Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
7
Places to Eat in . . . San Sebastian, Spain
Truth to tell, it's barely in Spain at all, but nestled between two green mountains,
with a spectacular view of the Bay of Biscay, on the edge of maverick Basque
country. Yet this refined Spanish resort—the 19th-century summer home of the
Spanish court— has become a destination of choice for European foodies, who
flock here to sample an extraordinary cluster of superlative
restaurants. It's impossible to account for the concatena-
tion of culinary talent in this relatively small city—even the
local version of tapas,
pinxtos,
is executed with flair in every
casual bar in town.
The two grand old men of the scene are Juan Mari Arzak
at
Arzak
(Avda. Alcalde Jose Elosegui 273;
&
34/943/
28-55-93;
www.arzak.es), an elegantly modern renovation
of his family's century-old tavern, and Pedro Subijana at
Akelare
(Paseo del Padre Orkolaga 56;
&
34/943/21-20-
52;
www.akelare.net), a seaside hexagonal villa on the
western edge of San Sebastián. Arzak pays tribute to
Basque tradition, but his willingness to experiment, with
techniques like quick-freezing ingredients in liquid nitro-
gen or vaporizing liquids into a powder, inspired his pro-
tégé Ferran Adrià of El Bulli fame (see ); Arzak set up his
own food “laboratory” to explore new techniques long
before Adrià did. While the ingredients on Arzak's menu
may be familiar—oysters, foie gras, crayfish, squid, pheasant—what Arzak
(and now his daughter Elena) does with them continues to amaze diners. Subi-
jana's preparations, on the other hand, define
la nueva cocina vasca
(modern
Basque cuisine), a sublime mix of traditional farmstead preparations (beans
with bacon, chorizo, and pork ribs or a special
marmitako
fisherman's stew)
with innovative dishes like boiled cabbage stuffed with duck and served with
purée of celery.
Most Spaniards would consider Juan Iturralde of
Juanito Kojua
(Puerto
14;
&
34/94/342-01-80;
www.juanitokojua.com) as the third pillar of San
Sebastian's gastronomic culture. Though Michelin stardom has somehow
escaped this snug seafood restaurant in Old Town, with its unpretentious
1950s-vintage pine-paneled decor, it's famous throughout Spain for the reli-
able excellence of its fresh fish and shellfish, prepared with robust Basque
recipes.
As the next generation has come into its own, they've taken those influences
in surprising new directions. Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz carries on the high-tech
Arzak enlivens traditional
Basque cuisine with molecu-
lar gastronomy techniques.
