I have been very fortunate in my life to travel the world and taste some incredible food. From mouthwatering spice induced fish stew in Phuket, Thailand to crispy Fish and Chips with authentic tartar sauce in Manchester, England to succulent Ropa Veija in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba. One of the most memorable experiences was during my visit to San Sabastían, Spain. The small town is riddled on every corner with incredible cafés and restaurants of the highest quality.
One of my friends had booked two months ahead before our trip, securing a table at one of the town’s many Michelin Star restaurants, Arzak. Arzak held 3 Michelin Stars at that time and still does. We were very luckily to get a table indeed!
I have never imagined it was possible for a restaurant to pay that much attention to detail and achieve such a serene atmosphere. It was relatively small with a low sealing but it felt incredibly cozy. It was the middle of summer yet the atmosphere inside was neither hot or cold. All the utensils were spotless and shiny. The service staff we incredibly organized and dressed in perfectly clean fitting clothes yet they were all far from pretentious. The restaurant offered a sampling menu, whereby customers can order half portions of an appetizer and main course so that you may try more items.
Once we were done ordering we were presented with an amuse-bouche on the house. It was the strangest most unexpected dish ever placed in front of me. On the plate was a semi crushed can of Schweppes carbonated water with a little beauty of a package on top and a toothpick. The waitress explained that this was a mango ravioli stuffed with chorizo and cooked in Schweppes water! The whole table just went ‘ooooh!’ with curiosity. Each of us proceeded to poke the ravioli with the toothpick and placed it in our mouths.
To say that I experienced an explosion of flavor would be an understatement. It was something completely out of this world. I think my brain formed a few neural connections that where not there before. As I chewed extremely slowly, my mind began to race. How was this possible? How did this chef come up with the idea? How did the process come to be? To wrap an extremely beautiful tasting chorizo like a present inside a sheet of mango pasta with such harmony was one thing, but to go ahead and boil the morsel in carbonated water was another thing entirely. Presenting the ravioli on top of a crushed can was art! It was simply a stroke of genius followed by an understanding of food on a deeper level than I thought possible.