Nagore Irazueugi and Rodrigo García Fonseca have moved from Ponzano Street to the surroundings of the Bernabéu stadium to open one of the current references for Madrid gourmets: the fashionable foodie place where you find yourself eating the friends you saw the other day in OSA, in Velascoabellà or in Ugo Chan. After a year of work, their new premises are called Bascoat, which is the name by which the Gascons referred to the Basque Country in the Middle Ages. And, although the space has some Scandinavian minimalism, based on iron, slate, wool and brut chestnut wood, the menu is a declaration of love for Basque cuisine, prioritizing stews and the grill.
After seven years at the helm of Arima, that chamberilera tavern that attracted crowds to the demand for tapas and vermouths and that hid in the back a secluded dining room dedicated to bistronomy, the couple has found here the ideal place to continue developing their work. recovery of the lost flavors of Basque hamlets, without abandoning their original home.
There we tried for the first time that iconic pintxo that is the gilda Joxefa 2.0, a tribute to Nagore’s great-great-grandmother that has piparra mayonnaise, anchovy, olive cream and oil pearls, which cannot be missing from the brand new Bascoat’s offering along with others. modern classics such as the Beasain black pudding fritter with dark chocolate mole from Mendaro, with Tolosa beans and espelette peppers with cabbage wafer (pure Basque-Aztec fusion!) or the hake cake as they do at Astelena in the old part of San Sebastian, with mayonnaise from its collagen. Of course, the shrimp omelet marinated in espelette, oloroso, olive oil, orange and lime is, for its part, a small nod to the south, courtesy of chefs David Gallego and Lorena Navarro (ex Bagá), which is wonderfully accompanied with some of the sherries by the glass that sommelier Álex Fernández proposes.
The usual ritual here is to sit at the table in one of the two dining rooms – my favorite is the one overlooking a kitchen –, take a look at the menu and then ask Nagore to give you whatever he wants. In Bascoat there is no tasting menu, but the hostess improvises it for almost everyone. First, several pintxos; then some of the vegetables that come to them from gardens in Hernani (Guipúzcoa) or Mendavia (Navarra); perhaps a stew if her body demands it and, inevitably, to finish the salty part, some well-aged chop – but without excesses – or a noble whole fish roasted on a volcanic stone grill. Seemingly so simple and so delicious.
We will always have the memory of the self-taught Rodrigo of his time at the Chuka Ramen Bar on Echegaray Street, where he cut his teeth on the most daring oriental backgrounds and flavors. Then, in Arima, he finally let loose with comforting and ambitious dishes such as the ear terrine with mushrooms and apple and fennel salad or the grilled Tudela florets with anchovy vinaigrette and liquid salad, always with the product as the flag and with a lot of discretion not to abuse the condiments.
On our last visit to Bascoat, we started with some Agur anchovies from Bakio, lightly seasoned with txakoli vinegar and pepper: a declaration of intentions where the search for the excellent raw material is as much or more important than the gesture of passing it through the fire or just season it. With that founding spirit of a 21st century Basque food house that is governed by the season, we also tried a cheerful sea bass tartar with rice vinegar and chopped fennel and raifort, followed by some lightly sautéed autumn mushrooms, tasty enhanced with a romesco of pumpkin and a few cubes of Iberian dewlap.
It’s the fish’s turn – a turbot for two, in our case – which is first presented raw to the diner, with its weight and price, before being passed into the hands of the griller. While he takes care of the fabulous bug, we entertain ourselves with some exquisitely grilled squid with an emulsion of its ink and a powerful pig’s trotter sauce. A risky dish resolved with skill and naturalness.
The turbot, roasted whole to a perfect point, comes seasoned with a San Sebastian sauce of garlic, oil, vinegar and cayenne. Nagore cuts it up in front of the customer and serves it in two turns, giving prominence to each part, as if we were in Elkano, the ichthyophagous temple of Guetaria, an inevitable reference when she thinks of embers and sea.
Good selection of Formaje cheeses, which can be accompanied with some of the winery’s cult wine gems. Desserts were never a strong point at Arima and here they have evolved thanks to Lorena’s work, highlighting a sheep’s milk curd with pepper and walnut caramel and, above all, a citrus sky bacon with Palo Cortado chantilly with which , for a moment, we look back towards Cádiz. Remarkable room service, well-spaced tables, somewhat severe prices… but mange with pleasure does not bite. You go out and you already want to come back!
