bulthaup » restaurantes

The flavors of the new Barcelona

bulthaup — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 09:29:25 +0000

As suggested by Ginés Gorriz, bulthaup Barcelona, bach 7.

For many years, Barcelona’s layout was determined by a vertical axis running from the sea up to the hills. You lived on the sea side or the mountain side of the street; you walked uphill towards the mountain, downhill to the sea. And in the city’s cuisine—albeit with noteworthy exceptions—fish restaurants turned their backs on mushrooms, game, and berries; in turn, grilled chops and beef stews did their best to snub their daunting rivals: prawns, clams, soles, even the occasional bold oyster.

But times have changed. Whether we like it or not, the shady harbor town we remember is now a thing of the past. The upscale districts on the hillsides are no longer as formal and homogeneous as they once were, either. From Avinguda Gaudí all the way to the Poble Sec, across the entire Eixample, you hear the echoes of other cities: Lima, Boston, Guayaquil, Tokyo, Bangalore.

Today, in Barcelona, even the best traditional restaurants have gradually been introducing elements from these broader horizons. Other venues with more inquisitive chefs, both upcoming and established, explore all sorts of combinations of the new currents that now flow through our city.

If you’re longing to experience the city’s seasoned classics, in this case with a strong scent of the sea, you will find the market’s best fish and shellfish at El Passadís d’en Pep, near Santa María del Mar: a restaurant without a menu where they make their suggestions and you let yourself be pampered. For unabashed budgets only. And for those of you with a passion for traditional rice dishes, for about 50 € you can enjoy the excellent options on the menu at Els Pescadors, in the midst of the Poble Nou seaside district: green rice with cod cheeks or red rice with fish and peppers are just some of their winning combinations.

In Barcelona you can also find tapas to please every palate. What for many businesses has become a slap-and-dash formula for trapping tourists, for some chefs has offered an opportunity to work their traditional standards into new forms. Cañete, Suculent, and Coure are good options for sampling a playful variety of carefully crafted, imaginative tapas.

Ginés Gorriz, bulthaup Barcelona, bach 7

Like in so many other cities, the influence of Asian cuisine is overwhelming and well-deserved in Barcelona. Located at less than 50 meters from the Cathedral, Shunka offers a traditional Japanese menu in a pleasant atmosphere, and further up, in the Eixample, at Me restaurant, chef and owner Thang will recommend dishes that merge Vietnamese flavors with twists from New Orleans or Barcelona. However, the major local landmark for Japanese cuisine in recent years has been Dos Palillos, located near the MACBA museum, which has earned a Michelin star thanks to several chefs trained at El Bulli. When you sit down at the inner dining counter you are not only prepared to enjoy its utterly delicate flavors, but also to admire the skill of the great Takeshi at work. The tasting menu (75 or 90€) is a memorable experience.

Last but not least, in a category all of its own, we find Ferran Adrià’s post-Bulli cosmos, offering five separate options in which the Japanese touch is also present. 41º, managed by Albert Adrià, is located in the Paral·lel area, and is the closest you can come to his brother Ferran’s Bulli in an urban environment. In the same neighborhood, Tickets offers an introduction to Adrià’s tapas (about 60€); make sure to reserve through their website at least 3 months in advance. But that is not all: nearby you will also find the Pakta, featuring Peruvian-Japanese cuisine; Espai Kru, where raw fish rules, and the Bodega 1900, a vermutería that stays open until 8 pm.

The mountain, the sea, north and south, east and west: Barcelona.

More information:

El Passadis d’en Pep

Els Pescadors

Cañete

Suculent

Coure

Shunka

Dos palillos

41º, Tickets, Pakta, Espai kru, Bodega 1900

The “b for bulthaup” gastronomy prize goes to Castro, Casañas, and Xatruch

bulthaup — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 20:46:39 +0000

bulthaup ha otorgado el premio “b de bulthaup” 2013 a los tres chefs del restaurante “Compartir” de Cadaqués, un proyecto que nace tras su etapa en El Bulli y que responde al afán por ofrecer la mejor cocina de vanguardia en un entorno singular.

Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, and Eduard Xatruch, the chefs at Compartir, have been awarded the “b for bulthaup” gastronomy prize.

Today, bulthaup awarded the “b for bulthaup” 2013 prize to the three chefs from Compartir (which means Sharing in Spanish), the restaurant located in Cadaqués, a project that came together after their experience at El Bulli and which is the expression of their desire to offer the best innovative cuisine in a unique setting.

The “b for bulthaup” award arose from the quest to acknowledge the efforts of a Spanish chef or restauranteur who shared the underlying values of the bulthaup brand: innovation, quality of life, functionality, professional skill, technical perfection, and the ability to adapt to changing times.

