not particularly versed in English or French, except for the sommelier who was kind enough to have assisted in describing many of the dishes. Chef Berasategui was fully versed in French.

Arzak had menus only in Spanish and English. Dining room team members were slightly better with French, but not by much except for supervisory personnel. Elena Arzak spoke good English, and her father spoke fluent French.

Zuberoa had the most linguistically competent dining room members.

[Lord Michael Lewis]

like most good restaurants, there would be menus available in several languages and Cabrales, known for her Francophilia, would have asked for one in French.

LML -- That is actually the reason. Berasategui probably had menus in English too, but I did not inquire. The Berasategui dining room team that assisted me was not particularly versed in English or French, except for the sommelier who was kind enough to have assisted in describing many of the dishes. Chef Berasategui was fully versed in French.

Arzak had menus only in Spanish and English. Dining room team members were slightly better with French, but not by much except for supervisory personnel. Elena Arzak spoke good English, and her father spoke fluent French.

Zuberoa had the most linguistically competent dining room members.

Cabrales, when are you going to post about my personal favourite, Zuberoa?

Did you go to Mugaritz? I think this has to be the most upcoming restaurant of the moment.

[cabrales]

Cabrales, when are you going to post about my personal favourite, Zuberoa?

LML -- For you, I'm going to have a post on Zuberoa up by this time tomorrow. I found Zuberoa at least as strong as Berasategui, although that assessement is preliminary (having been based on only a single meal at each facility). However, I preliminarily prefer Arzak to either. At Arzak, the chefs provided excellent food and were extremely generous with their time and attention. The Arbelaitzs and Bersategui were generous too, both with respect to comp'd dishes and wine and with their time.

At Zuberoa, I took in the following tasting menu (under 85 euros):

-- Amuse of pigeon consomme

-- Oysters in gelee of seawater (cold; comp'd and not part of the stated tasting menu)

-- Caramel de crustaces a la gelee de pampelmousse, pommes de terre et caviar (A caramel of shellfish with grapefruit gelee, potatoes and caviar)

-- Coquilles Saint-Jacques poelee sur puree de potiron et sauce fumee (Pan-fried scallops on a pumpkin puree with a smoky sauce)

-- Huitre tiede avec sauce parfume a son propre jus (Warm oyster with a sauce perfumed with its own jus)

-- Jaune d'oeuf poche et risotto au chipiron (Poached egg yolk with a squid risotto)

-- Chipiron (squid) with onion and squid ink sauce

-- Foie gras

-- Morue aux legumes confits, sauce emulsionnee et huiles aux olives noires (Cod with confit vegetables, sauce and oils of black olives)

-- Palombe rotie au romarin et chou vert truffe (Wood pigeon or special pigeon from Southern France, roasted with rosemary and truffled cabbage)

-- Green apple soup (On the tasting menu, this is a chocolate item, but the restaurant offered a switch after I indicated the chocolate dessert could be omitted. That is the way to politely pursue a switch, I have found, although one has to be ready to have the request for an omitted dish taken up on.)

-- Croustillant aux fruits secs fourre de flan au fromage, verbeine et sauce aux fromages (Croustillant of dried fruits containing a cheese flan, verbena and a cheese sauce)

The wine was Rueda "Belondrade & Lurten" 2000 (35 euros), a Spanish white. With the palombe dish, I took in a glass of Rioja Marques de Tomares Reserva 1996. The glass was comp'd, as were the samplings of oysters in gelee (which I had ordered), the chipirons after the egg yolk dish, the aperatif (the house recommended a local beer brewed by an affiliate, "Pagoa Brand, Orhi", a Pilsner) and the dessert wine.

Due to added meals in France, I was unable to make it to Mugaritz or Akelarre. However, I plan to revisit Arzak and take in at least two meals there in the next year and expect to visit Mugaritz, Akelarre and Arbelaitz in the industrial park during the same trip.

