Arzak

12 days in Spain & 4 days in Paris- 9/12/14- 9/9/28/14

Course 1- Cromlech, manioc and huitlacoche

Crispy manioc hydrated with huitlacoche stuffed with a preparation of onion, green tea and foie gras. If you are not familiar with huitlacoche it is a fungus that grows on corn kernel and have a very pungent earthy flavor of mushroom and corn. The dark portion on the Cromlech are made with huitlacoche.

We were instructed to eat the dish “like ice cream.” Upon biting into it, your mouth is filled with a rich, soft and buttery sauce, with a subtle crunch from the shell. Almost like a soup dumpling gone haute. The mix of flavors and textures in this dish is unreal. A true Arzak classic - See more at: http://thechicbrulee.com/2013/08/12/arzak-a-review/#sthash.W0tO8Vtk.dpuf

The first official course was beautiful and interesting looking. We were not sure how to eat it so we were told to pick it up with our hand and to bite into it.

The “cromlech” were crispy and hollow, with a filling of foie gras inside. Each piece was too large to eat in one bite, so I took a bite and took a picture of the inside for you to see.

The filling has a rich, soft and buttery sauce, with a subtle crunch from the shell. DELICIOUS!

Course 2- Beet root blood apple

Thinly slices of Apple injected with beetroot accompanied by creamy foie gras and potato "mother of pearl"

The lobster and sea garden with a crispy pancake was another knock-out dish and so beautiful to look at.

The lobster was perfectly grilled and has a nice sweet texture. The crispy star shaped crepe reminded me of the Vietnamese "Banh tom", the clear tomato broth has a very nice flavor and was so tasty.

onsisting of grilled lobster with a crispy star shaped crepe and fresh greens. This was light and a refreshing change of pace after the last, much heavier, course. The lobster was grilled nicely and the sauce was slightly tart and fruity, but not overly so. - See more at: http://thechicbrulee.com/2013/08/12/arzak-a-review/#sthash.W0tO8Vtk.dpuf

Egg with semi crunchy shell and baobab accompanied by "lactic leaves" and curds.

The baobab fruit looks like a coconut, but has six times the vitamin C of an orange, twice the calcium of milk and is packed with antioxidants like iron and potassium.

n egg with semi crunchy shell and baobab accompanied by “lactic leaves” and curds. The egg was cooked perfectly, with a bright orange runny yolk, and the fried shell was light and airy. The sides worked well. Fabulous and memorable dish - See more at: http://thechicbrulee.com/2013/08/12/arzak-a-review/#sthash.W0tO8Vtk.dpuf

The egg was cooked perfectly, with a bright orange runny yolk, the crispy shell added a another dimension to the dish and the baobab tasted like almond to me.