It's not just a salad. It's a carefully arranged edible garden. Fresh leaves and peppered flowers come together with rich lobster and cream of lettuce on a lake of jellied tomato juice.
Vegetable hearts salad with seafood (Martin Berasategui) —
It's not just a salad. It's a carefully arranged edible garden. Fresh leaves and peppered flowers come together with rich lobster and cream of lettuce on a lake of jellied tomato juice.
Courtesy Martin Berasategui
Dill adds a subtle twist of flavor to the crustacean cream and shrimp with foam.
Royal red shrimp and dill with "venta del baron" oil (Martin Berasategui) —
Dill adds a subtle twist of flavor to the crustacean cream and shrimp with foam.
Courtesy Martin Berasategui
Served on horseradish curd with fermented soy broth and hazelnut salt, the roasted foie gras has a crunchy exterior that melds surprisingly well with the shredded seaweed.
Foie gras with seaweed (Martin Berasategui) —
Served on horseradish curd with fermented soy broth and hazelnut salt, the roasted foie gras has a crunchy exterior that melds surprisingly well with the shredded seaweed.
Courtesy Martin Berasategui
It looks like cake, but the texture is more like a frozen batter than a spongy pastry. The melting sweetness is tempered by frozen whiskey cream and crushed ice.
Smoked sponge with cocoa crunch (Martin Berasategui) —
It looks like cake, but the texture is more like a frozen batter than a spongy pastry. The melting sweetness is tempered by frozen whiskey cream and crushed ice.
Courtesy Martin Berasategui
Dark chocolate leaves, mint, flowers, citrus and pressed apple slivers sit on a sea of concentrated orange cream. The dish progresses through sweet, creamy, chewy, brittle, bitter and sour notes.
Orange 'Tocino de Cielo' sheet with fruit leaves (Akelarre) —
Dark chocolate leaves, mint, flowers, citrus and pressed apple slivers sit on a sea of concentrated orange cream. The dish progresses through sweet, creamy, chewy, brittle, bitter and sour notes.
Courtesy Akelarre
Despite the broken jar being made of sugar candy, the dessert isn't overwhelmingly sweet. Creamy Greek yogurt and ripe berries spill out of the jar.
The broken jar of yogurt (Akelarre) —
Despite the broken jar being made of sugar candy, the dessert isn't overwhelmingly sweet. Creamy Greek yogurt and ripe berries spill out of the jar.
Courtesy Akelarre
The Spanish prawns are flambeed at your table over lava rocks with "orujo," a Spanish spirit similar to grappa.
Prawns and French beans cooked in "orujo" fire (Akelarre) —
The Spanish prawns are flambeed at your table over lava rocks with "orujo," a Spanish spirit similar to grappa.
Courtesy Akelarre
Pieces of fried beef tendon are stretched on thorny branches accompanied by a sweet balsamic dipping sauce of honey mead, egg yolk and ash, which give the dish a black color.
Tendons, honey mead, yolks and dipping ash (Mugaritz) —
Pieces of fried beef tendon are stretched on thorny branches accompanied by a sweet balsamic dipping sauce of honey mead, egg yolk and ash, which give the dish a black color.
José Luis López de Zubiría / Mugaritz
One of the most memorable and experimental dishes at Mugaritz is shaved ice with concentrated shrimp head juice poured over it. You're supposed to eat the shrimp-infused ice before it melts.
Ice shreds with scarlet shrimp perfume (Mugaritz) —
One of the most memorable and experimental dishes at Mugaritz is shaved ice with concentrated shrimp head juice poured over it. You're supposed to eat the shrimp-infused ice before it melts.
José Luis López de Zubiría / Mugaritz
Paper thin slices of apple are infused with beetroot that surround foie gras covered in pistachio and almond. Crispy potato "mother of pearl" shards complete the dish.
Apple sanguine of beet (Arzak) —
Paper thin slices of apple are infused with beetroot that surround foie gras covered in pistachio and almond. Crispy potato "mother of pearl" shards complete the dish.
Coconut Food Shots
Grilled lobster topped with crispy star-shaped crepes sit in a pool of tomato water. Sesame seeds infused with soy and wasabi are scattered on the dish with fresh greens.
Lobster "sea and garden" (Arzak) —
Grilled lobster topped with crispy star-shaped crepes sit in a pool of tomato water. Sesame seeds infused with soy and wasabi are scattered on the dish with fresh greens.
Courtesy Arzak Bogavante
This chocolate truffle is full of creamy chocolate, candy floss and crunchy bread crumbs.
The super truffle (Arzak) —
This chocolate truffle is full of creamy chocolate, candy floss and crunchy bread crumbs.
Coconut Food Shots
Rather than beef, this burger is all about squid. The squid ink sponge on squid ink aioli has the consistency of a savory marshmallow, while wasabi gives it a spicy kick.
Squid hamburger (Bar Zeruko) —
Rather than beef, this burger is all about squid. The squid ink sponge on squid ink aioli has the consistency of a savory marshmallow, while wasabi gives it a spicy kick.
Courtesy San Sebastian Food
Served with an aioli and salad shooter, the mini-tub of salted cod is freshly cured and cooked over a smoldering piece of charcoal for 20 seconds.
Charcoal smoked bacalao gravlax (Bar Zeruko) —
Served with an aioli and salad shooter, the mini-tub of salted cod is freshly cured and cooked over a smoldering piece of charcoal for 20 seconds.
Courtesy San Sebastian Food
A Fuego Negro swaps out fish for bits of chicken that have been marinated for 12 hours. Mixed with lime juice, cilantro, oranges and red onion, this ceviche with a twist is great on a hot day.
Ceviche di pollo (A Fuego Negro) —
A Fuego Negro swaps out fish for bits of chicken that have been marinated for 12 hours. Mixed with lime juice, cilantro, oranges and red onion, this ceviche with a twist is great on a hot day.
Courtesy A fuego negro
Butter lettuce salad and popcorn accompany cubes of T-bone steak, which dresses the tender leaves in beef juice and a slightly salty, buttery taste.
T-bone grill and popcorn (A Fuego Negro) —
Butter lettuce salad and popcorn accompany cubes of T-bone steak, which dresses the tender leaves in beef juice and a slightly salty, buttery taste.
Courtesy A fuego negro