I stayed at the Hotel Niza, which has nice decor and which is right along the beachfront in San Sebastian. It is less grand than the Maria-Christina, but has its own charm with respect to decor.

For other members --

Several appealing aspects of Zuberoa: (1) strong presentation marks for the dishes, including the "swirling" effects used for sauces (presentation would be fruitless without good cuisine, which was offered as well), (2) linguistic skills in describing the dishes, and (3) capable dining room team led by the eldest Arbelaitz brother and his wife. Note the youngest of the three brothers is no longer patissier at Zuberoa. He has become the chef and patissier of a sibling restaurant, simply entitled Arbelaitz, in an industrial park close to San Sebastian.

I received a tour of Zuberoa, although the kitchen was very busy and I indicated I need not visit on this occasion. In addition to the main, beautifully blue dining room and a large open-air dining room that is utilized in the summer time, the restaurant has at least two private rooms. It is located in a 600-year old house, which has been occupied by the Arbelaitzs for four generations adn which has been utilized as a restaurant for around forty years.

Edited December 2, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[AdamLawrence]

That's great, Cabby, but you know what we all want to hear. Did you get the tweet-tweet?

Adam

[cabrales]

Adam -- :laugh: (The number of smilies is not necessarily coincidental.)

Edited December 2, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[peterpumkino]

Also, would it be safe to assume that a train from Biarritz/Bayonne is an efficient way to cross th border into Spain for San Sebastian?  have members eaten at Arzak's kitchen table? 

As far as I am concerned train is the only way to go (on the way from Paris you can stop at La Tupina in Bordeaux! - +33 56915637). San Sebastian and Santander are wonderful place swith great food.

Yes, I've been to Arzak and, even Italian-loving as I am. I felt it was one of the best meals I have had - ever. Plus it's a lovely location. You must go.

[cabrales]

peterpumpkino -- Thanks, for encouraging me to go. I've since been.

There is a direct train from Paris (Montparnasse, in my case) to Hendaye, a French town south of Biarritz and Bayonne. (Be careful about the stations, as Hendaye is after a station called Hendaye Plage or Hendaya Beach). The train is described as a TGV, but does not travel at TGV speeds for the predominant portion of the applicable journey.

At Hendaye, to the immediate right of the SNCF train station, there is a little blue and white colored busstop-like stand. It is the station for the Eusko Tren (a local commuter-like train). The Eusko Tren stops at Renteria (it's called Errenteria or something, which is the place for another interesting restaurant) -- where Mugartiz is. The Eusko Tren also stops in the town where Zuberoa is. There are two stops for Donostoa (spelling?) aka San Sebastian. The final stop for certain Eusko Trens departing from Hendaye is Lasarte Oria, the town where Berasategui is lcoated. A ride on the Eusko Tren costs less than 2 euros.

For members visiting Lasarte Oria, there is a clean, not super-luxurious hotel within 5 minutes by taxi from Berasategui and within an easy walk of the restaurant. It is called the Ibiltze.

Edited December 2, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[Bux]

Cabrales, I'm really pleased that in addition to the food report, you've chosen to reasearch and make us aware of the transportation options as well as hotel. I rather regret leaving Berasategui fit more for a siesta than the drive to our hotel reservation in Hondarribia.

Peter, I'm glad to know you were able to get a good meal in a Michelin three star resataurant in Spain.

I think it's a touch fanciful to put this down to politics, rather, like most good restaurants, there would be menus available in several languages and Cabrales, known for her Francophilia, would have asked for one in French.

I suspect so.

I was truly delving into the abstract, all the while suspecting that if I had time to locate the copy of the menu I am sure we took with us when we left, my guess is that I would find a Spanish menu. Still it would be a politically correct move in that area not to offer a Spanish menu unless it was requested by a foreigner traveling in the Basque Country, although Spanish is still the operative language in the area.

I don't know that I've ever received a menu in the Basque tongue, but I have some menus in Catalan.

