Martín Berasategui arrives with strength, enthusiasm and a 'stick' at the Etxeko restaurant in Madrid.
"Homemade" is what Etxeko means, the name of Martín Berasategui's new restaurant at Bless Hotel Madrid. But not in any house, but in that of a chef who has 10 Michelin stars, 44 years of profession behind him and "a life dedicated body and soul to transporting happiness through cooking", as the Basque chef reminds us sitting in the sophisticated lobby of this establishment that has come to revolutionize the hotel and gastronomic panorama of the capital.
"Under the common thread of Martín Berasategui's cuisine, I come to this city to offer different ways of trying the recipes that throughout my career have made my head and heart tick, remembering me from my origins to this day", explains Berasategui, who will be in charge of the entire food offer of the hotel, from the haute cuisine dishes of Etxeko to the more relaxed proposals of Versus Lively Lounge (breakfasts, appetizers, cocktails. ..), Fetén Clandestine Bar (a clandestine bar with an informal menu) and Picos Pardos Sky Lounge (the rooftop terrace with views of the city where you can refresh your palate in summer with Nikkei and raw recipes based on organic products) .
Lázaro Rosa-Violán has interpreted a traditional Madrid inn in a sophisticated key.
KITCHEN WITH ROOTS
This gastronomic and vital tour! that we can soak up at Bless Hotel Madrid is the result of the alliance –and mutual admiration– between the chef and the Matutes family, for whom Berasategui has created "a tailored suit that, without being luxurious, we could call elegant sport", because in the words of the chef: "it's like you would receive your friends at home: you know what they want, you want them to feel comfortable and you are going to make a delicious dish to their liking, without concessions to the gallery".
Berasategui tells us that this was an irrefutable project. In fact, he was so convinced by the idea that within a few days he will open another Etxeko restaurant at Bless Hotel Ibiza. ** Of course, he clarifies that "under a different seasonal concept, because the cuisine I practice in Barcelona is not the same as in San Sebastián or Lisbon".
Poularda in pepitoria in two cookings with Iberian sobrassada, one of the dishes of Etxeko Madrid.
When the chef is asked about how he is capable of taking on so many projects at the same time, the answer is very clear. Beyond using a room with different screens from which he communicates daily from the Basque Country with several managers at the same time, what makes him great is that team that he always surrounds himself with, In fact, he uses a very clarifying expression: "I'm the same height as my great teams when they're sitting down."
The is the driving force that moves the blades of the mill, assures Berasategui, a 'stick' that also demands those who work at his side because "if I have achieved it, they can also achieve it. 90% of talent is made up of work, opportunities and a 'race' of improvement. to be non-conformist by nature".
The Basque chef surrounded by his amazing team from Madrid.
I perceive a lot of emotional intelligence –the secret of professional success– in this chef who likes to chat with each person, putting himself in their place. An empathy and respect for his origins and his family that ends up convincing you that This cook also owes a lot to the way of being close to him. But beware! "Behind that hesitancy, that good-natured person, there is a super firm hand, super organized and super disciplined," Berasategui clarifies.
Nor does Berasategui forget his luck, who thanks a Capuchin monk from his school for the opportunity he gave him to be an apprentice when he was still very young – and without even knowing that cooking would end up becoming his great passion. –. An apprentice role that he would never abandon, because this great master chef confesses that he teaches his team everything he knows –no secrets–, but he also learns a lot from him every day.
Everything is inspiring at the Etxeko restaurant.
SON OF MARKET
Traditional, fresh and current cuisine is what Martín Berasategui signs at Etxeko (with a dynamic and balanced menu made up of seasonal dishes and other unquestionable ones). And for this it uses products from the sea and the countryside. "You have to listen to what nature wants to tell us every day." A metaphor with which the chef – who declares himself a son of the La Bretxa market – explains his local cuisine (which we call him), by Martín Berasategui (which he can boast of).
This explanation of the gastronomy practiced by the Basque chef would not be complete without alluding to his fundamental ingredient, and we are not referring to that innovative technical rigor of weights imported from the world of pastry, but to illusion. "I have the same as when I won my first Michelin star at the age of 24, you can't have more," concludes Berasategui.
So we can rest easy, Berasategui has brought his famous recipe for happiness to Etxeko at Bless Hotel Madrid.
Martín Berasategui's cuisine or, what is the same, closeness.