“What do we at bulthaup have in common with these chefs?” asked Christian Weirich, CEO of Bulthaup Iberia, in his speech. “As I see it, eating at Compartir is much more than just eating. Likewise, a customer who buys bulthaup is actually acquiring much more than just a kitchen.”

Compartir and bulthaup both believe in the importance of values, aesthetics, and forward thinking. The quest to innovate, to challenge what already exists, and to reinterpret it. These successful chefs’ desire to bring excellent cuisine to a broader audience is another one of the values we support. The sensitivity that the three makers of Compartir showed when they started up their new Cadaqués venture after their successful experience at El Bulli was crucial for convincing a jury of which we are particularly proud.

Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, and Eduard Xatruch are the first to receive a prize that will be awarded on a yearly basis, and whose jury panel this first time around included Álvaro Palacios (wine producer), Benedetta Tagliabue (architect), Miquel Torres Maczassek (wine producer), Oriol Villar (creative director, advertising), Quim Vila (owner of Vila Viniteca), Josep Mª Morera (graphic designer), Cristina Castañer (fashion designer/entrepreneur), Soledad Lorenzo (journalist), Toni Massanès (gastronome and journalist), Alfons Tost (interior designer), Miguel Sal (designer and branding consultant), and Christian Weirich (bulthaup).

With the “b for bulthaup” prize, we wish to join the efforts of so many chefs and other professionals in the restaurant sector who truly identify with our quest for ongoing improvement.

Photographs by Stephan Zähring, Jordi Ramos, and Francesc Guillamet.

After a speech by Christian Weirich, CEO of bulthaup iberia, and the “b for bulthaup” award being granted to the three chefs Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, and Eduard Xatruch, an appetizer inspired by Compartir’s iconic dishes was served. All those present—members of the jury, bulthaup partners, journalists, friends, and colleagues from the gastronomy sector—had a chance to “share” the event in a relaxed atmosphere and in acknowledgment of the prizewinners’ achievements.

Vídeo Award:

Mallorca, an island of contrasts

bulthaup — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:44:02 +0000

Mallorca is an enormously diverse island, with activities, visits, and landscapes for all tastes. The Posidonia beds growing on the sea floor, the presence of protected areas, and difficult access by land have all contributed to many beaches and coves having preserved their natural state. But the gaze of those who spend time on the island is not only set on the sea: inland, along the Tramuntana mountain range, you can find an intimate world of quiet villages boasting excellent restaurants with chefs who have come from all over the world in search of the peace and shelter of these mountains.
“The diversity of Mallorca’s people makes it a unique place,” explains one of our bulthaup partners in Palma de Mallorca, Marc Nicolau.
The island’s cooking is authentically Mediterranean, and you can experience it in a celler, a name broadly used today which originally referred to the traditional Mallorcan eateries set up in wine cellars.
When we ask Marc to suggest a celler, he doesn’t hesitate to recommend Santi Taura’s (both in the picture No. 3 of the gallery). This young chef, widely renowned on the island and with restaurants in three different locations, has his own clear notion of cuisine: simple and successful.
An enthusiast of Mallorca and of its ingredients, traditions, recipes, and landscapes, Santi Taura is, above all, an artisan of cooking. A chef by trade. In addition to the Celler, Taura has other venues where he offers his particular brand of cuisine: a restaurant in the village of Lloseta and the Urbà, his latest and most innovative project in the center of Palma, the island’s capital.
“We all deserve to visit Mallorca at least once in our lives,” states Marc Nicolau. “There is no other place in the Mediterranean that offers white sands, spectacular coves, superb cuisine, hotels with such charm, and evenings that are exciting for people of all ages.”

For those of us with a weakness for gourmet experiences, there is no better way to get to know a place than visiting the local markets. Mallorca offers many where you can sample the wonderful fruits of this land.
In recent years, according to Marc Nicolau, “the neighborhood around the Santa Catalina market in Palma has been developing a young, diverse character that has boosted local business and led to a varied, attractive range of new venues, including cafés and restaurants.”
Our partner on the island recommends that we visit “La Coquería,” a gastronomic space located in stall no. 13 inside the market. As its owners Maria Solivellas and Katja Wöhr tell us, “You eat our flat-bread cocas with your hands. It’s the perfect kind of food for improvising, sharing, taking away… It’s street food, food on the go. With verve, charisma, personality. Never a fad: always contemporary. ” The cocas are served with an exquisite lemonade or a cool almond milk. A must.