[cabrales]

Below is a summary of my recent (and only) meal (lunch) at Zuberoa:

-- Amuse of pigeon consomme. This was appealing, with an intense and "true" pigeon flavor. The upper portion of the dish was between a foam and a liquid (like the consistency of sabayon), and was tasty and visually appealing (there was a swirl of darkness on top of the consomme). The bottom layer was denser, delivering further pigeon flavors and incorporating tiny bits of very soft gelee that were almost visually imperceptible, but that were helpful to the dish. Above the consomme was a nice, clean pece of terrine of foie gras.

This dish is consistent with what I subjectively perceive to be an integrating philosophy at Zuberoa (LML -- when you have a chance, please consider indicating whether this is consistent with your views). There is a modernity to the presentation and some of the cooking methods utilized, but the overarching flavors could be viewed as traditional (in a good way) ones or "distillation of the essence of the product" ones in many dishes.

-- Oysters in gelee of seawater -- I had to order this dish because I had sampled oysters in some sort of gelee containing the jus inside the oysters at various restaurants (Meneau's L'Esperance, Lorain's Cote St-Jacques, Dutournier's Carre des Feuillant, Guy Savoy, etc.). This dish was visually stunning, with a single flat oyster embedded in an almost liquid gelee, with small swirls of white and burgundy-colored (likely beetroot, very mild form) sauce on top of the gelee. The oyster was salty, rendering the dish slightly off balance. Interestingly, the type of oyster utilized had the texture of certain firm clams (e.g., palourdes). This cold oysters dish was to provide an appealing contrast with the warm oyster dish to come.

-- Caramel de crustaces a la gelee de pampelmousse, pommes de terre et caviar (A caramel of shellfish with grapefruit gelee, potatoes and caviar). A very unusual (in a neutral way) tasting dish. The largest component of the dish was a mild-tasting potato material that was more solid than foam, but not quite solid. On top of it was a generous amount of caviar, adding nice ocean-based flavors. On top of the caviar was a thin (likely potato-based), circular-shaped tuile. Crucial to the dish was what was below the potato material -- a gelee of grapefruit and a caramelised seafood sauce-like item. That the gelee was below lent interesting "weight" qualities to the dish's components when they were scooped up using utensils. A very interesting flavor when the various components were taken int together.

-- Coquilles Saint-Jacques poelee sur puree de potiron et sauce fumee (Pan-fried scallops on a pumpkin puree with a smoky sauce). A single plump scallop was appropriately cooked (i.e., less cooked). The pumpkin puree was relatively neutral-tasting, and not particularly sweet. There were speckles of bacon-related bits on the scallop, and a very smoked taste to the saucing.

-- Huitre tiede avec sauce parfume a son propre jus (Warm oyster with a sauce perfumed with its own jus). This was a wonderful dish. The same type of oyster was presented in a sauce formed from the jus inside the oyster. Only slightly warm (appropriate), and very beautiful. Swirls of beetroot-colored burgundy adorned the saucing. Nice inclusion of trouts' eggs, which added an element of saltiness and augmented the ocean aspects of the dish. The trouts' eggs resembled, both in appearance and in taste, salmon roe. A dish I enjoyed.

-- Jaune d'oeuf poche et risotto au chipiron (Poached egg yolk with a squid risotto) This dish was very good, and appealed to me considerably. A runny, but intact, egg yolk had been placed between two thin sheets formed from egg white. This was literally an egg "sandwich", delicately crafted. Below was a nice squid-flavored risotto.

-- Chipiron (squid) with onion and squid ink sauce. What a nice gift from the kitchen. A medium-sized squid grilled whole, with an onion-based sauce and also a squid ink based sauce. Nice sequencing relative to teh squid risotto from the prior dish.

-- Foie gras. Nice dish, with foie gras sauced with vanilla and orange. A vanilla-scented tuile completed the dish. Fattiness of foie was nicely utilized in this dish.

