A magical meal
Welcome to Eneko Atxa’s whimsical world cuisine, where ashes are edible and a takes on various delicious forms.
IT begins – in typical Alice in Wonderland fashion – with a picnic in a “garden,” or rather, an antechamber that was recreated to resemble a garden. Perched on a tree trunk beside a tangle of willows is a basket, its lid cracked opened to reveal a trio of nibbles: caviar- andsea- urchin- topped charcoal- coloured corn toast; anchovy mille- feuille embellished with pink “butterfly” petals; and jade- green bon- bons filled with mojito. Go on, it seems to say, eat us. You pick one of the spheres and pop it into your mouth, whole. It explodes upon contact, drenching your tongue in a refreshing blast of cocktail.
Next, you’re marched to your table, where bonsai trees bearing plump cherry tomatoes and edible tree barks made from brown savoury crackers await, like a scene straight out of Willy Wonka. You’re encouraged to pick the tomatoes off the branches and eat them, and you do so, unleashing another mouthful of fireworks, this time tinged with flavours of raspberry and lemon. Surprise, surprise. What a fitting welcome to Eneko Atxa’s world, where rules are broken and reality as you know it is distorted. The brains behind the highly feted Bilbao- based restaurant Azurmendi, Atxa was in KL for the launch of his pop- up restaurant at Mandarin Oriental. At Aziamendi88, Malaysian diners get to embark on a delectable journey through his subconscious. It is the subconscious of an artist, a wizard, a scientist, a thinker, an anarchist and, most of all, a stage performer.
Expectations have been high ever since Atxa was crowned Spain’s youngest triple- Michelin- starred chef at 35, three years ago. Despite having to bear the weight of this colossal title, he remains creatively unencumbered and quietly confident in the kitchen, an enfant terrible of the Basque culinary world, thrilling a captive audience by deconstructing traditional Basque recipes using a combination of science and imagination. In this feverish realm of haute gastronomy, where the pursuit of the next transcendent culinary experience is the sole mission of many diners, Atxa makes his mark by employing a vast range of techniques and ingredients to manipulate the human emotion.
The eight- course meal at Aziamendi88 is not short on wonders. The Truffled Egg, one of Atxa’s most famous dishes, comes cruising to the table wobbling on a spoon and crowned with tiny slivers of truffles. One- half egg yolk and onehalf hot truffle consommé, this miniscule dish is made to be consumed in a single mouthful so you can fully savour its rich, earthy flavour.
Another signature of Atxa’s, The Garden is a stunning culinary sculpture of a vegetable patch in miniature. Fully edible, with a colourful variety of springtime vegetables sprouting from dehydrated black beetroot soil infused with tangy tomato emulsion, the dish perfectly encapsulates the sense of playfulness that underscores Atxa’s best, most ethereal creations.
In Foie Gras Ashes, the fistful of soot balancing precariously on a piece of driftwood is actually a scatter of smoky goose liver that’s blackened by salt and pepper. Light and creamy, messy yet oh- so- worth- it, the fine flakes of foie vanishes the moment you take a bite, offering your tongue a fleeting glimpse of life’s most hard- to- come- by pleasures.
Throughout dinner, there are moments of quiet contemplation, when diners slip into what- the- heckam- I- eating mode, and moments of child- like jubilance filled with snorts and giggles. It’s an intriguing social experiment, designed to grab and shake haute cuisine by its overstarched collar.
But make no mistake: Atxa is no Adria or Blumenthal although his work echoes a similar ethos. Chemistry and physics are merely culinary aids to Atxa, whereas the ingredients harvested from Mother Nature take centre stage. And while his dishes, too, are presented in unconventional ways, they reference the past and future of Basque cuisine and his life so far on a plate.
Perhaps this is what drew business magnate and founder of Iniala Beach House Mark Weingard to Atxa. Weingard, who wanted a groundbreaking restaurant to go with his string of luxury villas in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand, went on a 10- day eating expedition, hitting all of Northern Spain’s best restaurants, to locate “the one”. On the very last day, Weingard – who was by then suffering from foie gras fatigue – visited Azurmendi, where Atxa welcomed him with open arms.
“He was very nice, very humble. His food blew me away,” says Weingard of Atxa. He had finally found the one. In December 2013, Aziamendi, Atxa’s first outpost in Southeast Asia, was launched. It was where new, Asian- inspired creations see the light with the help of Chef de Cuisine Alex Burger, one of Atxa’s protegee.
Meanwhile, several original dishes also make their appearance at Aziamendi88. There’s the Squid Noodles, a fun, Asian- tasting dish that reduces squid into three parts: noodles, broth and croquette. But first, you start with the spoonful of crunchy tobiko. Next, you proceed