Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo ES
El Transistor 2014
White and Sourdough
Cream of Beans
Chorizo Sandwich
Butter of Goat’s Milk with Black Salt
Fresh Cheese of Buffalo, Honey and Hazelnut
Salted Anchovy with Toasted Bread
Pumpkin Stick with herbs from local fields
Prawns of Palmos
Baby Squid Caramelized Onion and Ink
King Bolete and Aubergine
Tartar of Fresh Chorizo with Corn Crepe
Scrambled Eggs with White Truffle
Tuna Belly with Vizcaina Sauce and Radish
Beef Chop
Woodcock “Shot down the road just yesterday” with Creamy Rice and Red Fruit
Reduced Milk Ice Cream with Beetroot Juice
Basque Cake with Smoked Ice Cream and Apple
Sweet of Pumpkin, Drinking Chocolate, Goat Caramel Chocolate
Located in Atxondo and considered by many to be the premier destination for wood grilled cuisine in the world, Victor Arguinzoniz’s Asador Etxebarri sits high in the Spanish hills outside of Bilbao and seducing diners for over a decade through the pairing of fire to peerless ingredients the experience takes “barbeque” to new heights, each bite a reminder that skill plus passion can be transformative in even the oldest style of cooked food.
Starred by Michelin and a difficult reservation in part thanks to its place on San Pellegrino’s annual list, it is perhaps a bit surprising that both the Chef and his restaurant remain humble without much adornment, the only indication of the later a sign above the front door and a lot full of rental cars while Arguinzoniz himself spends the both lunch and dinner over smoking wood in a T-shirt, the days and hours off committed to family, farming, and sourcing, even going so far as to bake his own bread, churn his own butter, and make his own cheese.
Starting out in the tavern, a full house present for 13h00 seating as wind and rain rattled windows from outside, it was with brief greetings from the chef that an all-female staff led each party up the stairs, and with one small room complimenting a larger main chamber it was not long before linens were unfolded and menus presented, the €125 Chef’s Tasting selected by all in attendance while a la carte options were added by myself and several tables surrounding.
Opting for a single glass of dry Spanish white to pair with the menu, crusty bread offered in two varieties featuring a springy chew, it was but a few moments before a creamy cup of beans imbued with smoke was presented to the table, an adjacent woven plate featuring housemade chorizo on a tiny toasted baguette bold yet elegant in its spice profile and a good sign of things to come.
No doubt proud of Victor’s commitment, the staff sharing stories of the animals and process involved in making both butter and cheese, suffice it to say that it is perhaps best that the former is served as a single thin slab because otherwise far too much bed would be ingested, though I must admit I did consider a second order of the honey kissed grassy cheese.
Not particularly a fan of sardines, though the wood’s essence and light brushing of herbs served this particular fillet well, a charred rectangle of pumpkin topped with local flowers was a perfect palate cleanser accented by mint essence, the two prawns to follow absolutely breath taking in their sweetness of their tails while sucking the head brought forth familiar flavors of the sea with low notes of smoke.
Turning squid meltingly tender yet snappy by the fire, spring onions and ink nice for dipping both the body and bread, course nine saw earthy mushrooms transition the palate much like the pumpkin, the best item of the meal following with spicy chorizo the texture of velvet atop a faintly sweet corn crepe.
Portioned and coursed appropriately, no dish overwhelming as dynamic flavors were left to linger just long enough, those familiar with the aroma of white truffles could undoubtedly smell the ingredient immediately after it was served to the first table, the simple egg pudding a perfect delivery mechanism with a luxurious smoothness not dissimilar to crème fraiche.
Preceding the finale with a lightly warmed cut of tuna that would make even the most impassioned sushi fan call to mind the best slices of o-toro served raw, the savory part of the tasting menu was concluded by Arguinzoniz’s famous beef chop, the flavor as rich as any in the region while the texture was a bit more firm that found elsewhere, not the most memorable bite of the afternoon but certainly not bad at all.
Sated but not stuffed, the a la carte goose liver I’d considered adding admittedly still a regret, there was simply no way to pass up a grilled Woodcock described as being “Shot down the road just yesterday,” every bit but the feathers and entrails served atop risotto and red fruit that offered an admirable foil to the bird’s rich and gamey funk.
Ending with desserts, the tasting menu providing rich ice cream that ate more like yogurt chilled just below 0ºC in a broth of juiced beets alongside a trio of treats highlighted by sipping chocolate and a small pumpkin cake, it was on a hunch that I opted to additionally request a slice of the Gateau Basque and with chilled cow’s milk infused with smoke alongside butter, sugar, and apples the flavor was as elegant as it was decadent, every bit as wonderful as anything else during the meal.
http://asadoretxebarri.com/