-- Morue aux legumes confits, sauce emulsionnee et huiles aux olives noires (Cod with confit vegetables, sauce and oils of black olives). Another visually appealing, and tasty, dish. A piece of confit of cod had black olive sauce spooned onto it and running down the height of the filet in little dribbles that were intended. Nice utilization of confit veggies, including acidic confit tomatoes. Saucing was a gelee (really more like a liquid of medium consistency) of cod.

-- Palombe rotie au romarin et chou vert truffe (Wood pigeon or special pigeon from Southern France, roasted with rosemary and truffled cabbage). This was recommended to me rare, and it was served literally that way. Nice purplish effects to the flesh, and sentiments of not being cooked on the mouth. Cabbage/truffle sauce was sufficiently "dark".

-- Green apple soup. Served with a thin pastry "timbale". Nice.

-- Croustillant aux fruits secs fourre de flan au fromage, verveine et sauce aux fromages (Croustillant of dried fruits containing a cheese flan, verbena and a cheese sauce). An interesting dessert. Pastry dominated with dried fruit bits formed a conical shape, in which were placed a runny cheese item and nicely fragrant verbena foam. Interestingly, at the bottom of this portion of the dessert was a tart grapefruit gelee. The runny cheese item had the texture of a ripe Vacherin Mont d'Or, but was likely a local cheese (perhaps unsmoked Idiazabal, rendered into a cream?) Appropriate rendered mild, and a nice pairing with the verbena foam.

Overall, clearly deserving of two Michelin stars and an appealing meal aided by informed service. Not as subjectively appealing as meals at Arzak.

Note that restaurants in Spain appear to serve up dishes much more quickly than comparable-level restaurants in France. Although meals begin later, the pace is noticeably more rapid.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Cabby - What happened with the wine at Arzak?

[cabrales]

Steve -- While I appreciated your suggestion, I ended up choosing (and, for my second meal, Chef Elena Arzak composed) a meal that was predominantly non-meat, with only one meat-driven dish in each case. For the first meal, I ordered a Bollinger R.D. 1990 at less than 100 euros (around its retail price at Fauchon, Paris) and a glass of red and sweet wine. For the other meal, the sommelier recommended the local white Txakoli, which Bux had mentioned and which was sufficient to support the cuisine. I had a glass of Rioja with the outstanding "Beef Steak and Crispy Vegetables" dish during the second meal. Excellent utilization of chives, and good quality meat from a Spanish variety of cow.

The Arzak restaurant rocks!

Edited December 2, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[Lord Michael Lewis]

This dish is consistent with what I subjectively perceive to be an integrating philosophy at Zuberoa (LML -- when you have a chance, please consider indicating whether this is consistent with your views).  There is a modernity to the presentation and some of the cooking methods utilized, but the overarching flavors could be viewed as traditional (in a good way) ones or "distillation of the essence of the product" ones in many dishes.

Here's something I wrote about Zuberoa.

There would seem to be mutual consistence.

Here's some more.

[cabrales]

Below are dishes taken in at Arzak (amuses not included; dish names from English version of menu, unless square brackets otherwise indicate) during two meals, the second of which was outstanding and the first of which was very good (French standards):

Meal 1 --

Our black squids [ink] soup

Baked oysters and bread and ginger

An egg flower with date "Txistorra" (this is the dish involving white truffle oil and goose fat and cooking in a little plastic pouch seen in the Bourdain series)

Monkfish with pistacchio sauce over a garlic cube

Pigeon lacado

[Cabrales in a creamy state with green apples]

Grilled fruits with orange juice

Sweet egg yolks with bacon

Meal 2 --

[soup of red bean, with lard and three gelees, including grapefruit and green pepper]

Idiazabal [cheese] with prawns and prunes

Vegetables in season (cardoons, artichokes, wild mushrooms, red beans and potatoes)

Grilled squids and cocoa

Beef steak and crispy vegetables

Pineapples and hazelnut

"Chufa" soup with fruit loaf