This is the best restaurant I have ever been to. The connection of what happens and is served here…read morewith the Ría de Arousa is so direct, that it feels like a deep connection of your body with the whole ecosystem of dimension of a unique part of the planet.
The Ría de Arousa is one of the most bio diverse marine ecosystem in the world. It is not the result of "wildness", but instead of the large number of caring practices (including sustainable fishing of bajura, limited clamp farming (under a system of public concessions and many forms of common. It extends to the land, where the small latifundios turned into a network of organic high quality production of greens, and to unique landscapes like the wild's biggest laurel forests (being laurel leaves traditionally used to boil the percebes.
This is a fix menu restaurant, and the menu is a vehículo to atiné with the richness of the ría (both social and eco systemic). It uses a comparative methodology in 3 acts. In each act different variants of a similar type are presented for the customer to have an opportunity to learn and sense nuance by comparing.
First act: shells.
In a location from where an espectacular view of a part of the ría where clamps are collected different types of raw clamps are served alongside with a tasty oyster. The most available babosa, that became hegemonic and standardized in age by the collection practices, is compared with the tasty and less tender escupiña. Of which is not possible to tell the age since it scales the collection cycles.
Second act: Abundance
Movesd inside; the table is filled with 'entremeses'. A popular Spanish tradition to fill up the table with a broad variety of easy to eat treats. Including an open empanada, pickled mussels with chorizo, smoked jurel and others. Just delicious and fun.
Third act: Martiño
This is just memorable. Parts of the same fish are served sequentially in three forms: sashimi, deep fried with a red pepper puree, and roasted with fried potato's. Each introduces the same fish in a totally different cultural, social and technological tradition. Just breathtaking.
Well. This is all an act of contagious and bodied love for the ría and for those who have developed a culture to make it the rich Waco system that can be sensed and experienced now.
Beyond outstanding. Arguably the best restaurant in the entire world now.
