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On Arzak... a post in eleven dishes

Being a somewhat average human, with a somewhat average human's earning capacity, my experience of Michelin-starred restaurants is limited. So when I visited not only a Michelin-starred restaurant, but a 3-star Michelin-starred restaurant, you can bet I would be TELLING EVERYONE I KNEW ABOUT IT.

Ahem.

And so, I give you the degustation feast of restaurant Arzak, San Sebastian.

A blog post in eleven dishes.

Apparently not the start of the meal, just a teaser. Moringa and prawn (PINK) gyoza on the left. Banana and squid in the tree bamboo-thing on the right. Of course. (Forgive the crap photos - I took them in a blind panic not wanting to be 'that person' even though I was very clearly 'that person'.)

Still haven't started yet. Just a taster! Marinated sardine and strawberry.

Again, just a hint of things to come! 'Cecina' and kalamata on the right. Eel rod on the left with the log. I despair of people who never have a log on their dinner tables.

Right, now we're getting into it. Fitting considering was probably the prettiest dish of the entire meal bunch. Tuna with 'patxaran' and purple corn. Yep, purple corn because yellow corn is so last season.

Clearly winning the Ugly Sexy prize was this beauty here. Probably one of my favourite dishes.
Scarlet prawn with krill - aka marinated prawns on lemongrass and mint served with an unctuous (?!?) preparation of beetroot and crunchy krill.

No, wait. THIS dish was my favourite. Egg with corn - aka egg with tomato candy, 'pozole' corn and cordyceps (aka my new favourite word).

Okay, brace yourselves. Monkfish Cleopatra - aka grilled monkfish together with pecan nut paste and HIEROGLYPHICS forms of pumpkin and chickpea (which was legit the most amazing combination of flavours. So Egyptian-y.)

The meat sweats began even before this dish was brought out. We were thoroughly boozed at this point and could barely remember what it was like to be hungry. But still, I got through it because it was one of the best cuts of meat I've ever tasted.  Sailor's lamb - aka roasted lamb with anchovies, teff and broccoli stalks.

At last! We thought. Dessert! Near the end! We thought... Summer frost - aka summer frost with acai and fruits. 

And then the SECOND DESSERT appeared and we wanted to cry. Instead, we ate it because it was delicious and we're human. Square moon - aka lunar chocolate cube with a fluid core of mint, neroli and kiwi on the left and The Big Truffle - aka large cocoa and sugar truffle with a creamy chocolate and carob filling (which actually deflated spectacularly, and on purpose, when the syrup was poured over). Oh, and two servings of ice cream. One was pineapple and one was I can't remember because we were two bottles and a bit o' cava down by this point.

AND THEN CAME THE THIRD DESSERT AND WE LAUGHED TO KEEP THE TEARS AT BAY. I must be honest and say I didn't love the frogs. But I did eat them.


N.B: In case I haven't made it clear, every.single.part.of.every.single.dish.was.a.taste.adventure.I.want.to.go.on.again.except.for.the.frogs.

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