If you’re the kind who likes to take some local products home with you, Marc recommends three, which also include some sightseeing:

– “Take a tour to see the many vineyards and visit some of the dozens of wineries on the island. The quality of their products is apparent from the number of prizes they have won in international competitions. Enjoy a little wine tasting and take a bottle or two home with you.”
– Another one of the island’s star products is its olive oil. “Refined, elegant, and very fruity. Cold-pressed, a treat for the palate,” Nicolau tells us.

Magdalena Nicolau, Gabriel Nicolau, Joana Vilanova y Marc Nicolau; bulthaup Partners en Mallorca

- “If you visit the island in the summer, you can partake in harvesting the “Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc” salt. Flor de Sal is sea salt in its purest form. Very specific weather conditions are required for this aromatic, mineral-rich salt to crystallize on the water’s surface in the salt flats: a lot of sunshine, a gentle breeze, and low air humidity. This makes for a layer of flower-shaped crystals to form, which are harvested with rakes following a long-standing artisanal tradition. After drying, the salt is blended with Mediterranean herbs, spices, roses or black olives, subsequently packaged, and sent to gourmet stores and restaurants all over the world.
Last but not least, Marc recommends boarding a sailing ship to experience the island from the sea: “The Rossina di Mare is an option that will allow you to enjoy the sea aboard an exclusive 20-meter classic sailboat designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built in Italy by Cantiere Navale Costaguta in 1961.” This magnificent ship has everything you need to make your trip a unique, unforgettable experience, with the spirit of other, slower-paced times.”

We would like to thank Marc Nicolau from bulthaup in Palma de Mallorca for all his help.

Galicia, a feast for the senses

bulthaup — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:16:33 +0000

Located on the southern shores of the Celtic Sea, Galicia forged a culture on the crossroads between two worlds. The sounds of bagpipes, the scent of salt and vineyards, and shades of green and blue all converge in this unique landscape.

Francisco Otero, our bulthaup Partner in A Coruña and Pontevedra, tells us that “the kitchen, known as the lareira in Galician, was traditionally the most important room in the entire home. The rank and quality of a house was measured by the size of its kitchen stove. These were usually made of carved stone and could be assessed from the outside by the size of the chimney, which you continue to see in many traditional Galician houses today.”

This feature that marked Galician culture goes hand in hand with a strong penchant for gastronomic celebration. However, what truly stands out in the region’s culinary output is its simplicity. The ingredients are barely transformed, left to reveal their true character. The sparsely chosen added flavors and spices never cover up the qualities of the main products in the local dishes, which Galicians identify both by sight and by taste.

“In Galicia, you tend to eat well,” Francisco Otero assures us, “everywhere, from the typical furanchos–private farmhouses that sell their wine and home-grown produce–to most restaurants.”

Francisco Otero and Rafael Padin, bulthaup Partners in Galicia.

“In Santiago de Compostela, for example, your wouldn’t want to miss Abastos 2.0, located on the square and next to the market that bear the same name. Signature tapas and fresh products from the market are carefully prepared here in their simplest form. The restaurant also features Olei, an oil made from arbequina olives in Xinza (Ourense) and “espresso” cockles, steamed for 10 seconds in the coffee machine,” he explains.

Marcelo Tejedor, one of the foremost chefs in Galicia today, had the courage to close down his Michelin-starred restaurant several years ago with the sole aim of exploring new horizons. Casa Marcelo is now the first Galician-Japanese tavern in the world, true to its innovative spirit and to its focus on locally-sourced ingredients. A must according to Francisco Otero and Rafael Padin from bulthaup Galicia.

Iago Castrillón runs El Acio, recently named “revelation restaurant” by Madrid Fusión 2013. “The best ingredients from Galicia in a 100% seasonal cuisine, with their own vegetable garden five minutes away from the Cathedral of Santiago and excellent value in their weekday menus.” The restaurant also boasts an outstanding sommelier, Eva Pizarro, who as a talent for turning a very good meal into a feast for the senses.
Francisco reminds us of the region’s wine-growing tradition. “Back in the times of the Roman Empire, the local wines were exported to Rome for important celebrations.” And he proceeds to recommend that we visit “Bagos, a wine bar in downtown Pontevedra with a wine list that is probably the best in Galicia, and one of the best sommeliers in all of Spain: Fernando Filgueira. In this highly recommended venue you can taste the best of wines along with “tapas km0” made with natural, locally-sourced ingredients.

Last but not least, Otero adds that “if you love seafood, you have to make it out to the island of Ons, in the Ría de Pontevedra, and eat at Casa Checho. Their freshly-caught octopus and their barnacles are truly spectacular.”

We would like to thank Francisco Otero and Rafael Padin from bulthaup in Pontevedra and A Coruña for all their help.